A New Beginning
New life in Our Ancient Land New Life in Our Ancient Land
ed like celebrities, with dancing, singing, and baskets of gifts at a wonderful reception. This was one of the finest days of my life, like a fairy tale come true. The kibbutz was proud to have us and treated us very well. For us, it was like one big family, even though they allowed us some autonomy as a group. At first, they tried to assign us to families, but we were already older, and we did not have a great deal of time to spend with the families. Nor did the families have time to devote to us. They had their own children and, in the evenings, they would take their children back to the children’s houses at about nine, tuck them into bed, and kiss them goodnight. We worked and studied all day and had many activities in the evening as well, after which we went straight to sleep because we woke up early in the morning. A number of the senior kibbutz members made a great sacrifice on our behalf, they gave up their quarters for us, despite having waited ten or fifteen years to get them. Most of the members lived in wooden houses; cement homes were being built as fast as fi - nances allowed and were typically given to the oldest and most senior members. Thus, we were quartered in the best housing in the kibbutz. Our building was two stories high, with outside stairs to the second-floor rooms. We occupied about twelve rooms, with each room large enough for up to four people. I was giv- en a small ground-floor room so that I would not have to climb steps. The room had a private entryway and two windows, and I shared it with my friend Shimshon. It was convenient and comfortable. There was not yet indoor plumbing at the kibbutz. Every house had a faucet out front for washing up, and there were several bath houses within walking distance. Everyone ate in the communal dining room. Today, kibbutz members have an apartment of two or three rooms, a private bath, and their own kitchen, although they can choose to eat in the communal dining room when they want to.
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