My Kibbutz Volunteer Story
A story about my time as a kibbutz volunteer in Israel.
Looking For Adventure
The idea to travel to another country on my own at 22 was foreign to my family. No one had done it before. There were questions about safety and destination. More safety concerns and a lot of frowning. I just wanted to get away a little. I didn’t like the career I’d chosen and had just broken up with my boyfriend. Again.
I thought that a change of scenery would put everything back into perspective. So, I joined the overseas visitors club in my city and met like-minded people. I made friends and learned all I could about au pairing, kibbutz volunteering and other exciting options. Kibbutz life sounded perfect.
A kibbutz is a self-contained settlement unique to Israel where everyone works for the betterment of the community. The word Kibbutz means gathering or clustering in Hebrew.
Arriving On the Kibbutz
I worked my tail off at a coffee shop and did double shifts for months to make enough money to travel. The day arrived in January 1993. I left Johannesburg, South Africa to fly to Tel Aviv, Israel. I wasn’t alone. Another young woman, and three guys from the overseas visitor’s club traveled with me. Those days people could still…
