1994
5755
To All Our
Friends, Customers
& Relatives
A Happy,
Healthy & Prosperous
NEW YEAR
from
The Milen Family
//
more than
just a car
wash"
YOUR NEXT U.S. REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FOR THE 11TH DISTRICT
MIKE BRESHGOLD
AND HIS FAMILY ARI, ELANA, AND
JOSHUA
WISH ALL OUR FRIENDS
IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR
nit)
71,1ri Ll7
L'Shanah Tovah!
R24
PAID FOR BY BRESHGOLD FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE, 24186 S DUNCAN, FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48336.
TO VOLUNTEER, PLEASE CALL 810-476-8764
Malkiyah
In Galilee
CARL ALPERT
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
High up in the norther Galilee
hills, close to the border with
Lebanon, is Kibbutz Malkiyah,
founded in 1949 on the site where
the Palmah fought the last bat-
tle in Israel's War of Indepen-
dence. It has an interesting past,
a flourishing present and a very
promising future.
Some people think that once
you have seen a kibbutz, you
have seen them all. That is by no
means true; every kibbutz has its
own distinctive character and
personality and its own story.
Malkiyah is a case in point.
Natan Hacker, who has been
a member there for more than a
dozen years, has an unorthodox
point of view about kibbutzim in
general, which he terms the most
successful capitalist enterprises
in the country. Take his own, for
example. Malkiyah has 200 vot-
ing share holders (member) in ad-
dition to non-voting shareholders.
The board of directors, to use a
capitalist term meets weekly, de-
termines policy—and all profits
are distributed.
A former lawyer in Chicago,
Mr. Hacker sees the bright side
of everything. When he came to
the kibbutz, they had no need for
a lawyer; so he was assigned to
operate a fork-lift, moving cases
of produce. When his mother
back in Chicago inquired if he
was practicing law, he reassured
her, in a phone call, "Mother, I
have much bigger cases here!"
Malkiyah has an industry and
pursues agriculture (of these
more later), but they have now
set their sights on tourism possi-
bilities. Peace is going to create
a tourist boom, and Malkiyah is
already offering unusual facili-
ties. Groups seeking something
off the beaten path, can stay in
comfortable rooms at the kibbutz,
using the place as a base for vis-
its to the fascinating neighbor-
hood, or can utilize the conference
facilities for educational meetings
and lectures.
An agreement with the near-
by Christian groups—and let's
face it—today more Christians
than Jews come to visit Israel.
For those interested, Malkiyah
puts together a seminar on reli-
gious and cultural pluralism. The
program brings together suitable
representatives of various points
of view which make up the total-
ity of Israel society, including not
only Jews but also Muslims,
Christians and Druzes. The pro-
gram involves the participants
for overseas in stimulating analy-
sis and discussions—truly some-
thing different.
The kibbutz, which has en-
joyed support for the United Is-
rael Appeal of Canada, also offers
sports, horseback riding, cultur-
al activities and more - all in the
very shadow of Mt. Hermon, usu-
ally snow-capped, towering very
close. Malkiyah itself is some
2200 feet heigh.
An indication of the progres-
sive management at this kibbutz
may be found in the fact that it
has its own closed circuit televi-
sion and is completely comput-
er literate.
The members have their eyes
set on construction of a 128-room
lodge, part of which will be avail-
able for sale on a time-sharing ba-
sis. In the meantime, their major
income comes from their or-
chards, which produce 36,000
tons of apples a year, their fish
ponds, and their fields of cotton,
wheat, peanuts and other field
crops. They are the largest pro-
ducers of kiwi in Israel.
And their industry? A modern
plant, Orda, manufactures and
merchandises all over the world
more than 60 colorful, attrac-
tively packaged games and toys
for children, catering to the nat-
ural development and learning
processes of the little ones. Some
of them have been awarded hon-
Peace is going to
create a tourist
boom, and
Malkiyah is
already offering
unusual
facilities.
ors by the Parents' Choice. Last
year's production hit 6 million
dollars.
The kibbutz is a busy place,
housing also an ulpan for the
teaching of Hebrew and an en-
campment for Nahal military
groups.
That's the present and the fu-
ture, but Malkiyah is also steeped
in the past, as current archeo-
logical digs and the history books
verify. This is the site of the bib-
lical city of Kadesh Naftali, one
of the traditional cities of refuge,
and noted for its tolerance and
pluralistic culture. It is also iden-
tified with the prophetess Debo-
rah.
The kibbutz guest book and
the wall listing overseas friends
and members indicate that
Malkiyah has already been dis-
covered.
As indicated, it has much to of-
fer, especially for those who have
been to Israel at least once before
and are looking for new experi-
ences.
More information can be ob-
tained from Natan Hacker, Kib-
butz Malkiyah, D.N. Merom
Hagalil, 13845, Israel.