The film was produced to celebrate the 40 years of the Kibbutz volunteers Program Center in Israel and shows the story of 10 former volunteers that stayed to live in Israel
I'm from Denmark, and in 1965 when I was 20 years old, I was attending a boarding school (hoejskole) ) in the south of Denmark. The school invited a speaker from kibbutz Kfar Szold, he lectured on kibbutz life, and how we could sign up and spend 3 months on the kibbutz and in Israel, we were 6 girls that decided to go, we left Denmark on a train in early August, the train took us to Venice where we boarded a ship that sailed for Haifa, we stopped in Athens Corfu, Crete and Cypress. The 3 months we spend in Israel were memorable, mostly we picked apples, we got to see the whole country, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Dead Sea, Red Sea, many other sites. That summer there were about 2000 young Danish people on different kibbutz's in Israel, we partied at night, sat around the swimming pool and sang folk songs, American's and Israeli. One of the girls in our group was from Iceland and we met another Icelandic girl in the kibbutz, they invited 2 of my girl friends and myself to Iceland the next summer, we went, and after we left there we hitchhiked through parts of Europe, I'm still close friends with the 2 girls I went to Iceland with, one is back in Denmark and the other lives in Sweden, we have over the years met up, last time in 2005 when I visited my native Denmark from the USA where I now live. Interesting how one decision leads to other adventures. After living in Israel and Iceland, I wanted to see more of the world and thus decided to come to the US as an au pair, which I did in 1967, to Westport Ct, although I have been back to Denmark many times, I made US my home and now live in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I have never forgotten what a wonderful interesting experience it was to live and work on a kibbutz.
I stayed on a kibbutz in the mid 70 it changes my life for the better . Now I am in 60 and my love for Israeli and Jew is the same now as then god bless Israeli
hi! i am Philippe from France and very glad to see this video! I arrived in 1979 as a non-jewish volunteer in kibbutz Sha'ar Hagolan, stayed there a second year as a guest! i couldn't stay long in France then... so i came back for 8 more years in different kibbutzim. Having learnt hebrew i could work in elementary schools as a "metapel"! I worked with children in Bet haemek,Barkay, PalmachTzouba, Tzova... Back in France i became a military specialist in middle-east and hebrew! and pro-Israel!
Chapeau Philippe, I`m from Switzerland and worked for almost 3 years in different Kibbutzim like Karmiyya, Moshav Gitit and Kibbutz Gat. This was the best time I can remember!
I was on Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra for 6 months in 1980. I'm not Jewish...but I didn't care and neither did they. Last I checked we're all still human beings. It was the best experience of my life and I will always love the people there, as well as the other volunteers from around the world that became my friends for life. We still keep in touch. Yes, Elcio... there was a black gentleman there who had been a volunteer there for 1 year. He was a nice fella. The people there were remarkable, hard working, talented, intelligent and loving. We worked side by side the members and it was a great feeling to contribute. I believe with all my heart, that volunteers have helped improve the outlook of this world by giving of themselves and seeking out the humanity of other cultures. I was 28 then and I'm 63 now. Just when I thought I knew everything at 28, I realized I knew nothing... I'm still learning :).
spent 1 year on kibbutz early 90,s.was one of the best years of my life.i remember sitting alone on the railway platform waiting to take me to the airport to return to uk i cried my eyes out as i new a chapter had ended.never forget the adventures i had and people i met and worked with.it changed me.lessons learned.i was inmy 30,s at the time.
It was circa 1968/9 The hippy years that I stayed on Zikim . I was hitching on the road out of Ashkalon and was picked up and asked if i needed a bed for the night and food , for this I would have to work . I was walked down to a shack in the middle of a grove of trees , showed my mattress and left to my own devises . The next morning it was to the pardes I go picking oranges .Six months later after meeting my future wife of fifty years who was doing a years volunteering with a UK organization called VSO I left to return To the UK . Still that Kibbutz stays in my heart :)
Had the best ever summer in 1978 on Zikkim, work not too arduous then a ride down to the beach on the tractor or with the guys from the army base next door, communal life was great for a few months in my early 20’s but not for ever. Good friendships made from all over the world but hard to sustain in pre social media days. Loved having the opportunity to see so much of the country by hitch hiking, the Arab lorry drivers were the kindest, going down to the Sinai when Eilat was a one horse town and Dahab just a row of shacks on the beach with a bar at each end selling only beer, coke and sandy flatbread!
