Page 46 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Winter 20

nd
Sunday, 22 April these wonderful conditions for children
makes them so hard and rude when they are
What a long and crowded day. Arose at 5.30
am. We rode in the kibbutz lorry through the older.
carp ponds near Kfar Blum. Decided to call In the evening, we saw the dark Syrian hills
in at Neot Mordechai, on the way. We saw R, and the twinkling lights from the surrounding
an old friend of David’s, and she showed us kibbutzim of Dan, Metullah, Ma’ayan
round the farm. What a contrast to Kfar Baruch, and Kfar Szold. In the evening, we
Hanassi! They are building a large school went to a piano recital held in a large,
with lawns, trees and beautiful flower converted garage in Neot Mordechai. There
gardens. They have been building for four or were about five-hundred people in the
five years. We saw another of David’s audience. The recital was not great, and I got
friends, whose room was cool and most very tired. We are sleeping in one of the
tastefully furnished. Later, we were shown buildings of the children’s quarters – for
their cow sheds, and their shoe and slipper which I collected money, years ago in
factory. We arrived in Kfar Blum, where Southport.
there is even more progress. Their land,
which has now been cleared of swamps, is
rich and fertile, and they have an abundant
water supply from the nearby river Jordan.
The latest concrete dwellings have two
rooms, which are very cool and modern,
complete with flush lavatory and showers.
This place is terrifically go-ahead, making
rapid progress. All the chaverim have electric
kettles and make tea in their rooms. From 3
or 4 pm onwards, we made a round of tea-
drinking, from one old friend to another. The
general problem of most established
kibbutzim is that of eating and to achieve
good, clean quick service in the large dining-
hall with a capacity of two or three hundred
people at a sitting. For instance, we had to eat
in a terrific noise and on a very messy table –
and I hate eating without a knife – due, no
doubt, to the fact that they are often Jose and David (left) with Melvin (Joe)
borrowed, and not returned! The children’s and Anita Cohen in Marseilles, en route
houses are the last word in modernity, and the to Israel
children look happy and healthy. The oldest
are 12- and 13-year olds – sadly, typical
sabras, lacking any manners. I wonder why

46