November brings rains and "Hamsin" Winds – Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur at – Autumn passes and now Winter beckons…. ------

Heavy Rain: Being an agrarian community Matzuva welcomed the first serious rainfall followed by high winds during the first week of the month. The rainfall was considerable replenishing wadis and streams in the Western putting a smile on the faces of Matzuva Agriculture workers and the Matzuva community. However, the amazing thing is that the Tel Aviv and Sharon area have had a more plentiful rainfall with flooding than in the Galilee and the Golan. Our need is much greater than theirs! I look out of window today and I see a fine rain falling – the Med Sea to the west is covered with an enormous black cloud – will it give forth in Western Galilee or in South Lebanon or both??

It is with much sadness that Miriam Sha'ar was buried at the Matzuva cemetery during October after a prolonged period of ill health. The week preceding the funeral the entire Sha'ar family celebrated Miriam's 70th birthday with her in Eilat. was born in the Romania/Transylvania in 1944. She was the (ז"ל) Miriam daughter of Judith and Moshe Grossman and a sister to Hava. In 1950 she came to with her mother following the arrival of her sister previously. They lived for six months in a transit camp prior to the family settling in Haifa. At the age of 12 she arrived at Matzuva within the framework of the "Kfirim" youth group and there she grew up, studied and raised and loved her family (ז"ל) Miriam Sha'ar 26.9.1944-2.10.2014 at Matzuva until her untimely death. She met her husband-to-be Avinoam who was also in the youth group when they were both 12 years old. They eventually married and raised their children, Alon, Merav and Galit. As a teenager Miriam began to work in the children's houses with toddlers and later went to study early education at the "Oranim" College. Miriam was known as a devoted and skilled worker who assisted and advised young mothers in the baby house. Later she worked in the kitchen, the weaving factory as a seamstress and in the clothing store. During the days of the now defunct laundry Miriam would on Saturday duties (toranut) wash, dry and iron the clothes of Matzuva soldiers in the IDF draft. She saw this work as a privilege and duty. Miriam had many hobbies describing herself as a "bookworm" who also enjoyed watching movies, theatre, fauna and flora and especially the sea as well as solving crosswords and playing canasta in addition to knitting, sewing and cooking. In later years she enrolled in adult education for senior citizens of the regional council and attended a psychology course. Despite her constant health problems Miriam found solace in her daily meeting with her club members who sat down and played cards. Unfortunately, today veteran member Esther Cohen is the sole survivor of the club. However, with Miriam her family was everything and she was at its center! May her dear soul rest in everlasting peace.

As posted on the website Message Board Kibbutz Matzuva mourns the untimely passing of Aviva at Matzuva on November 13th 2014. The following day Aviva was laid to rest next to her (ז"ל) Gefen who was killed in Sinai during the 1967 6-Day War. Aviva was no longer a (ז"ל) husband Haim Gefen member of the kibbutz but her final days were spent at Matzuva with her daughter Einav lives there along with Aviva's granddaughters. In the next update we will publish an eulogy describing the life and times of Aviva. May her dear soul rest in everlasting peace.

Swimming Pool at Matzuva - As reported previously the swimming pool was closed during the entire summer due to it not meeting the required conditions stipulated by the health ministry and due to a lack of necessary funds to finance the required alterations. The swimming pool was closed for the first time after decades of serving the Matzuva community and other residents in the area. Kibbutz member Dana Sharon and her small group sent out a questionnaire to all residents asking for support in their efforts to make sure that the pool opens up again in the spring/summer of 2015. This ad-hoc committee is in contact with the Ministry of Health who stipulate the need for renovation and safety of the toddler's pool and of the showers that have to be upgraded. The aim is to press the authorities including the regional council to reduce the sums required for the pool renovations. We'll keep you in touch of any new developments.

Cultural Activities at Matzuva – The cultural committee is as always busy organizing cultural and social activities for the Matzuva community and gearing up to Matzuva's 75th Year celebrations. This committee is composed of kibbutz members and Matzuva neighborhood residents. The committee decided to organize tours in the Western Galilee region as well as overnight trips following the successful overnight stay at the Yarden Park on the Golan with 180 residents of Matzuva participating. This coming Friday there's a trip to Akko for the 50+ group of "oldies" visiting all the sites, the fantastic 'shuk' (market), the Crusader town and a houmus and pita bread+ lunch. Scheduled this Shabbat there is a "tiyul" (hike) up to Har Poreyach (Blossoming Hill) just to the east of the old road up to Matzuva giving new residents an opportunity to learn a little about Matzuva's early history accompanied by Kibbutz members on the walk. There are now many other activity groups some financed by the community and others financed by the participants. The committee has published a program covering the period running up to and including the 75th Anniversary of Matzuva. The cultural committee is composed of residents on a voluntary basis each year and their efforts and hard work is appreciated by the entire Matzuva community. In a 2-page article in the kibbutz newsletter the cultural committee published an annual program setting out the wealth of events scheduled during the coming year leading up to the Jewish New Year in September 2015.

