Ther Weekly Report: 18/10/2012

Dear Parents, Snifim and Shanties Shalom Rav,

What a way to finish the week, our northerners finished their orientation seminar which was very successful, there a few events that happened that I want to comment on, last Saturday we took our shnatties on a tour of the Old City, some of our shnatties have never been to Israel before and it was amazing to see their faces while they took the view in. During the tour we incorporated a Seudat Shlishi prepared by Louis P. and Gabriel P, here is a song they wrote for the group that I want to share with you:

" Sweet as Louis, sweet as Danny, sweet as Gabie on our tongues. Sweet as Sulia, sweet as Vicky, sweet as Ruby on our tongues. Sweet as Emily, sweet as BP, sweet as Horne on our tongues. Sweet as Rhiannon-e, sweet as Joe-e, sweet as Jake-e on our tongues. Sweet as Danielle-e, sweet as Liana-e, sweet as Lou-e on our tongues. Sweet as Natan-e, sweet as Laura-e, sweet as Asher-e on our tongues. Sweet as Gabriel-e, sweet as Shnatties, sweet as honey on our tongues!"

And after the song they gave everyone milk and honey.

After visiting the Kotel we went back to the Jewish Quarter to do an Havdala service led by Joe G. and Rhiannon H., the vibe was so intense that it even got the Charedi people around us swinging to the melody and a Charedy couple were so inspired by the group that they actually stopped what they were doing and felt the need to join us.

At the moment both groups are in Kibbutz Lotan, our southern group hard at work while our northern group is starting their Ecological kibbutz group bonding experience. This next weekend I will see both groups as we are having a Shabbat Beyachad prepared and led by our Southern group (Jordy K. and Sophie G.), once I come back with pictures I will post the on our facebook group.

I want to wish you all a great weekend and Shabbat Shalom

Michael

Weekly report by Asher F. (northern group)

So here we are after the first amazing week on Shnat Netzer 5773!

We’ve experienced lots of amazingly fun, exciting, and helpful peulot sessions, including ones about where in Israel we can visit, Israeli politics and its conflicts with the world, and playing with bazooka bubble gum. We bonded over talks, song sessions, services, and most of all, banter.

We’re sitting here at Kibbutz Lotan being bitten by flies and 250 metres away from the Jordanian border. We were given a tour of our bustan, the part of the Kibbutz with domes that house 3 of us each. Lotan is the ecofriendly kibbutz of Israel, using solar power to heat water, waste to make fertilized soil, and mud and straw to build

the ‘igloos.’ Tonight was just a chill hangout night, as we had a long bus ride and intense heat in the day. Tonight will be very exciting because we get to meet the southern Shnatties for the first time!

With oodles of love

Mr A Fingerhut x

Weekly report by Jade K (southern group)

19 Northerners arrived this morning to share our home for the next 3 weeks

235 tonnes of dates were picked in this years harvest (of which Jade, Jordy and Shoshana were responsible for about 20%, they are very proud)

26km were travelled to an Ashram near Mitzpe Ramon on Friday for a music festival, we danced all night and ate potatoes cooked on an open fire

25 000 date sacks were folded by Jade and Jordy at work today

11 New paintings were put up by Kitty when she decorated the house today

1.5 hours was spent having a sing-along in the cheder ochel on Tuesday night

10 kitchen staff ate burgers for lunch as a special treat

700 eggs were cooked by Sophie over the past 7 days

1 guitar from Shnat Zahav was retrieved from the clutches of the infamous

Habo Australia and New Zealand Kvutzah (also knowonn as the fake shnat Teva) on a secret mission to Karmiel

4 Habo South Africans came to visit us all the way from Haifa

111 goats now live in one group thanks to Liz's special goat herding skills

8 shnatties

28 days to go

We'll be home before you know it...

The Weekly Report: 11/10/2012

Dear Parents, Snifim, Shnatties. Shalom Rav,

This week shnat got bigger; this week we received the new northern Shnat - Shnat Yam 2012-13

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHNATTIES

we received 19 new shnatties that began their individual and group journey, 4 representatives from NFTY, 2 from LJY and 13 form RSY, at the moment they are in Jerusalem where they have their orientation seminar, next week they will traveling to kibbutz Lotan to start their group experience and will meet our southern shnatties that are about to finish Shnat and could give our new shnatties good tips on how to make the most out of Shnat.

