56 Friday, July 25, 1980

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Alumim: Young Kibutz Has Long List of Accomplishments

By DVORA WAYSMAN

World Zionist
Press Service

JERUSALEM — On the
edge of the Negev, just 15
kilometers southeast of
Gaza, lies Kibutz Alumim
— 7,000 dunams (1,750
acres) of carrots, avocadoes,
cotton, citrus orchards,
potatoes and wheat.
A kibutz in Israel is not
such a rarity, but Alumim
has some unusual features.
The first thing a visitor
notices is the small number
of men and women running
this vast kibutz; the second
thing is the youth of the
"kibutzniks" — the average
age is 27; the oldest member
is 35. The whole atmosphere
is young, in keeping with
the fact that the kibutz
which is only 13 years old, is
one of the younger of Israel's
300 odd communal settle-
ments.
Alumim (its name
means "wheat sheaves")
was founded in August
1966 by two religious Is-
raeli "garinim" (units) of
Nahal soldiers, who
combine army service
with agriculture. Since it
is so close to the Gaza
Strip, at that time the spot
was considered unsafe
for civilian settlement, so
it was set up in this mili-
tary framework by 65
18-year-old boys and
girls.
Twelve of the original

founders of the kibutz
stayed on at the end of their
army service; some couples
from the original group
were married; and others
married members of sub-
sequent garinim who came
to Alumim, including an
American and an English
unit.
Today there are 50
families who are members
of the kibutz, most of them
former soldiers who served
there during their period in
the Army. The oldest child
on the kibutz will soon be
celebrating his Bar Mitzva,
but tragically his father will
not be there to see it — his
tractor was blown up by a
mine planted by Arab ter-
rorists from the Gaza Strip
10 years ago.
Alumim is wholly an
agriculture-based kibutz. In
addition to its crops, it has
350 milk cows and 70,000
chickens which it raises for
meat. Its carrots and av-
ocadoes _ are famous
throughout Israel, and most
go for export.
The members are
helped in running the
kibutz by Nahal soldiers
who work there for one
year out of their 31/2 years
Army service; and by two
other groups of volun-
teers. The first group
consists of 42 high school
students who arrived
three years ago. They are
disadvantaged and cul-

turally deprived youth
from all over Israel.
During the school year,
they study five hours a day
and help with kibutz work
for three hours a day. Dur-
ing the vacation, they spend
half the time at home with
their families and half the
time volunteering six hours
a day. Many of them — now
17 and in their last year of
school — have expressed a
wish to join the army next
year via Nahal, and to do
the agriculture part of their
service at Alumiin, which
has become a second home
to them.
The kibutz is proud of the
fact that, with their
encouragement, some of the
youngsters now excel in
different sports and several
have become marathon
runners. When they leave, a
new group of disadvantaged
ninth grade students will be
sent to take their place.
The second small. group of
16 volunteers is a recent in-
novation at Alumim. Sent
by Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi
Goren's office, they are
potential converts to
Judaism. They attend a spe-
cial ulpan where they learn
the tenets of Judaism five
hours a day, and they volun-
teer to help the kibutz three
hours a day.
Although Alumim is a
religious kibutz, the only
commitment these people
are required to make is

-

that they will settle on a
kibutz (even a non-
religious one) and that
they will stay in Israel.
Most of them, consisting
of Americans, Scandina-
vians and Australians,
plan to marry Jews.
The program lasts for four
months and culminates in
an examination by the Beth
Din before conversion. One
couple decided to become
Orthodox and asked to join
Alumim. They will prob-
ably be accepted as mem-
bers.
Despite the youth of the
members and the relatively
Two kibutzniks
small number who live on work.
the kibutz, the progress in
just 13 years has been re- tables, a stereo, records and
markable. Much is corn- a supply of current maga-
puterized, even the amount zines.
and variety of food given to
The TV sets are kept
the cows and the amount of down in the air-raid shel-
water needed for irrigation. ters, but are turned on
The kibutz has a swimming every night. On Shabat
pool, and with an eye to the and during the week,
future, is building a magni- there are lectures on
ficent dining-room that will Jewish subjects and
seat 500, and a kitchen fit- Jewish
is
study
ted with a dishwasher and encouraged. At least one
other time-saving or two men at a time are
appliances.
sent to study in yeshivot
The hard-working cul- for six-month periods.
tural committee provides
But the real pride of the
some kind of activity every
evening . . . a film once a Alumim is its new .
week, lectures, concerts and synagogue — an unusual
cultural circles. All kinds of and dramatic design. The
hobbies are encouraged in- architects, Shemberger-
cluding ceramics, hand- Katz, based it on two ap-
work and carpentry. There propriate motifs — agricul-
is a club with a bar, bridge ture and the desert. The

.

walls are mainly glass, and
as one prays, the view is of
vast golden wheat fields on
all sides. Birds fly in and out
continually, their song a
hymn of praise to the
Creator. The design resem-
bles a Bedouin desert tent,
so that it blends in har-
moniously with its Negev
setting.
Alumim is, in its way, an
adventure in living. Named
after the wheat sheaf, which
is grain bound together, one
senses the close ties that
bind these young
kibutzniks, motivated by
service to the country, deep
spiritual commitment, love
of the land and an essential
harmony and friendship be-
tween young Jews devoted
to a common cause.

