Page 9 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - September 14

SYLVIA FLOWERS

Born - Glasgow, 1930; Joined Habonim - 1944; Madricha - 1945; Machon –
1950; David Eder Farm - 1951; Rosh Peleg, Manchester 1951-52;. Aliyah -
1953, Hachsharah with Garin Gimmel, joined Kibbutz Amiad; Since 1956 in
Rehovot;. High School teacher. Archivist at Weizmann Institute. BA Hons.
and M.Phil. London University (1970, 1975) in History

I drop me off at the Bilu crossroads, south of
n 1950 I was on the “Machon” and I
Rehovot where I had a good chance of picking
wanted to see as much of Israel as I could
up a lift. It was dark and the road was deserted.
in my free time even though we went on
organized tiyulim. So one weekend I
decided to hitch-hike from Jerusalem to Kibbutz Finally, a military jeep came along.
“What are you doing here on your own?”
Matzuba on my own to visit some chaverim. I explained and they conferred.
I got beyond Haifa without too much difficulty “We are patrolling the border and when we
and then wanted to get further north before I finish we will take you to the outskirts of
turned off for Matzuba. After a while a large Jerusalem. Do you want to come?”
truck stopped and the Arab driver signalled me Anything was better than standing on an empty
to climb up back. I gingerly climbed up the dark road at nearly midnight in my scanty shorts
metal ladder and clambered over the top and and sandals and it was getting decidedly chilly,
dropped down into a load of Arab workers. so I quickly agreed and jumped in. They took
Here was I in my usual brief shorts, sandals and me as far as the entrance to Jerusalem, but I still
movement shirt, showing far too much flesh for had to get to the other side of Jerusalem, to the
the occasion. I wrapped my kefiyah around me High Commissioner’s Compound, which was
sarong style, and squeezed into a corner. then in No Man’s Land. (We were staying there
As we hurtled towards Rosh el Nakurah, I only for the last month of the Course). It was now
hoped they would stop before we got to the three o’clock in the morning and I was tired and
border….which they did. I climbed down, weary and more than a bit worried. I started
waved them off and heaved a sigh of relief trudging slowly along the deserted road when a
before I started to hitch along the road towards taxi passed me, stopped and reversed.
the kibbutz and my friends. “Where are you going at this time of the

However, I still had to get back to Jerusalem in morning?”
time for lessons on Sunday morning and this I told him.
time things did not go so smoothly. I had got as “Get in!”
far as the outskirts of Tel Aviv and there my “I’ve no money!”
luck ran out. Very soon it would be dark, so I “Did I ask you for money? I wouldn’t let my
began to get really worried. It was too late for daughter walk all that way by herself, nor will I
buses and anyway, I had no money, so I had to let you!”
hitch. At last a jeep stopped for me and I got in It took us only a matter of minutes before we
– Jerusalem? Yes! reached our destination. Thanking him, I waved
I heaved a sigh of relief and settled down. him goodbye. The guard at the gate examined
However, when they reached Rehovot, they my pass and waved me through and I stumbled
suddenly saw friends that they knew and decided into my bed, exhausted mentally and physically.
to spend the evening with them. At that time I I think that was the last of my free-ranging trips,
didn’t know anyone in Rehovot and they didn’t even though it seemed like a good idea at the
know what to do with me, so they decided to time!

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