About 100 years ago, small pockets of Israel lay dormant and unused. The Galilee was a swampy marshland.The Judean Hills were rock-strewn. And the Negev’s desert landscape was largely inhospitable. To waves of Jewish immigrants from Russia,Eastern Europe, and beyond, these seemed the perfect places to start Utopian communities.
The Jews who came to Israel during the
First and Second Aliyahs wanted to be farmers. But they detested the
class structures they had seen elsewhere. Instead, they wanted to
create a community of equals. Their vision for communal settlements
would not come easily: Most of the colonists came without any farming
experience, and they learned quickly enough that this was an
unwelcoming region that was often the target of hostile nomadic
Bedouins.
They had to stick together. Living
collectively in a commune-type environment provided the perfect
security. Everyone contributed equally—with sweat equity, skills,
and financial resources—to ensure the success of the group.
Remarkably, these pioneers also received financial support from
around the world as the Jewish National Fund, which was founded in
1901, placed “Blue Boxes” in Jewish communities everywhere;
proceeds from the boxes helped to purchase land that came to belong
to the entire Jewish population.
Settlers reclaimed the marshes and
hills and desert, converting much of it for human development. They
planted trees, drained swamps, and converted the soil into productive
farmland. To encourage continued donations into those Blue Boxes,
word got around about a miraculous transformation in Israel: “The
desert,” so the gossip went, “was blooming.”
And that’s not all that was blooming.
In a society where all were equal and free from exploitation, immense
gratification and pride also blossomed. Throughout the 20th
century and into this century, the kibbutz movement has grown into a
kind of farm co-operative where crops are harvested, chickens are
raised, and cows are milked…much of it for shipment throughout
Israel and beyond.
Into the 21st
Century
Our Israel, Ancient & Modern
Culture trip features a two-night stay at the Pastoral Kfar Blum
Kibbutz, founded in 1943. Like those before it, this kibbutz sits on
land that was once barren, waterlogged, and inaccessible. Its
original settlers were from the Baltic, England, the U.S., and
Canada.
To stay in tune with the 21st
century, the 600-member community has recently privatized. Its farm
spreads out over 1,225 acres, where 1,200 tons of fruit are harvested
every year, including the famous red grapefruit beloved throughout
Israel. Prize-winning cotton is also grown here, as are peaches and
nectarines. Each year, the kibbutz ships 3.5 million liters of milk
throughout the country.
Pastoral Kfar Blum also supports itself
through Israel’s thriving travel industry. Its intimately styled
hotel boasts everything from a restaurant and spa, convention hall
and Olympic-sized swimming pool to a synagogue, schools, and a center
for music and dance. One visit is all it takes to see the community
spirit of the kibbutz is still very much alive here.