Hi everyone !! My name is Liz O'Sullivan (my maiden name was Johns). I came out from Sydney, Australia to explore the world in 1982, and ended up spending four months working in the melon fields and date plantations on Kibbutz Elot, down never Eilat by the Red Sea in the early part of 1983. I met many people from all over the world and had a great time whilst living in the "chicken shacks", as we called the corrugated iron buildings reserved for volunteers. We donned our blue pants and shirts and our heavy duty work boots every morning at 4.30am, climbed into the back of an old truck, half asleep, and began our days picking the melons in the fields nearby. It was great to get breakfast in the dining hall once our melon picking was done, before going down to prune and pollinate the date trees. These experiences were so unique for me. I would be taken up to great heights in a cherry picker to climb around the date palms, tying up fronds, counting dates and hand pollinating them. Swimming in the Red Sea was so relaxing, after all our work was done. Travelling through Israel from Eilat to the Lebanon border on a volunteer trip was amazing. To top it off I got chosen to play the role of an Arab lady in the movie "Sahara", starring Brooke Shields, which was being filmed in the desert near Eilat. Such wonderful memories. I do wonder what happened to all the other volunteers I met there. I still keep in touch with one girl who came from England, and have been over to visit her in St Helens near Liverpool. I now live in Coffs Harbour in Australia. Thanks for such a wonderful experience everyone.
Kibbutz Yagur '79 - 80...Aliyah & IDF..Helevi from Finland was the best break my heart ever had..reaching for my pack of Time cigs and a bottle of Maccabee...and I still miss the Balfour Cellar !!
I was a volunteer for 47 years ago. I was from South Africa, I got pregnant and couldn't see my child liveing apart from me. Today this was one of the best experiences of my life. I love following these videos.
I wish I’d stayed. Will always love Israel, I have returned many times. The only reason I didn’t stay was because I wasn’t Jewish so it would have been almost impossible to get a visa. I wish I’d persisted.
I spent a year at Beit Alfa in the Jezreel valley in 1982. Worked mainly in the Refet (dairy). Best experience of my life. Met some wonderful people from all over the world. I'm 63 now but still look back fondly on those days.
I was a volunteer at the same kibbutz in the autumn of 1983. Great place, nice people. Very nice memories. After my stay at Maale Hahamisha, I went to kibbutz Nir Oz and stayed there during the spring 1984. Great place as well. Still remember both places and the country with joy.
This was a great video. As is common at least in the UK, I took a year out between High School and Uni. I went on a 1-year educational program with a group of 16 from all over the UK. It was organised by HaNoar HaTzioni. The last 3 months of the year were spent on Kibbutz Usha, Haifa. 3 days before I was to return home, I fell in love with one of the kibbutznikits. I did return home, but only for 3 weeks. I went straight back to her. Our relationship lasted a couple of years but after we broke up I was already considered a kibbutz member, so I stayed - for 6 years in total. Those years were the ones during which I found myself.
Loved my time at EINAT in 1981. Just freedom and hard work. Ended up in later life in the Middle East for 16 years now in NZ. It shaped me and I am v grateful for the experience. This latest generation could use this experience. I am not Jewish and I don’t think it mattered then nor now. God bless.
Also Simon LeBon, the lead singer of Duran Duran was a volunteer in kibbutz Gvuloth... I started my volunteer career in 1988 in Deganya Bet, the next three summers in Nir Am, 4 summers in Hatzor, and the 5th time I made Alyah. Ulpan in Kvar Etzion, Kvutzat Yavne, absorption in Sde Boker, and met my wife in Gvuloth. Now I live in Pardes Hana, and work as an English teacher at a Senior High school...
I worked as a volunteer on Kibbutz Sa'ar north of Nahariya and loved it very much in May to July 1982. Then I went to Kibbutz Eilon and worked with an artist related to Jascha Heifitz creating stone mosaics , Coffee tables and signs from natural stone and working in the orchards and especially the bananas and the banana pancakes for breakfast were Awesome ! I cannot forget the delightful taste and texture and aroma was just so ..almost sensual ! Lot's of fun there ! And I watched how the members took care of each other and especially those who suffered from the war in Europe. They were so loving and caring for the ones who were still suffering years later... Very lovely place.
