50 years ago to-the-day – ”On This Day” in May 1976 –  I left the Kibbutz where I had spent almost two, personally-transformative, years as a volunteer: Kibbutz Kfar Blum in the Upper Galilee alongside the Jordan River with the mountains of Lebanon and Syria in the distance. The kibbutz, named after the former French socialist Jewish Prime Minister, Leon Blum imprisoned by the Nazis, had been founded by the Habonim movement with people primarily from the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United States and the Slavic countries.

I had arrived at Kfar Blum in August 1974 intending to spend a month as a volunteer. When I finally left the Kibbutz 21 months later; my departure was involuntary! The result of the Kibbutz determining that its long-term volunteers – of which I was one of several – should either apply for Kibbutz membership or move on. I wasn’t ready to contemplate such a decision but I do wonder sometimes about “the road not taken.” So very sadly, I and some others, moved on!

That it was Kfar Blum was pure serendipity – or fate! I had gone to the Central Kibbutz office in Tel Aviv, and been offered some Kibbutz options and someone advised me to go to Kfar Blum. (In fact my entire trip to Israel had come about somewhat by chance!) I had already visited Israel on three previous occasions – including twice before the “Six Day War.” But I had never been on a kibbutz and knew few practical details about them. Of course every Jewish child knew about the famed “kibbutz ‘tembel’ hat and children living away from parents! (A matter which has evolved and differs among Kibbutzim)

Back in the 1960s and 1970s: Spending some time on a Kibbutz was pretty- common – with the Kibbutz seen as a lighthouse to the youth of the World. Boris Johnson and Bernie Sanders were among today’s “celebrities” who famously spent time on a kibbutz. For some it was wanting to experience the communal life – of socialism in practice (including all Kibbutzniks receiving the same wages, regardless of job). For others it was just the novel experience. Whether one was Jewish or a Zionist often didn’t come into it. My experiences were with Kfar Blum (and later a few month on another Kibbutz – Ramat Hashofet ulpan.) But ask any volunteer at any kibbutz and they will have many........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)