Habo History Seminar: Day One.

After a wonderful Boneh, it was time to say goodbye and move on, and begin Habo History seminar.For those who dont know, Habonim Dror dates back a long time and played a major role in the establishment of many kbbutzim, and there are currently three kvutzot living in Israel. To get some backround, our first stop was at Chetzer Kinneret, where our kvutzas tour guide was Ilan.Ilan informed us that Chetzer Kinneret was quite the hotspot for Labor Zionists in the early 1900's, and was the beginning of many great things to come. A long time ago, a man by the name of Dr. Arthur Ruppin dreamed of runnning a training farm on the Kinneret. Finally, in 1909. Ruppin and the Paliestine office opened the Kinneret farm for the training of Agriculture. It just so haapened that Ruppin found a group of farmers, by the name of the Romni group, and had them come to the Kinneret Farm. At the Kinneret, the group lived a Kvutza lifestyle. For example, they put forth great effort in being not just a group of workers, but freinds, who had intimate relationships and lived almost like a family. In the begining, there was one main room. In this room, there were aseiphot, meals, singing, all that had to be done was done in the one room, since it was the only one. Since there was only one room however, it was difficult for the group to have privacy. The problem was quickly solved, as they created a sicha rock, where people would go to have one on one discussions.As time went on they continued to work. However, under the manager hired by Ruppin, there was constant tension, and after a series of strikes for various reasons, when the group was not given proper means of transportation by the manager to visit their sick friend, it was the last straw. Ruppin decided to give them the opportunity to work without being controlled, and boy did they work!Later, on October 28, 1910, ten men and two women left, and took over Umm Juni, and established Degania, which later became the first kibbutz, which was the place where the most well known Zionist's ideals were lived out.
Following Chetzer Kinneret, we drove up the road to the Kinneret cemetary, where we visitied zionist thinkers who laid out the idea of Kibbutzim and a socialist society. Among these Zionists were Hess, Syrkin, and Borochov. All three of these Zionists had major rolls in the future of Israel. ALthough he is not credited enough, Hess was the real father of Zionism. Before Herzl, Hess realized that Jews are faced with persecution, and hold unfair class status. As a reslut, Hess came up with Socialist Zionism, a movement where class barriers are broken down, and Jews would live equal lives in their own place. Following Hess came Syrkin, and Borochov, both figures established a varriety of Socialist Zionist groups, and was the inspiration for the Hagshama of Zionists who beleived that a socialist society was the best way to live. This was just the begining of the seminar. Having this backround, as you will see is essential in understanding what Habonim Dror stands for.
Under important websites, I have posted some links to our friends.

Essay Revised: Give me feedback!

In the midst of Workshop, I have decided to re-examine my plans for college. Currently, I am differed from Goucher and College of the Atlantic. I was leaning towards COA, becuase I am passionate about enviornmental studies. However, during workshop I have realized how important it is to me that my ideals of Judaism, education and involvement in Habonim Dror is continued for the next few years. At COA, I would not have the chance to do all these things. I have realized that Kalamazoo College is a place where I can carry out these ideals that mean so much to me...So, here is my essay I have been working on. By no means is the finished, but I would like so feed back.


Just a few miles down the road from where I grew up is the city of Detroit. The public school system is in a severe deficit, a situation that harshly affects students, and their learning environment. This is just one example of how those with a lower economic status are disadvantaged from a young age. As a result a culture of individualism is created, which is detrimental to the cohesiveness of our society. We put too much emphasis on “I,” and not enough on “we.” We are too caught up in satisfying our own personal desires, while others’ basic needs are not met. While its true that Capitalistic ideals lead to wonderful achievements, in our society we value individual achievements over interpersonal relationships. As a result, people of low socio-economic status are left behind, making it difficult to operate as a society.
I am dedicated to improving our society. I aspire to exemplify values such as community, respect, and the equality of human worth on a daily basis. Not to say that our current society fails to do this, but if everyone made a conscious effort to carry out these values, the “we,” would naturally begin to replace the “I.” Capitalistic ideals create a world where we judge people based on the type of car they drive, and how they can serve us. According to the Jewish thinker Emmanuel Levinas, “When I do not acknowledge the other as another and as worthy of love I am unconsciously and unintentionally legitimizing him being exploited, and oppressed” (translated from Hebrew). Even if I don’t actively exploit someone, if I do not view him or her as a whole person, I am contributing to his or her exploitation. I demand that we stop viewing each other as a sum of possessions and abilities, and begin forming relationships based on character, and mutual respect. I aspire daily to realize this vision.
I currently live in a kvutza. Literally, this word means “group” in Hebrew; however, it has taken on an entirely new meaning in my life. Kvutza is the closest structure to the aforementioned values; I live communally with 18 other individuals, sharing everything from money to toothpaste to feelings. We make decisions through group meetings, where every individual presents their feelings and experiences regarding the topic at hand. One such meaning occurred, when we became concerned that our excessive use of vulgar language contradicted our collective value of the equal respect of all people. Previously, we had discussed how our word choice reflected the values in which we believed. By using vulgar language, we were creating gender stereotypes, and degrading individuals. When we revisited the topic, we re-examined our values, and the ways in which our word choices reflected our values. We reached a consensus that our vocabulary did not properly represent our values, and we decided to implement a change. We decided to remove particularly offensive words from our vocabulary. When individuals break this rule, others around must make it their responsibility to address the mistake.
My experiences in my kvutza have given me a unique outlook on interpersonal relationships. Through the exploration of collective issues regarding money, feelings, behavior and many other things, I have developed strong relationships with the members of my kvutza, I have learned their story, and they have learned mine. On a daily basis, values such as community, respect and equality are practiced, creating an intimate atmosphere. These experiences have helped me develop my vision for society, and I look forward sharing my visions with my peers at Kalamazoo College.



This is not finished, but give me feedback! erezzzzzzzzzz@gmail.com