Excellent. I was a voluteer 3 times on kibbutz Nirim in the 80s .The clip especially the comments at the end bring back so many great memories from a fantastic experience.
I stayed on Kibbutz Eilon in 1982. It was the most wonderful experience of my life. I would love to hear from fellow volunteers who were there in those summer months
I did this years ago when i was 20, staying at Kibbutz Broer Hail near Ashkelon one of the best experiences of my life, i connected with my history and loved every minute of it. Only true way to connect with your roots and see everything you were either told about or read about,
I was a 22 year old Englishman , who was a volunteer at Beit HaShita in 1980 . I arrived in October , and my first job was in the fish ponds . We started very early around 4am and finished at midday , because the sun was too hot to work in . I spent most of my working days in the pickling factory , sitting by the conveyor line sorting out the olives. We had radio headphones on to break the monotony. I remember when the news reported the murder of John Lennon in New York. Everyone was shocked . Syria was threatening Israel along the Golan Heights at the time . I never felt scared during my time at the Kibbutz or when I travelled around Israel. I also spent two nights at a Moshav , but left after the first days work tomato picking . It was like slave labour , even though we were told it was a similar setup as a Kibbutz but with payment for our labour It was nothing like the Kibbutz , and many workers there were unhappy . I would like to return to Israel and volunteer on a Kibbutz again , even now , in these times of turmoil. God bless the IDF and all Israeli citizens , fighting this war with Hamas . ✝️🆓🇬🇧
I spent a couple of fabulous months in kibbutz sa'ar back in 1972. It was a socialist kibbutz and everyone was so friendly. Such a tragedy about the politics now in Israel that puts the country in jeopardy.
way back in 1980,i had just finished my contract working in a greek cargo vessel not wanting to go back to my country i decided to go to israel on a working holiday on a kibbutz and i cherish my time spent on the kibbutz kfar masarick god bless them.
My time in Kibbutz Beit Oren (1981/1982) near Haifa was one of the best in my life. Being this doc brings back a few memories, but it lacks the input of many a non Hebrew speaking volunteer (I believe a missed opportunity) It's too clean for my tast. We still travel to Israel and have a great time.
I worked and stayed on various kibbutzim in the late 1970s in my late teens. Amiad, Yotvatah and Neot Mordechai . It was an enjoyable experience and also a great learning experience where you got to do interesting working in all fields in beautiful surroundings with great characters around . Today the kibbutz movement has moved on . Its less socialist and more affluent and entrepreneurial- but in the early days the Kibbutz were the front line - frequently close to the border and under frequent attack so there was constant security . I can understand these girls who formed relationships and settled down in their new communities. It was idyllic
Wow, I had such a good time on my kibbutz (1973). Even had a romance. Have been back 13 times in my favorite Israel. Now I'm 73 and it's still part of my daily life! I'm not Jewish, but a Zionist!
Where is the time that I thought Israel was one big kibbutz? Now I know that there are many, I even had the occasion to meet some members a.o. a visitor of in the 90s still café Dolle Mol, spoormakerstraat 52, B1000 Brussels. The music is quite popular.
+Howard Johnson Military service is only compulsory upto a certain age (sorry I cant remember what the age is) after that its optional and after acertain age you wont be accepted into the military if youre not israeli. A friend of mine who is 30/31 is trying to serve after moving out there and is being rejected each time he tries
ik heb in 1979 gewerkt in kibbutz Shaar Halogan ..nabij het meer van Galilea. Daar heb ik zo veel vrijwilligers ontmoet uit allerlei werelddelen en kijk er goed op terug...ik zoek iemand die ik daar heb ontmoet. Kan iemand mij helpen
actually my family were at one, they went down there with other Israelis and e.u. citizens and I was here in the uk, so gaza walked back in here too with them. I admit that boss somewhere didn't sound quite right and I was terrified of doing that and gaza ???? actually it was when the pipes were put in at times. the problem was the others elsewhere called the other israelis in the past israeli terrorists so I'm sitting here looking at my other family in the past (ive got 2 descent lines but their genome). so heres me looking back and he calls US terrorist somewhere, making us the Israeli terrorists from gaza. after I saw us turned into the Taliban I wasn't impressed. actually I wasn't there I was terrified but.....they did, you know like my close family as the others walked back inand the other bloke here started arguing with me (that is paris by the way too) , it all got a bit nightmarish. I knew disputed territory and heard that bloke who didn't sound quite straight to me either. they didn't, and they don't tell them either of any disputes at least that time they didn't and they was on the plane before I even saw it. I do understand killing e.u. citizens instead of them too, if anybody ever takes that attitude. it ma be easier as they are my relatives, don't let anybody play about tho with you, palestine or them. sometimes it sounded like my mums bent boss actually, in case anybody ever has or does.