Jerusalem Drama Workshop Is Helping Fledgling Actors

to theater. The workshop
operates on two levels,
World Zionist Organization
teaching students and pub-
JERUSALEM — "Israeli
lic performances.
youngsters are much easier
Gabby Lev is from
to teach than English
Sydney, Australia. A
youngsters," says drama
drama graduate of the
teacher-actor Gabby Lev,
University of New South
who is faculty chairman of
Wales, she spent six suc-
the Jerusalem Drama
cessful years in England,
Workshop.
performing on the Lon-
"They are more mature
don stage as well as
and responsible at a much
teaching drama. She
younger age but they have a
came to Israel in 1973 and
terrible time relaxing.
is now married with a
three-year-old son. She
has acted in productions
in all the major Israeli
theaters.
Since the birth of her son,
she has been unable to de-
vote the six nights a week
needed for the theater and
so together with some
friends, she has turned her
talents to a different aspect
of theater.
"We try to make drama
more accessible to the com-
munity. There are too many
divisions in the theater,
both at the learning level
between teachers and
pupils and at the profes-
Former Detroiter Gerry Berman, left, is shown sional level between actors
with drama teacher Gabby Lev at the Jerusalem and audience. We want to
break down these barriers."
Drama Workshop.

By SIMON GRIVER

Some of them find it im-
possible to close their eyes,
because they are so on edge
and suspicious. However, I
find an amazing change in
atmosphere since the peace
pact with Egypt. People are
much more at ease."
The Jerusalem Drama
Workshop was established
in 1976 by a group of actor-
teachers, who felt that there
was a cultural need in Israel
for a "grass roots" approach

The workshop's les-
sons are held in Hebrew
and English and its plays
are performed in both
languages. For its many
Diaspora participants,
the Workshop stresses
Jewish consciousness
and the centrality of Is-
rael in Judaism.
The activities of the
Workshop have included a
rich range of theatrical per-

formances. On Purim they
held a "street theater" with
10-foot puppets. On Inde-
pendence Day they per-
formed a circus-style play.
They stage improvisa-
tional shows for both adults
and children, in which the
audience is invited up to
participate. The workshop
takes part in the Jerusalem
Spring Festival, performing
at the Tzavta Theater.

As Gabby Lev explains,
these activities complement
the teaching side of the
workshop. "Through 'street
theater' and improvisa-
tional plays, student actors
can be gradually
acclimatized to appearing
in public, without the more
traumatic experience of
first performing in the more
formal theater environ-
ment."

Science Is Boosting Israel Industries

Israel Government
Press Service

water supply some 50 per-
cent by 1990 is the desalina-
JERUSALEM — Israel tion of sea water. Three
has been utilizing scientific flash evaporation plants are
advances to develop its in- already in operation, sup-
dustries and agriculture.
plying desalinated water
In the field of solar from the Red Sea to the
energy, new developments people in the port city of
include a solar house and a Eilat.
car run on solar energy.
The use of underground
Based on the principle water with a high salt con-
that all bodies of water trap tent is also receiving top
the rays of the sun, Israelis priority. In fact, scientists
have developed the "solar at Ben-Gurion University
pond." In a normal pond in the Negev Desert are al-
warmer water rises to the ready growing sweet-
surface, losing its heat. Is- tasting cucumbers and
raeli research has proven other vegetables from such
that the addition of salt
water.
"traps" the heat at the bot-
In the north, one of the
tom. It can then be collected
country's
largest civilian
to be used as an energy
projects uses natural proc-
source.
Work is also under way esses including photosyn-
on a high-temperature thesis, bacterial action and
energy system, capable algae growth to purify sew-
of powering solar air age. The bacteria and algae
conditioning in the sum- both produce oxygen and
mer, heating in winter carbon dioxide, which
and obtaining energy for speeds the purification
process. Additionally, the
home appliances.
One breakthrough in algae grown during the
government plans to in- process can be used as feed
crease Israel's available for chicken and fish.

Agriculture and science
in Israel is inextricably
linked. Plant geneticists
have developed hybrid
wheat and barley bred spe-
cially for desert conditions.
Research has led to the
growing of artipex, a plant
native to Australia's salt
marshes, which can be used
to feed sheep and cattle.
These developments will
open up even more of th-
country to agriculture
spreading green into the
furthest reaches of the des-
ert.

Desalinated water
being used to cultivate
the desert.