I have attached some pictures of our Orientation Seminar and next week I will be posting more pictures on our facebook group which we invite you to join: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/netzer.olami/

Our southerners helped to pack away the sukka and dance with the torah on simchat Torah, it was a rather short week because of the holydays, they prepared a welcome video for our new shnatties and will be welcoming them next week in Lotan, our southern shanties are also in charge of preparing a Shabbat beyachad which will take place towards the end of October.

As for Israel news, last night for the first time since being liberated, Gilad Shalit was interviewed and he spoke about his time in captivity, it was very emotional hearing him say the things he did to keep his mind sane. How he played chess with his captives, how he would roll his socks or shirt into a ball and throw it into the garbage (basketball), how he would invent weird games to keep his mind going, how he would draw the map of Israel, of his neighbourhood, of his house so that he wouldn't forget what it looked like, to keep his imagination flowing. He still captivates us, even today a year after being liberated he is still Israel's son.

I want to wish you all a great weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

Michael

Weekly report by Natan J. (Shnat North)

Friends, family and everyone else in my life that i am having to live without. I woke up on thursday having had 45 minutes of sleep after an evening of flights, travel sickness, stress and mass american shnattee appreciation. We had arrived at the flat at 3 am, to a mini american pajama party to welcome us into Beit Shmuel. We watched the glorious sunrise over Jerusalem together from Beit Shmuel and by the morning we felt we had been there for weeks, so exhausted yet comfortable we were.

Opening Tekkes took us up to the roof of the hostel, and subsequently took our breath away. The old city lay there in front of us, sun kissed in the morning light, calling out to us. I felt so far from home, and yet simultaneously at home.

We are all well prepped after our rules and regs and are equipped with basic hebrew and cannot wait for the challenge that awaits us. A challenge we shall all rise to, and in the timeless words of Joe Grabiner, we are so so joyful.

 

Weekly report by Sophie G (Shnat South)

Ah! What a week! And now comes that time in the week where one must write the weekly report, preferably in a witty and comical way. Recollecting a week of shnat is increasingly difficult with all the chuggim, work days, yomai chinuch and such. But this week did hold some highlights, including kathryn's joyous 19th birthday, shoshana and jordana's return from their families, simchat torah and my making up a witty and soulful song about the dishwasher during my two and a half hours in the dishwashing room at work (lyrics to come).

Sunday was a chofesh day for erev simchat torah. A day of catchup, preparation and cleaning for simchat torah. The house was emptied of furniture and filled with soap and water, transforming our living room into a slip'n'slide. There was so much room for activities! But as the day grew on we showered and got into our finest clothing for the chag. The shule service was like any other, expect that it was followed by 2 hours of dancing with the torah around our beautiful sukkah. Just as those festivities died down, the shnatties were preparing for a little celebration of their own. The day after (monday) was to be kathryn's birthday, so we had planned a little surprise party, animal themed, in her honour. Starting in our house, we eventually moved to the bustan to join her in bringing in her birthday.

Monday came as a shock with 7 am toronut in the cheder ochel, actually mildly enjoyable. Being the day of the chag, no one had work. We spoiled kathryn on her birthday with little surprises and a roof top game of pass the parcel at 11 pm. And a few hours later, in the early morning, shoshana arrived home from her chofesh with her mum.

Tuesday: yom chinuch; always a blast! The day started with a 'hike' through the desert to lotan's pepper and melon fields, where yuri managed to successfully convince lily that the army used the nearby shed to produce tanks. They don't. Following out early morning sand dune climb, us shnatzim learnt all about the details of jewish weddings, and how these become issues in modern israel. Turns out some religious communities still do the shoe throwing thing. The day concluded with and round of "hypothetical kibbutz dilemma" solving, helping us to understand the day to day obstacles kibbutz lotan has to overcome.

