i

Second in an occasional series, Erica Lansky reports from her Otzma trip back home to Detroit.

members of Kibbutz Belt Hashita sort olives.

Erica and

Inside Israel

Kibbutz Beit Hashita:
Home Sweet Home?

I

remember meeting her
the first day I arrived at
Kibbutz Beit Hashita and
thinking, "What is she do-
ing here?" She was helping
Amalia, our housemother for
the next three months, dis-
tribute linens, towels and
work clothes. She wore a
University of Michigan T-
shirt and spoke our lan-
guage; yet, she seemed so
comfortable, chatting with
Amalia in Hebrew and casu-
ally answering our questions.
It was almost as if she was
one of them, and I felt her

study us with an Israeli eye.
I couldn't tell if she was glad
to have us at her new home,
or if she resented the arrival
of the society she had delib-
erately left behind. Either
way, I was surprised to be
standing face to face with for-
mer resident of West Bloom-
field, Mich., Tracie Greene,
who now calls Kibbutz Beit
Hashita home.
It was a weird coincidence
- for both of us. There I was,
ready for the ultimate Israeli
kibbutz experience, and the
first person I met was some-

body from my hometown.
And, I could understand if
she initially felt the world
close in on her, as 50 North
American Project Otzma par-
ticipants (10 from the Detroit
area) suddenly appeared at
her kibbutz doorstep. Con-
sequently, I began the kib-
butz portion of my year in
Israel with high expecta-
tions. If Tracie, another na-
tive Michigander, had
become so enamored with
Beit Hashita that she chose
to make aliyah and live
there, then the possibility ex-

fisted that I, too, may prefer
the kibbutz over good ole
Michigan. And so began my
three months at Kibbutz Beit
Hashita, and Tracie's three
months as our friend and tar-
get of endless questions
about the kibbutz.
Our mission on the kib-
butz was two-fold: learn He-
brew and work. Four hours
a day were allotted to each
responsibility, and our days
were filled accordingly six
days a week. In the begin-
ning, I had hoped to become
fluent in Hebrew (Trade be-