Page 45 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Winter 20
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building it. The children all look very healthy Friday, 20 April
and bonny. The main problem is an acute I offered to help in the kitchen, where
water shortage. We were invited to a kumsitz everyone was very busy preparing for
– a social gathering, usually a musical one – Pesach. The flies are very annoying, and I’ve
in V’s room, with wine and broken biscuits. been bitten by some other insect. I was
The rooms we saw were provided with only commissioned to festoon the place with some
basic pieces of furniture. We learned that greenery, but discovered that simple
most of the members had been kept back in commodities, such as string and drawing
Cyprus and, when they were released, pins, were completely unavailable. (If only
brought only hand-luggage with them.
one of the members had taken time to send
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Thursday, 19 April me a list before we came, they could have had
everything which was needed). I think I made
David’s old friends from Liverpool, Gershon
and Shoshi Epstein, were away on holiday, so the branches stay up by sheer will-power.
we were given their room for the night. We The Seder was most enjoyable, but it began
slept late and, in the morning, went to get so late that most of the chaverim were too
enough water for a wash. After lunch, we tired to enjoy or appreciate it. The ‘Counting
went with V to see part of the meshek (farm), of the Omer’ ceremony was rather slip-shod
then walked down the hill to the old Arab and disorganised, and the dancing lacked
village of Mansur, where many of the kibbutz polish. The Haggadah had much of the
members had first settled. We saw the traditional about it, and was to be credited for
kibbutz foundry, the bakery, the sheep pens that, but the illustrations were so futuristic
and the machine shop. Eventually, they will and modern that the subtle content (if any)
all be established on the permanent site. We and beauty (if any) was wholly lost to the
had a good view of the Syrian hills, not far majority. I intended to stay up for the
away, and another marvellous view of the dancing, but rather too much wine forced me
Kinneret. When we returned, we set about to sleep. It was such a good feeling to
settling into our tent. It will be quite celebrate Pesach here, this year.
st
comfortable with its raised wooden floor, a Shabbat, 21 April
double bed – two metal-framed single beds Celebrated today in the traditional way and
pushed together, our little stool, an orange- would have slept even longer but for the flies.
box and our plastic, hanging wardrobe!
We went to see the children’s quarters, which
The food is rather different here. There are were extremely interesting. The living
tables for six in the dining-hall, and the meals conditions for the children are very good and
usually consist of cream cheese, labane (a far superior to those of their parents. David
kind of yoghurt), macaroni, olives and played cricket here in this lonely, isolated
peppers. Potatoes are scarce, but the bread is spot in the Holy Land! Went to another
home-baked and of good quality. We stayed kumsitz in L & E’s room. Conversation was
up to watch the dancing – folk not ballroom! concentrated on the old days in the
Manchester Bayit!
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