KADDISHEL
A Life Reborn
Next came the Moroccans. In order to help smooth the transition to a new life in Israel, the government sent the young Moroccans to camps in France first, where they could learn Hebrew and how to use knives, forks, toilets, and so on. They were to pass on this knowledge to their parents when they were reunited in Israel. One of these groups from France was assigned to Yagur and, in the pro- cess of welcoming them to Yagur, I met a beautiful young woman from Marrakesh. She had gone to an Alliance School supported by Women’s American ORT (Jewish Trade Schools) and spoke French well. She learned Hebrew quickly and worked on the kib- butz. She became my girlfriend, and we lived together quite pleas- antly for about a year before parting ways. Afterwards, she went to Mash’abei Sadeh for a while and then to Haifa, where we lost contact. I understand she married and had children. At about the same time that I finished repaying my obligation to the kibbutz, an interesting opportunity arose to work as a driver for the Kibbutz Administration in Tel Aviv. This organization served as a resource center for about forty-five kibbutzim in the movement, including Yagur, and was headquartered in Tel Aviv. It was a good offer, one I thought I should not pass up. I signed on. If any of the kibbutzim had a problem, such as disease striking their livestock or produce, they would call the Kibbutz Administration. If the Arabs were attacking and a kibbutz needed help with secu- rity problems (this was especially frequent for kibbutzim on the Lebanese and Syrian borders, and in the Negev), they would call the Kibbutz Administration for help. Its specialists in many fields, including medical personnel, would be dispatched to help out at a kibbutz that requested assistance. They needed transportation, so the Kibbutz Administration had many cars. I worked as a driver for a while, which gave me exposure to many different people and places and was also good for my social life. After all, I was a single guy. Driving a private car in Israel was a big deal in those days, and it contributed greatly to my status. When the supervisor of the drivers took sick, I was offered the position of running the department. The position was a paid one,
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