This summer I went to Israel and lived on a kibbutz (a communal farm or factory settlement) for three months. I wanted to go abroad, but I didn’t have a lot of money to travel. I also wanted to live in a foreign country and interact with the people, not just visit as a tourist. Although my family isn’t Jewish, both my dad and my aunt traveled to kibbutzim when they were my age. I grew up looking at pictures and hearing their stories, and this summer I finally decided to make the trip myself.
I didn’t know exactly which kibbutz I’d be living in until I got to Israel. I was sent to where volunteers wherever volunteers were needed, which for me, was a kibbutz near Tiberias. It was nerve-racking not knowing where I’d be staying or what I’d be doing. It was also difficult to pack without knowing what the climate would be like!
Above is a picture of the place I lived. We had wireless and air-conditioning, but other than that, life was quite primitive for us volunteers. I was permanently dirty. I started my mornings at 6am, working a six-hour shift in the dining hall. Sometimes work was boring (and it was always hot!), but I got to work with all of my best friends and interact with a large number of “kibbutzniks” on a daily basis. After work I would nap, since I was constantly sleep-deprived,and then I swam, tanned, or just hung out with everyone else.
[pagebreak]
A great part about being a volunteer on a kibbutz is that you get a certain amount of days off per month to do whatever you like. I used my days to travel to Jerusalem, Eilat, Haifa and Tel Aviv; and was truly awed by Israel.
The best part of being a volunteer was meeting so many great people. I made friends from all over the world. I spent a lot of time with a girl from England, another from Italy, and a guy from South Africa. I learned so much from my friends and will remember the times we spent together on the kibbutz for the rest of my life. I truly recommend this experience.