Which now brings me to today, wednesday. Today we were all back at work, and what a work day it was! Liz for the first time was a second milker, with a bit of hesitance, but persisted with the goats and their new kids. Kitty has dealt with the many visitors that are at kibbutz for the wedding of the first kibbutz baby tomorrow. Shoshana, jordy and jade have been picking away at the date fields. Lily has been preparing to say goodbye to her beloved GA's in the ecokef. Josh has continued his garden adventures and has just left to go up north for the weekend. And what have i done? I hear you ask. I have fried and scrambled many a egg in the kitchen and have come up with quite the ditty, if i do say so myself, about my dishwashing experiences. And it goes a little something like this:

 

There's a spoon in the trolley, for you to eat your brocolli

There's a knife for the eggs, to get some energy to move your legs

And you know about them plates, so you can eat while your with your mates

And when you're done with all this crockery, you can laugh but i wont take mockery

When you bring them, to the dish washer

And i'll be dishin' while i'm whishin' for a permanent position you know

I think it's great when i'm scrubbing on those plates

And you can watch while i wait

For my dishwasher

I'll spray on the tray all the day all through the way

of the dishwashing cycle

I'll rinse all the mince like a prince i won't wince

when i get sprayed in the face

'cause in the dishwasher, you get sprayed in the face

 

So that is a little song to leave you with, feel free to make up a tune as you read it. Until next week! Shnatzim out.

 

The Weekly Report: 04/10/2012

Dear Parents, Snifim and Shnatties. Shalom Rav,

This week we were surprised by a very special guest, a special guest that we hope comes to stay for quite a while since Israel is in need of it, this week it started raining and it was a blessing.
on a less happy note, Israel said goodbye to a legend, Abraham Eden past away, Abraham was the commander that during the Independence War when he got to what today is Eilat and did not have an Israeli flag took a sheet and ink and drew the flag.

Israel is on vacation this week celebrating Sukkot and it is so nice to see so many balconies with sukkot in them, i took my family to the beach where my son took it upon himself to throw back all the sand into the ocean, two small fistfuls at a time, we did not have the heart to tell him that we were only going to be there for an hour and he will not get the job done, but it was fun seeing him enjoy himself.

our shantties helped build the sukka in kibbutz Lotan and some even volunteered after hours to help move the chairs and tables from dinning room to the sukka.

they had an activity with Hanna where Kitty did a maamad for them that led to start thinking and planning what they want to do before Shnat finishes, and i do hope and wish that our shnatties take advantage of the time left until the end of Shnat.

next week not only will we be receiving the Shnat group but we have a new madricha, Reut, that will join our staff and i want to take this opportunity to welcome her and to wish her luck.

I want to wish you all a great week and chag sameach

Michael,

 

Weekly report by Kathryn H.

What a week its been for us here on kibbutz, what with eating in the sukkah and all the goat milking shifts weve been picking up to help out as much as we can around the kibbutz.

For those of you who dont know, Goat Milking is quite the expirience, although Liz gets to do it everyday, the rest of us are all too happy to try out a different work branch every so often and really get our hands dirty. Milking can take up to about three hours but with good music and a whole bunch of friends it takes no time at all and is actually quite enjoyable! There are these scary milking machines with buttons to start the suction and this really complicated process of hearding the goats and screaming "Yalla!" at them until they get up on the milking platform, its all rather stressful and difficult to try not to hurt the really pregnant goats.

A few friends from Machon came down to the kibbutz to celebrate the Chag with us at the beginning of the week, we had a load of fun having ideological debates and dancing at the pub.

Josh participated in an inter-kibbutz soccer match over the chag, but alas we lost. But had a great time playing. He's still working in the garden with another volunteer. He says its hard work but he seems to really enjoy it, and that what counts!

Jade has been hard at work with Lily and myself planning the sikkum seminar for the southerners, she. Keeps us all on out toes and has amazing ideas. Shes playing guitar again and is generally smiling and happy, keeping the rest of the group smiling and happy too.

Liz has been helping out more and more in the goats and knows exactly what shes doing! She certainly helped me out the last time i went there. She really enjoys her work.

Shoshanna has been absent from our lives for far too long. Last i heard she was off galavanting israel with her family enjoying the high life of the watsu and the well awaited time with her Mom. (COME HOME SHOSH!)

Lily spent the chag with her family in Yavne, but came home briefly to say hello, get a few things and make her way with a friend to the Zorba festival. She also spent time with one of our friends from South Africa who is visiting on her gap year. It was so nice to have some more of that Saffa Spirit around the house. Holding the fort all by myself with these Aussies is not an easy task!

Sophie has been writing songs all over the place! You should really hear the one about the dishwasher she has been writing at work! Her friend is visiting us for a few days on his chofesh, so the house is gull of all sorts of interesting people!

