Hello again all you Shnat fans!
Well the last week on Shnat was the huge ride of challenge, questioning, and inspiration that has come to be known as 'The history of Habonim Dror Hagshama seminar.' This seminar is generally regarded as one of the most intensive and invigorating weeks on the workshop calendar, and this year was no exception.
The week started on Sunday with a visit to the Kinneret courtyard, where the beginnings of the modern kibbutz movement found its' roots. It was here that, starting over a century ago, young and ideological zionists found their way to Palestine to start a life of agriculture and 'kvutza.' The shnatties heard stories of the hardships and successes of these young chalutzim (pioneers) as they struggled to come to terms with their new ways of life in the future Eretz Israel, as well as some of the stories of the great leaders of the Socialist Zionist movement who were there for periods, such as A.D. Gordon and Berl Katznelson.
The shnatties were also guided through the kinneret cemetary - one of the most picturesque sites around the kinneret. There, they heard the stories of more of the early chalutzim of the zionist movement - such as Rachel the poet, Moses Hess, and the great Israeli songwriter - Naomi Shemer.
The morning was rounded out with a trip to one of the newest museums in the area - The 'Bet Telem Ha'aroch' (The house of the Long Furrow). This museum, on kibbutz Degania Bet, tells the story of the change in ways of life for a young person from Eastern Europe in coming to Palestine, where every room is full of actors who play the role of these young chalutzim.
Kinneret Courtyard - the founding centres of the kibbutz movement
After the morning, the shnatties headed out to visit the first Habonim kibbutz in the country - Kibbuta Kfar Blum. Kfar Blum had the first ever 'Garin' (group of members of the movement who made aliya together to kibbutz) of Habonim Dror, in 1939. At Kfar Blum, they spoke to Dooby Ben-Ari, who is from the first generation of young people on Kfar Blum. He spoke to the shnatties about the decline of the kibbutz movement, and his belief that Socialism can no longer work. Needless to say - it was a lot to take in for the shnatties through the day!
The evening peula for the shnattiers gave them a chance to put their acting abilities to the test - a rendition of the famous Yehoshua Sobol play - 'The night of the twentieth.' The play deals with similar themes of the day - it's a group dialogue of young chalutzim based on one of the earliest kvutzot in the country. It also gave the shnatties a chance to examine how their kvutza and experiences relate to those of young people 100 years ago, what things they wanted to take from them, and what things they felt were best left in history.
On the second morning, the shnatties headed out to kibbutz Amiad - one of the earliest Habo UK kibbutzim to be established. There they spoke with Lenny Levine, who is originally from Ireland , who spoke of his upbringing and experiences in Habonim during the 40s, and his aliya to kibbutz and the changes since. The shnatties then headed to Kibbutz Kfar Hanassi, to speak with Aryeh Wolfin - an oleh and vatik (veteran) of British Habonim Dror. Aryeh has been living on Kfar Hanassi for over 40 years, and spoke to the group about his own movement experiences, and his attitude to the changes and privatisation measures that the kibbutz has undergone.
The workshoppers then headed out to kibbutz Bet Haemek to speak with Salo, an oleh who is originally from Habonim Dror in Holland. Bet Haemek is home to many olim from Habo Uk, Holland, and North America, and was the last place which hosted the year-long shnat experience for Habo Uk in the early to mid 90s. Salo spoke about his belief that the movement needs to be responsible for Israeli advocacy, and that the movement needs to take the word of Zionism to its' communities.
The picturesque Bet Haemek
The evening peula examined the privatisation process on kibbutzim as a whole, the different methods of responding, and what it means for the traditional kibbutz movement today.
Day three, and the workshoppers were off to Kibbutz Tuval. Kibbutz Tuval was the last traditional kibbutz established by a Garin from HDUK, in the beginning of the 1980s. There they spoke to Neil Mercer, a member of the original garin. Now the majority of the member work in social action and education within Israeli society. It was a really inspirational experience for the shnatties!
The group then set off to visit kibbutz Eshbal. Once a military base, the kibbutz was given to our sister movement, Hanoar Haoved, who now have a thriving kibbutz of smaller kvutzot who live there. The kibbutz also has a boarding school for 11th and 12th graders, a horse ranch, and a seminar centre. It gave the shnatties a chance to examine what a newer kibbutz looks like today, with a younger community with closer day to day ties to a youth movement.
That night, the shnatties discussed the situation in Israeli society today, and whose role it was to take responsibility where once the kibbutz movement took responsibility for. They talked about what role Habonim members played historically, and what our role is today in Israeli society, in dealing with the socio-economic reality of what is around them.
The next day the shnatties headed out to see their first 'contemporary' Urban commune setting - Kvutzat Ogen (Anchor). Ogen is made up of 6 members of habo from around the world (of which i am one!), including three from HDNA, and two who served on the national mazkirut from 2002-04. Here they learnt about the state of the movement in Israel today, and what it was like in the years in Habonim where there was no active 'Hagshama' (actualisation) of the movement goals, in terms of aliya to Israel and taking responsibility over Israeli society and the Jewish world.
In the afternoon they headed out to Kvutsat Yovel (Jubilee), the first of the modern urban kvutzot of Habonim. There they spoke with James, a boger and ex-mazkir of Habo UK, where the workshoppers debated the 'swinging pendulum' of what a youth movement is, and the range between a general club, and a cult, as the two extremes of possibility. Needless to say, it was a rivetting discussion!
The final day of the seminar saw the shnatties visit the newest commune of Habonim in Israel - Mishmar Ha'am. There, they saw and heard what the lives of new olim and members of the movement in Israel were like, including the chance to meet three of the four previous members of the HDNA and Australian national mazkirut, who are now living and working in Israel, in a kvutza.
The seminar ended with a final peula, which had a lengthy discussion about what the members of a socialist zionist youth movement actually do, and whether we, as members of Habonim Dror, achieve those things. It gave the shnatties a chance to put everything they had seen and heard throughout the week into perspective, and really examine what the role of Habonim Dror is today, both in British society, and specifically in Israeli society.
As you can see, it was a really big week for shnat! Definitely full of challenging and inspirational stories, and definitely a chance for them to understand all of the history that has come before them, and a glimpse into what may lie ahead for the movement.
This week, the shnatties will be wrapping things up on Boneh, and will be leaving kibbutz Ein Dor next Sunday to head to their next destination - Akko!
Until next time,
Leon.
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