+Gina hales-owen hold on are we talking about "white man speak with forked tongue ?" when she went down there to get them to do that for her, when he came round here and tried to do that to me, when I hit them with the 14 megaton fist going "youre not doing that to me ?" I knew it was my mum, I went till kill herrr.... when he walked in with that and tried to do it to me.
+Elcio Da Silva Anyone is allowed in the kibbutz, the whole idea of the kibbutzim was a complete equality between all human beings regardless of gender, religion, race or color. Nowadays it's a bit different, since agriculture is no longer profitable enough to sustain them, they had to find other ways to make money such as opening collective businesses and letting their members work outside of the kibbutz. this (among other things) has lead to a more capitalistic approach, and now most of the kibbutzim accept new members based on their skills and education, which is very similar to how companies hire new workers. You can still become a member even if you don't meet their criteria by simply "volunteering" there for a certain amount of time (though you won't really be doing any voluntary work there since you'll be payed a full salary), until enough of it has passed to grant you a full membership.
+perfectXXdrug hold on yayyyy, principle of operation exact equality where all machine are the same based on legal structure alone i.e. structural law. so hold on don't forget I don't know youre area only a little I know our pattern constructors etc though. I can never understand why that human is different to me. with the complete equality of all life and lives i.e. I am not more important than you or you me it only depends on the law inside you.what happened was some maniac had gone somewhere playing with the pope as the pattern maps destabilized it collided with mine in the uk literally devil worship. as my close family went to the kibbutz from here gaza walked back in as their map combined with mine I ended up here as their one interfered with mine. it was like being attacked in Palestine. there aren't any Christians but theres a Christians principle the law is fine providing one handles it lawfully.I can always show that is my relatives (inc arabs) so nobody can ever say I'm not legal in that sense. it is my relatives at least somewhere in the past and the other ones were down the kibbutz. they were actually pretty poor they weren't multi millionaires admittedly they could go back home but they didn't even have their own homes and some no jobs even here.do you realize the people who do these things aren't always us ?how the hell was a bloke or woman who wasn't even their relative(s) handling things ? I know Palestine is my family etc do they ?I don't care coz its just my other relatives what happens if theyre not who they say even ? what happens if he made that place and places and didn't have our legal demarcations ?at least ive got legal "chips" from the jews like the others, what happens if that's wy it dosent work anywhere ? where they didn't handle it lawfully ? if you see what I mean I can take my genome out and show it has got at least id chip no***** inside regardless of what he or they call me. its activated and logged on normally inside what happens if they haven't ? what happens if they didn't handle It lawfully and its not fine ? I mean they literally attacked me too.
perfectXXdrug thanks a lot. Can u pls guide us how to be volunteer there for a month. Is there any website or online procedure, our indian embassy website doesn't have any information on this.
Wow what a bunch of losers!! "To be free of all worries". That about says it all! People like this who like to be institutionalised are definateley to be avoided. I was a Kibbutz Volunteer back in 1990 on Kibbutz Amir and saw quite a lot of these types of people. Very sad.
I was working for those Kfar Masaryk Salora TV people in same 1974, although my memories a bit different. Their local engineer in TV factory “gingie” Avi Almog a product of the air force always try to prove his point that I (by his comprehension you see I’m a second class) do not know much. Left handed and not being much a practical guy although talking way easy, that Avi still in my bad memories as no one person behaved so damaging to me... So you “gingie” Avi Almog, interesting are you still alive, let you know that you area piece of shit from Kibutz Kfar Masaryk ….?