Jordy just got back from her trip with her family, full of stories and pictures of all the fun she had with her parents and grandparents. (it seems everyones families are here)

And now me, Kathryn. This week in tourism we have been snowed under what with the chag and all. The office people had to recruit some of the shin shinim and volunteers to help us out! The laundry room has never looked as crazy as it did this past week. Mountains of laundry! I had to say goodbye to one of the girls i work with yesterday, shes off back home to holland and ill surely miss her.

Yom Chinuch this week was really interesting. We had a class with Daniel the Rabbi about the calendar of the jewish year. All the holidays make so much more sense now and having lived them in Israel and not in the diaspora has made all the more clear as to why we have them. Not only are they all connected to the seasons but to the moon cycle as well. Who woulda thought? Jade drew us an amazingly colorful diagram that were going to stick in our house. We also helped out with the clothes swap that the kibbutz ran buy sorting out all the clothes.

Channa ran a really fun peulah for us where we acted silly and ate chocolate and played pass the parcel for a good few hours, and then fell asleep on the grass in the sukah.

A you can see, its been quite a hectic week here on Shnat, but were all going strong and being cool. Thats it until next time!

Much love from all of your kids. (Is that a pun about baby Goats?)

The Weekly Report: 27/09/2012

Dear Parents, Snifim and Shnatties. Shalom Rav,

Another week has passed, this was a special week for this week we celebrated Yom Kippur, on this day Israel just stops everything it's doing and the whole day is dedicated to Yom Kippur, I would say that it is a very silent day since no one works, there is no public transportation however it is not a silent day, I find it interesting that this is the day that the kids in Israel go out to ride their bikes, it is the day they can ride in the middle of street because there is no transportation of any sort that day, no motorcycles, cars. Buses etc. it is not a silent day because you hear a lot of children laughing in the street and this is a very alternative way to spend Yom Kippur, of course you can find the more traditional ways to celebrate, but I think that it is interesting that kids wait all year for this day.

Also this week past week the time changed in Israel and now even though it is still hot like summer we are on winter time, to be honest I don’t understand the need to change the time in Israel (it is not like we have heavy winters) and neither do many Israelis and it has become a political thing, not only the changing of the time but the fact that the time is changed around Yom Kippur a month and half before Europe changes their time, it seems that there is a lot of pressure from religious parties to change the time before Yom Kippur and thus fasting an hour less.

At the moment our shnatties are helping kibbutz Lotan build the Sukkah, help that is very much appreciated.

In a week the Shnat group is going to get bigger we will be receiving the new northern group, 19 shnatties will be arriving to start their journey, they will ne heading down to Lotan and meeting our lovely southern shnatties.

I want to wish you all a great weekend and Shabbat Shalom.

Michael

 

Weekly report by Shoshana B
A week in the life the shnat Teva eight

It began with a workday after the chag finished late
Sunday or yom rishon as we say
Was a regular, hectic, hardworking day
Lily fostered some plants and re-invented Eco living
Kitty folded and cleaned a cosy bed tourists giving
Jordy and Shosh picked date after dates
And josh gardened and then troped a tractate
For Wednesday was the day to repent
But we are not there yet! Let us backtrack, to a weekend well spent
Young jade and Elizabeth attended a seminar
To learn how to argue about Israel from here and afar
The social aspect provided a great deal of pleasure,
However the focus on advocacy was more bias than leisure
Meanwhile on the kibbutz a storm was a brewing
As people begun their preparations for yom hakippurim
Tuesday was yom chinuch and we learnt to say sorry
And as the hours clocked over some began to worry
Because in the desert it turns out it is not simple to fast
And those with less fortitude were concerned how they would last
Then yom kippur arrived and Liz and jade returned
And so on the somber day of repentance we learned
Services purely in Hebrew are hard,
And being away from home throws you off guard
And when the day ended we were all a bit relieved
For the yomim noraim can be quite aggrieved.
And from the eve of yom kips the succah was erected
And to construct the rest the shnattim were elected
And so Thursday passed and Friday will too
Lugging palm fronds and clicking frames as succah are wont to do
And that my dear readers brings you up to date
With your brightest and tightest shnat Teva eight
As we look to sukkot and only six weeks left of our year
Our skin starts to tremble as our ending is near
And the talk of new shnatties begins to stir
Feelings of nostalgia and panic and excitement all blur.
But that is the nature of Shnat netzer
Something you can never really describe until you too get there.

