A New Beginning
New life in Our Ancient Land New Life in Our Ancient Land
percent of Yagur belonged, and Mapai, Ben-Gurion’s party. In the Histadrut in general, Mapai held the majority, Achdut HaAvodah was second largest, and HaShomer HaTzair came third. We had come from a place where our lives had seemed worth- less, and now, suddenly, we felt equal to other people and even dared to have hope for the future. New settlements were being es- tablished almost daily in strategic areas. Our entire Dror group was working towards the establishment of our own settlement, and we wondered where we would be sent. Along with Hebrew, we stud- ied the skills we would need to run our own settlement, including self-defense. Eventually it was decided that our group would start a new settlement called Kibbutz Mash’abei Sadeh in the Negev, south of Beer Sheva. Everyone had a role to fulfill. Some learned how to work the fields, plowing, seeding, and harvesting crops, some to tend flow - ers and fruit trees. Some learned to work with the cows, sheep, and chickens, others to repair tools and tractors. Because it was difficult for me to be on my feet for any length of time, I worked in the metal shop where Uzi Gal also worked. The shop was very modern. I was taught how to handle metal, and soon could solder and weld. We made and repaired everything the kib- butz needed. I made pails and fixed children’s potties, which were always being damaged by the constant scraping along the cement floors. Little by little, I learned how to do the more sophisticat - ed, creative work. I used electric welders, soldering irons, shears, brakes to bend metal, drills, and more. I enjoyed the work and was good at it. Then another challenge arose. A self-sustaining settlement would need managers. I was given an IQ test, which I apparently passed with flying colors, and was assigned to work in the book - keeping office of the kibbutz management. The kibbutz also got ap - proval from the Children and Youth Migration Bureau to enroll me in a two-year accounting management program at the BaMa’aleh Institute for Business Training in Haifa, with the Bureau and Yagur sharing the cost of tuition. For the next two years, 1948 to 1950, I
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