Kibbutz...


After a 4 hour ride south from Tel Aviv, I spotted an oasis in the midst of the sandy beige valley where the highway cuts between two small mountain ranges. Visible from a few kilometers away, the kibbutz appeared small, isolated and sort of randomly plopped down. . . The bus let me off outside the gates and as it sped away, I took a few minutes to take in my surroundings.

I first noticed the heat. I love it, but I believe it's what they mean when people say stifling heat, or "it's so hot I cant breath" or "too hot to move." It does have an oppressive force to it, especially at 1 in the afternoon, especially when trees are sparse. But the kibbutz buildings are air condidtioned and there is a beautiful swimming pool. An additional bonus is that my room is the one with a great porch out front, sheletered by old palm fronds and equipped with chairs, a table and a laundry drying rack. Very luxurious accomodations, but more on that later...

The second thing I noticed upon arrival, as I glanced (unknowingly) at Jordan, which is maybe a mile or so to the east.... was the huge bright green grove of date trees. They are beautiful, but oddly juxtaposed and clearly out of place in the desert. I spoke tonight with a student here at the Arava Institute (an enviromental studies prgroamn based on the kibbutz) and she told me that the use of water for such projects is insane, but that the dates sell for a euro each in Europe.... This conflict, between zionism and environmentalism, between the survival of Israel and the morality of some of its policies seems to be a theme of my trip so far... or at least in the thinking that I am going through...


My new home, Kibbutz Ketura, is about 30 minutes from Eilat. there are about 300 residents, most of whom come originally from the United States, although I met a woman today from Columbia and there are one or two French families. ;) Imagine the liberal hippy, somewhat scruffy, seemingly laid back but extremely productive and well-educated Jews of the park slope Jewish center or the Newton Center Minyan. Well, that;s pretty much the kibbutz populous... Idealist Jews who love living here and work hard to make it work. I spent a few hours tonight with Aliza and her family. (Shes the volunteer coordinator) She and her husband are form NYC and met at a Jewish summer camp. Now they have three little Israel kids running around kibbutz or riding in their playpen on wheels.

The kibbutz sustains itself selling dates, and a dye they make from algae cultivated here. Around us is nothing but mountains, although a few other kibbutzim are nearby. They all go together to a local school a few miles away. There is also a dairy nearby that is supposed to have the best icecream and chocolate milk in Israel. : 0

Because this is getting long, I'll tell about my job and Tel Aviv in other blogs...
Oh!
My phone number is 011-972-52-317-5181
Best times to call are 12:30-4pm or 8:15-11am - It's 7 hours later here than in NY. (I think...)



My address is
Rachel Olstein - VOLUNTEER
Kibbutz Ketura
D.N. Hevel Eilat 88840
ISRAEL

my mom knows how to call for 2 cents a minute. I, unfortuantely, can't call out, and have limited email access, but will do my best to keep in touch. I always like letters the best! And I can always reply on paper!!!!!

More soon!
-r

"In long range-planning for a trip, I think there is a private conviction that it won't happen. Something had to happen to forbid my going, but it didn't."
- steinbeck

How to begin... and now the only thing yet to do is depart.

"When the virus of recklessness begins to take possession of a wayward man and the road away from Here seems broad and straight and sweet, the victim must first find in himself a good and sufficient reason for going."

These past few weeks have been too busy to be sad. And as I've walked out of doorway after doorway, I have tried to practice what I see as my goal for this trip. Being present in the moment. Undeniably, any choice means the closing of alternatives. The bravery in decision making is accepting the unchosen. It is easy to validate the choices we make in retrospect, to explain away why our experiences were "meant to be." It is harder is to let go of the untrodden opportunities and I can not quite believe- tempting as it may be - that those options would not have played out in equal or even better fates. So as I begin this new phase, I hope to weigh opportunities in a different way, based less on should, based less on pressure from society, and based more on what I believe is truly the best choice. My hope is that an open mind will awaken me to opportunities that I could easily miss, and that a focus on the present will make each choice I make that much more complete and fulfilling.

Cheesy, perhaps, but for those who know me, you'll agreed that I have spent too much of these 25 years worrying about the past and the future. It is time to leave the worrying behind and to live, now.

Doors close behind me. (I can't help but think about ne'ilah) but I am proud that I have no regrets, no burned bridges and no hard feelings (I hope). I am not running away from anything (at least not consciously!) nor am I running toward anything. I am simply walking forward.

I go alone, and would not want it any other way. But the past few weeks have again reminded me of how blessed I am. Family, friends, community... I take parts of it all with me and know that I would never have the courage to go if I didn't have such a strong safety net back home. I do not go seeking home or with the hope of "Finding myself." I know well that my home is where my family is and that I am Jewish, American, a Hess, an Olstein, a Nauman...


Steinbeck again, because he says it better: [Journeys] are things in themselves, each one an individual and no two alike. I speculated with wonder on the strength of the individuality of journeys and stop to postulate that people don't take trips - trips take people..."

And thus, I jump aboard, eyes open, heart open, mind open, ready for this journey. . .