Love your shnatties

The Weekly Report: 20/09/2012

Dear Parents, Snifim and Shnatties. Shalom Rav,

This has been a very quiet week in Israel as the country stopped to celebrate Rosh Hashana, and Monday and Tuesday were like two Saturdays in a row.

Last week I visited our shnatties in Lotan they are very happy and seem to have made themselves at home, I got a tour of their living quarters which I must say were much more organized than their flat in Karmiel, I wonder if knowing that I coming to visit them had any thing to do with it ;)

Unfortunately things are not so quite in the rest of the world, we even heard on the news that there were demonstrations in Sidney against the movie "Muslim Innocence" , I haven't seen the movie so I can comment specifically on it, I don’t think there should be any kind of religious mocking but I think there should be freedom of speech but that that freedom should not be abused, however I don’t think that the response should be such a violent response and I feel that there is some hypocrisy when so many cartoons mocking Jews, denying the Holocaust etc come from Muslim countries, there must be a way to achieve religious tolerance on all sides.

In Israel, on one of the television channels (channel 10) they are showing a very interesting documentary abut Islam in Europe, it is scary and sad to see how these young Muslims were not able to become part of the society they live in and have so much hatred , anger and violence in them, hopefully we will find a way for all of us to live together I don’t dare say harmony but at least in tolerance, I would like to quote my dad who says: "Living is possible but no one let’s you"

I hope that this New Year brings us all a lot of good fortune, a lot of sweetness and may we all have a great year.

Shana tova and Shabbat Shalom,

Michael

 

The Weekly Report

By: Kathryn H.

Shana Tova! (or Shanat Teva as those skilled in Hebrew puns would say...) A very happy New Year to you all and many wishes of a good year from the land of the origional honey. Those of us who stayed on the Kibbutz for the weekend and for Rosh Hashana, were treated to Dates, most likely hand picked by our fellow Shnatties, and some special Date Honey to dip our Apples in and welcome the new year.

Along with all the delicious food we got to consume, not as good as home though, we had a visit from Michael and the other members of the Netzer Staff. Through a peulah of self reflection and analysis of our self portraits, crudely drawn in what the Australians like to call Texters, but that would possibly be better understood as Kokies by the South Africans, we reflected on the year that had been. Can you believe that its been almost an entire year since we all left home thinking were all ready to start this crazy adventure in Israel? We talked about the things we have done on Shnat that we never would have thought we would possibly do; about achievements we never thought we would ever achieve and just how wonderful it is that we've tried and mostly succeeded. I must say, that it did leave us a little bit confused as to who we were, who we are now, and who we would hope to be in the future. We've all changed so much over the past year, that its so hard to pin point the exact moment when we changed and weather or not we changed for the better, or if we cannot, or should not define it.

This year has been all about growing and changing as people and as a group. Weather we're changing together as a Shnat Cvutzah -as both, Australians and South Africans- or in our own nationalities, one thing we've realised is that this is our refernce group for the rest of our lives. Theres nothing quite like a year away from home in a foreighn country with 7 other people all having a similar expirience to you, to bond you for life.

To all my Shantties, and to all of our parents at home, thank you for a wonderful expirience like no other. This year has been a whilwind ride and you've been there every step of the way. Thanks for reading and enjoying the journey with us.

Shana Tova and Chag Sameach!

Now, enough with the sappy stuff.

The Down Low:

Rosh Hashana on Kibbutz is completely different from anything we've ever expirienced. The kibbutz does all the services in their little shule along with many different kinds of alternative services throughout the day and night. We attended a Desert Repenting-For-Our-Sins service with people from near-by Kibbutz Katura. We went to a Yoga Class with a bunch of the volunteers to end off our break from work and get us really relaxed for the new year and ready for work bright and early in the morning. Its all quite exciting here on Kibbutz!

Sophie took a trip to her family in Tel Aviv to spend the High Holy Days there. She came back to an extremerly messy room. We're not sure where all the puzzle pieces are, but we have found a few of them in our beds.

Jordy spent the weekend and the Holidays on the Kibbutz, but is eagerly awaiting a visit from her parents and is planing a trip to see her friends in Karmiel.

Shoshana went to a nearby Kibbutz to visit a really good, Israeli friend from Sydney with Josh. She had a great time.

Lily spent the weekend with a friend from South Africa who came to visit the Kibbutz. This all involved a half an hour trek to the road and back, through the desert, barefoot. They played soccer and went on a tiyul to see the illusive Gazels on the Red Mountains.

