Multifaceted Kibutz Industry
Showing Marks of Success
By JANET MENDELSOHN
World Zionist
Press Service
Not too much has
changed from the early days
of kibutz and Zionistic spirit
as far as the attitude to
work is concerned and this
high work morale is one of
the great advantages of
kibutz industry. While life
on a kibutz -is still char-
acterized by the hard-
working members arising
at dawn and heading to
work in more than 300
kibutzim, half the members
work-in the factories rather
than fields and orchards.
Many factories began in
the early years around an
enterprising seamstress,
carpenter or other
craftsman. They began sell-
ing their products, and now
a high percentage of them
have entered the export
market. Some of Israel's
most attractive furniture as
well as textiles and clothing
are produced on kibutz
enterprises.
In addition to furniture,
textiles and giftware items,
Israel's kibutzim specialize
in metal components, plas-
tics, food products, rubber,
pharmaceuticals, optical
products and electronic de-
vices, all of which are the
cream of-the crop in export
revenues. Kibutz industry
exported $95.3 million
worth of goods last year, 42
percent to Common Market
countries, 20 percent to
North and Central
America.
"Israel Economist"
magazine credits Kibutz
Hatzerim in the Negev
Desert with one of the
most far-reaching ac-
complishments in kibutz
industry. This kibutz per-
fected -and implemented
a "drip" or "trickle" irri-
gation system to save
their short supply of
water, and this
brainstorm soon flooded
the world market. It pre-
sently exports its systems
to nearly 20_countries.
When in the early 50's
there was a wide de-
velopment in industry
throughout the country,
at Ben-Gurion's request
kibutzim created jobs
through factory expan-
sion for the thousands of
new immigrants pouring
into the mushrooming
development towns.
Many kibutzim have re-
mained employers, in
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spite of their ideology of
self-labor.
-
Today, outside labor ap-
parently comprises 45 per-
cent of the work force of the
kibutz industry; though
most is concentrated in
relatively few larger plants
according to the Kibutz In-
dustries Association, hired
labor is on the decrease.
Plans on the drawing board
are exclusively for new fac-
tories requiring increased
knowledge and automation,-
but limiting the work force.
Kibutz factories have de-
veloped into productive
places of employment for
older members of kibutzim
who may find satisfying
work there. They also at-
tract younger and middle
aged members who have
technological skills or wish
to develop them. Many
young members are
encouraged to study
engineering, - chemistry,
physics or another spe-
cialized subject with the
reassurance that they can
utilize their profession to
the maximum on modern
kibutzim.
Specialization is becom-
ing the key to success, and
kibutzim have produced a
degree of know-how and
brain power that far exceeds
Israel's raw materials. As
many factory positions re-
quire specialization and
training, however, what
happen _ s to the socialistic
ideal of kibutzim which
called for equality of all jobs
as well as rotation of leader-
ship?
Regardless of job titles,
though, the most impor-
tant spirit pervading a
kibutz factory is that of
teamwork or
camaraderie among
workers.
Material and human re-
sources are pooled together
on kibutz, offering a unique
opportunity for develop-
ment. Industry is following
the path already Char-
acteristic of agriculture on
kibutzim, and many of the
enterprises are world re-
nowned for their efficiency
and production.
Students Receive
JWF Fellowships
NEW YORK — Schol-
arship and fellowship
grants totaling more than
$60,000 have enabled 44
students, all of them future -
staff members of Jewish
community centers and YM
and YWHAs, to enroll in the
professional graduate and
undergraduate courses in
college and universities, ac-
cording to Robert L. Adler,
Chicago communal leader
and president of the Jewish
Welfare Board.
On kibutzim and
moshavim throughout Is-
rael today, farmers are feed-
ing their fish and chickens
with dried algae, grown in
purified sewage water, thus
saving on feed costs. The
technique was developed at
the Technion-Israel Insti-
tute of Technology.
BETH YEHUDAH SCHOOLS
64TH
ANNIVERSARY DINNER
to be held at
THE FAIRLANE
MANOR
19000 Hubbard Drive, Dearborn
(across from the Fairlane Town Center)
Co-Chairmen
SUNDAY EVENING,
NOVEMBER 19, 1978
Golden Torah
Award Recipient
Guest Speaker
I. William Sherr
Alvin Reifman
Senator Lowell Weicker
Cocktails at 6:00 p.m. Dinner at 7:00 p.m.
For Reservations, Please call: 557-6750
FOUNDERS
David B. Holtzman
Marvin Berlin
Harold Beznos
Max Biber
Ivan Bloch
Stuart Bloch
Jack J. Carmen
Ernest L. Citron
Irwin I. Cohn
Dr. Arnold Eisenman
Dr. Elmer Ellias
Dr. Joseph Goodstein
George Hill
David B. Holtzman
Arnold Joseff
Mrs. Morris Karbal
Abe Maltzberg
Joseph Nusbaum
Jack Peitz
Alvin Reifman
Alex Saltsman
Robert A. Schwartz
I. William Sherr
The Stewart Family
In Memory of
Dorothy Stewart
Max Stollman
Phillip Stollman
Tamaroff Buick
(Opel-Honda)
Mrs. Morris Yassky
Dr. Arnold Zuroff
GUARDIANS
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Allan
SPONSORS
Norman Adelsberg
Beckwith-Evans
In Memory of
Meyer Weingarden
Henry Dorfman
Kenneth Fischer
Sidney Fischer
Nathan I. Goldin
Martin Goldman
Samuel Hechtman
Peter Heiman
David Hermelin
Honigman Foundation
In Memory of
Sarah Honigman
Alex Joseph
Frank W. Kerr Company
Eugene Kraus
Daniel A. Laven
Midwest Clayman
Compnay, Inc.
Irving I. Palman
Dr. Lloyd J. Paul
Julius Rotenberg
Alvin Spector
Lawrence J. Traison
Mel Wallace
Harold Warren
Irving Weiss
Eugene M. Zack
Samuel N. Zack
.