Liz spent the weekend and the Holidays on the kibbutz with her host family and the other Shantties. She worked an evening shift with the goats and seems to love her job very much.

Jade spent the weekend and the Holidays on kibbutz and was visited by a dear friend of hers who is spending the week with us. Along with Liz, they're all going to an Advocasy Seminar in Jerusalema dn speniding Yom Kippur together.

Josh wanted a different expirience for the Holidays and so went all the way to Jerusalem to go to the Reform Synagouge there and really reflect on his year in a more special way for him.

Kathryn spent the weekend in Haifa visiting friends from another Youth Movement. She was back intime for the Rosh Hashana Service on Friday night after an excruciating 6 and a half hour bus and train ride.

The Weekly Report: 13/09/2012

Dear Parents, Snifim and Shanties. Shalom Rav,

This was an exciting week for Israel and for the progressive Jewish community. The Israeli Paralympics team did what the Olympic did not do; they came back to Israel with medals including a gold medal.
In a small city of 700.000 in Russia (3 hour flight form Moscow) celebrated 100 years to their synagogue, the only synagogue in the city is a Reform synagogue and the whole city got together to celebrate this special historical event.

Back to Israel, two events got me thinking, there was a convention for Jewish refugees that escaped form Arab/Muslim countries, it was the first convention and they want to demand that the countries pay them compensation for having to escape from their respective countries.

There is a city passed the green line called Ariel, there is a college there called the University centre of Ariel. Despite it name it is a college and not a university, just before I get to the point lets playa little trivia game:

How many universities are there in Israel?
Which was the first university established in Israel?
Which is the biggest university in Israel?
What is the difference between a college and a university?

This college has been fighting to become university, already a few years ago it was decided that it would be and since then it has had its bureaucratic ups and downs, this week the government decided to move the issue forward and that now it has to be recognized as a university. I wonder what are the reasons behind this, although the claims are that it is time to have another university in Israel, and the college wanting to be able to work on research’s and get different funding that the universities get I cant help to wonder if it is not more of a political in your face kind of decision – penny for your thoughts.


I just got back from visiting our dear shnatties in Lotan, they are doing great and are very happy on kibbutz, and they have turned their flat into a home. We are getting ready to receive the northern group that will be arriving just after Sukkot and will be joining or dear shnatties in Lotan.

On this note I want to finish by wishing you all a Shana Tova, for all of us to have a great sweet year.

Shana Tova,
Michael

Weekly report by Liz

Over last weekend our house was loud and lively due to the visitors from Betar and Hashomer Hatzair. It was great fun and we were all sad to see them go on Saturday.

Lily started her first week with the goats on Sunday while I was left alone in the Eco mud building. Monday was communal work in dates again, where Jade, Shoshana and Jordy work on a regular basis (It has the best breakfast) The next day was Yom Chinuch. We were all insanely happy for our sleep-in until 8:30 which was a treat in comparison to the 5:30 wake up call we usually get (besides Kitty who starts at 8 in tourism). On Tuesday we had a class with Mike Nitsan about Lotans' connection to the Progressive Movement Worldwide, followed by a class with the local rabbi Daniel about God and the balance between strict justice and mercy. The peula that evening was run by Sophie and had us explore our lives and how we have progressed and where we wish to be. While this was all happening Josh decided as a project to make our roof an amazing place to chill, with things like: Furniture (which we are all excited to have because we don't have anything besides bed frames) The night of Yom Chinuch, the creativity energy in our house was palpable as we sat in our backyard and painted pieces of wooden board which we found in our house. We're going to hang them up in the outside room to make it feel a little more home-y.

The Weekly Report: 06/09/2012

Dear Parents, Snifim and Shnatties. Shalom Rav,

This was the second week on kibbutz Lotan for our shnatties and they are having a great time, next week I will be visiting them and will hear directly from them how they are doing.

Rosh Hashana is just around the corner and our shnaties will be able to experience the festivities in Israel and on the kibbutz, on this note I want to wish you all a Shana Tova.

On my latest weekly reports I have been doing a "Peny for Your Thoughts" segement and this report is no diferent. This week MDA (Maguen David Adom) was on news, an ambulance arrived to the home of an Israeli actor who was suffering from a stroke, the paramedics refused to take to the hospital because they interpreted that he was saying tht he did not wish to be taken to the emergency room. So in the end he was taken by his neighbor and we still dont know the extent of the damage for arriving late to the hospital.

There is a law in Israel, that no one can be forced to be taken against their will to the hospital. So here is the dilema, if someone is not capable of thinking straight should he be left alone in his home in stead of recieving the help he needs? should the MDA put themselves in a vulnurable place for trying to help people in needin be subject to lawsuits. a peny for your thoughts, well with todays inflation and economical crisis I am willing to go for a dime for your thoughts.

 

I want to wish you all a great weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

 

Michael

 

Weekly Report By: Kathryn H.

Time here on Kibbutz Lotan can be measured in a few different ways. Weeks are measured from one pub night to the next, days from the nap before work to the nap after wards, the hours in meal times, and months by the cycles of the moon that shines so brightly over the emptyness of the desert, that you can see your shaddow at midnight.

Its oficially our second week here on kibbutz and were all settling in quite nicely. We've started our jobs and are falling into the new regime of waking up at 5 am every morning.

We ended off our Orientation week with a lovely Shabbat Service last friday night. The whole kibbutz crowding into the dining room for a hearty meal. Earlier in the day we had teamed up with our trusty Shin Shinim (The kids on their gap year before the army) and had an interesting Israeli Dance Lesson. (Lily had the most fun out of all of us.) We discovered the creative talent of Netos, one of the quiet Shin Shinim, when he made a beautiful string of butterflies to hang up in the Chederochel.

On sunday we all got up bright and early for our first ofiicial day of work. It was hard to do and by two in the afternoon everyone had crashed. exhausted, into their beds.

Every Monday we all work together in one of the work branches on the kibbutz. This time it was back to the Date Plantation to pick some more of those delicious dates we all know and love, but more importantly sing as loudly and out of tune as humanly possible. The best thing about working in the dates, besided waking up in time to see the sun rising over the mountains, is the breakfast. All the cheese your heart could desire mixed with fresh bread; vegetables; boiled egss and a never ending jar of Cheerios.

Tuesdays are soon to become affectionatly known as Yom Chinuch-Our one day a week of full on education.

This week we found ourselves on a 5am Nature Hike with Michael Livni-The founder of Reform Zionism and one of Netzers Big Thinkers. He showed us all around the out side of the kibbutz pointing out interesting animal tracks and the different types of desert sand you can find just five minutes away from the gates. He gave us a low down on what Reform Zionism really is, after a well deserved breakfast.

Later, we had a discussion with Alex, who is head of the Ecology Department and a certified Ecological Architecht (Jade and My host Dad) all about what it means to live on a collective kibbutz and in an intentional community. We looked at why we are an intentional community; where else you caould find them; and how they differ in every place. All rather facinating one might say.

Unfortunatly, we missed Jade this week as she was seeing her mom in Tel Aviv but she's safe and sound back in her bed, catching up on some sleep after her rather adventurous bus ride home on Tuesday night. Were glad she's back and ready to get into the Kibbutz expirience. She had her first day of Date Picking today!

Shana and Jordy love the Dates and come home everyday with new and exciting stories to tell of the Cherry Picker and the comical moments that seen to haunt their lives.

Liz and Lily have both made a home for them selves in the recycling centre in the Eco Village. Today they both learnt how to make compost and made it. Then learnt how to build with mud and then built with it. They both came home rather sweaty and covered in mud and compost, smiles shining through the dirt on their noses.

Next week we'll hear all about the Goats!

Everyday I see Josh riding around on the back of the tractor doing Garden-y type things. Sometimes hes riding the tractor by the pool, other times its through the tourism section. Sometimes I wonder weather or not he does other things besides ride the tractor around the kibbutz...

As for me, I have the most top secret job of all. We only have one rule in tourism, and that is: What happens in tourism, stays in tourism. But what I can tell you is that I had a secret mission in the Tea House today- One of the best places on the kibbutz I might add- and I have access to a place that no normal kibbutznick does: The Other Laundry Room.

We're all safe and sound here in our little oasis in the middle of the Arava. Until next week! Adeu.

PS. Were probably all making Aliyah to Kibbutz Lotan.

The Weekly Report: 30/08/2012

Dear Parents, Snifim and Shnatties, Shalom Rav,

This past week has been full of important and or meaningful events; Gilad Shalit celebrated his first birthday as a free person; while we said goodbye to Neal Armstrong we said hello to the new pictures form Mars sent to us by the "Curiosity" (although I think it is amazing that we landed on the moon and Mars, I wonder if that money should not be spent here on Earth trying to make it a better place); the 136 year old Montefiori Windmill in Jerusalem started working again, the windmill was established as a source of work for those Jewish people brave enough to leave the walls of the Old City and create the first Jewish Settlement out side the Wall, today it is a sight were couples getting married come to take pictures all dressed up and on their way to their wedding and now after so many years of not working it will start opening its doors to the public; and my son started to go to Day Care for the first time in his life.

As for our dear shnatties, they together after their chofesh and last Sunday they arrived to Kibbutz Lotan, kibbutz Lotan is a lovely reform Kibbutz in the Arava, it is 40 minutes north of the city of Eilat, which means that it is way in the south of Israel. The Kibbutz period is the last period of the program, they have settled into their apartment, and had a few orientation days, today they all went out to the dates field as a group project to collect all the dates and next week they will be working in different fields, they have been looking forward for this period of the program.

I don’t know if in Australia and South Africa you use the saying "A penny for your thoughts" but there is something I wanted to share with you that I found interesting and would love hear what you have to say about it. Just like in other countries also in Israel there are advertisements posted on the sides of the buses, this week Egged (The Israeli Public Buses Company) has decided that they wont be posting any advertisements with the pictures of men or women, in Jerusalem it has been problematic because the religious people would not allow the buses to have advertisement with the pictures of women (even if they were fully dressed), women of course felt discriminated, so now to save themselves the headache Egged as mentioned before will not be displaying men or women on the side of the buses, and I wonder if this the correct course of action to take or if it is the easy way out.

I want to wish a great weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

Michael

Weekly report by Jade K.

Hi everyone!

Another week has gone by in our shnattie lives and I'm here to tell you all about it. Fasten your seatbelts, it's been a wild ride through our first week on Kibbutz Lotan!

Saturday night found us all squeezed into the ex-boys room of the Etgar flat chatting excitedly about our chofesh and impending time on kibbutz, exchanging weird and wonderful gifts from the far corners of the world (Kitty even brought us a South African, his name was Mitchell) and pinching Josh, Lily and ourselves just to make sure they were actually there. Yes, you heard right, Teva (south) is finally, FINALLY, reunited! We couldn't be happier.

Spirits were not dampened until the next morning when we discovered (to our utter dismay) that there was no CD player in the bus. How could we possibly listen to Dana's coveted 90s CD! Never fear, shnattie watchers, it wasn't too long before we had whipped out the Ukulele, followed by the guitar resulting in a Jade-Sophie jam sesh which quickly became a Jade-Sophie-Jordy Destiny's Child tribute band rehearsal (I'm Kelly Rowland, Jordy is obviously Beyonce which makes Sophie the one who's name no-one ever remembers) and eventually a Teva Choir sing-along (minus Josh... and the bus driver, I think we may have somehow damaged his ears. First Teva Shnenemy.)

Arriving on kibbutz in high spirits we were faced with momentary panic upon realizing that all of our stuff may not fit into our house. For those who don't know, Teva does not travel light. Thankfully we didn't have to resort to plan B - exiling Josh to the tent pitched on the grass outside our house - but at one stage it was a very real possibility. Other events of the day included a truly historic asefa in which, after Etgar apparently left the word with scarring connotations, we renamed asefot. They are now called FSBs (or FSBim for all you mad Hebrew speakers out there), what it stands for is a Teva secret. We also decided on kvutzah tafkidim for our time on Lotan, of course we can't tell you what they are until they are ratified at Teva Values Veida which will take place over Shabbat.

Since then we have been filling our days with deciding on work branches, exercising for the first time in 7 months, chillin' with the kibbutz kids, the volunteers, the shin shins (kids on Shnat Sherut) who live next door and a good friend of our beloved Northerners - Guy the (now ex-)shin shin, making lots of music and discovering all the essentials to kibbutz life on our adventures such as the filter water tap in our kitchen and the cow graveyard behind the refet. Kibbutz Lotan is slowly becoming our home.

And that concludes this weeks parents report, leaving only 10 more parents reports until you see our smiley faces once again. I guess we'd better go have some more crazy adventures so we'll have something to write to you about next week.

So, in the words of everyone's favorite South American Shnat Director,
Mmmmmbye.