Matzuva 75 Hikes - 29/11 To Har Poreyach the site of the first water tower in Wadi Fine. Josef Fine was the purchaser of land for Jewish settlement in the Galilee including the purchase of the Matzuva land from rich Arab landowners in Beirut. The route is 4 kilometers on foot. On 27/12 there is a hike to the Rainbow Cave close to the Lebanese border with a panoramic view of the entire Western Galilee to the south along with hearing about the Jewish communities that were set up in the period 1930-1940 including Kibbutz , Kibbutz and Kibbutz Matzuva. The hike will also include a 3 km. walk up to Kibbutz and on to the Beduin village of Aramsha right on the Lebanese border. For many years there have been good relations between Matzuva and Aramsha who also belong to the Mateh Asher regional council. On 31/1/15 or 7/2/15 there is to be re-enactment of the founding of Matzuva in 1940 by Jews from Germany and later by Hungarians who had survived the Holocaust. Later 4 Israeli ladies born in the then Mandatory Palestine joined and still live at Matzuva (Dina Livni, Dassy Banai, Esther Yiftach-El and Elisheva Carmi). There are to be many further events during the year

Visit of the Secretariat to Matzuva - The visit of the secretariat included the General Secretary of the Kibbutz Movement, Eitan Broshi and other members of the secretariat. Unfortunately the meeting took place on a Thursday evening which isn't a particularly good

evening to hold a meeting and it was attended by only a small THE KIBBUTZ percentage of the kibbutz membership and didn't reflect MOVEMENT positively on the kibbutz. Eitan Broshi was of the opinion that Eitan Broshi Matzuva was now ready to move over from being managed by an appointed trustee committee to a self-ruling elected committee to run kibbutz affairs after the demise of the kibbutz a decade ago.The main topic on the agenda was "pensions" and the kibbutz movement stipulation that kibbutz pensioners must by law receive 40% of the average wage in Israel. The onus of each kibbutz is to abide by this ruling for the welfare of their senior members. Emerging from a very difficult financial situation during

the last decade at Matzuva has made the task of looking after the welfare of seniors while and at the same time improving infrastructures and also being conscience of the needs of our younger kibbutz members

Matzuva Squash Court…the only one north of Akko

Ohad Fliderman is the founder and inspiration behind the setting up of the Matzuva Squash court. It's situated close to the "Jail House Rock" Pub next to the tennis courts. Ohad reports on the progress and of the dedicated volunteers who put in a shift regularly advancing the project towards its long awaited opening sometime in 2015

Matzuva Inspection Committee - When the decision was taken at Matzuva to become a "Regeneration kibbutz" the previous 'members committee' ceased to function. The Ministry of the Interior then obliged all such communities to form a local inspection committee that would inspect and review the social and community matters and report its findings to the Matzuva Local Committee and then on to the Mateh Asher Regional Council Inspection Committee who would then in turn submit its inspection report to the Ministry of the Interior. The Matzuva inspection committee has been functioning for a number of years and is now composed of 5 members and residents including a an attorney. The chairperson is Yair Chen a senior member of the kibbutz. The committee will be engaged mainly with the functioning of the various committees in our community in their 2014 report. It will closely monitor the linkage with the Matzuva Local Committee and level of cooperation between the various committees. It will also be checking on the performance of recommendations of the report submitted in 2013. Residents are invited to initially voice any reservations only through the Matzuva Local Committee and/or the Kibbutz Committee. Should they not receive a response from these committees only then should they address their reservations or requests to the Inspection Committee.

Once again we would like to draw your attention to the new project named "Aliya to Matzuva" and our appeal for support to turn this idea into reality for all to enjoy.

New Project at Matzuva – We need your help!! "A Miniature Matzuva" …but not exactly Madurodam!

This new project called "Aliya to Matzuva" is the brainchild of Nitzan Reuven. The location is the little hillock to the north of the new circle immediately past the main gate into the kibbutz. The target date is the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of Matzuva in 1940. The project has been designed by architect Itzik Ben-David, a resident of Matzuva, along with the input of kibbutznik Ezra Segali and the Matzuva Trustee Noam Netzer. The idea is to include replica items such as the security wall around the new settlement, a watch tower, the first bell tents and hut of the fledgling kibbutz including basic agricultural implements of that period. We will publish a more detailed map of the project in the coming updates.

"ALIYA TO MATZUVA" PROJECT

North ↑ To Shlomi

PROJECT

PERIMETER ← SITE

FENCE →

MAIN ROAD INTO KIBBUTZ MATZUVA MAIN GATE *to the south → of the road the community neighborhood NEW ↑ TRAFFIC CIRCLE

Background: Way back in February 1940 the first settlers left the "Tower and Stockade" Camp at Lower Hanita and crossed the northern border road and began to climb up a hill on the southern side of the northern road and in doing so established Kibbutz Matzuva. This was at that particular time a daring and significant step that determined that the area north of Akko would become in 1948 an integral part of the fledgling State of Israel. This became the Western Galilee region right up to the border with Lebanon ratified by the Rhodes Armistice Pact of 1949. The Matzuva land had been purchased from wealthy Arabs in Beirut and was one of the few Jewish communities north of Akko in the Biblical area of the Tribe of Asher (one of the 12 tribes of Israel).

Conditions were frugal and tough with no water within reach and these young adult pioneers lived in tents with a single shack that served as a dining room and communal center. The initial diet was made up of carobs and olives with water being brought by road from Nahariya. In this sparse environment the first child of Matzuva was born. He was named Nitzan and was the pride of his parents the Reuven Family and the small community. Sadly, Nitzan's father was killed near Akko while on a mission for the Hagana resistance in 1943. At this time Palestine was then under the British Mandate while across the border nearby was the French mandate over Lebanon that during the WW2 was under Vichy control.

Today, Nitzan is in his 70's but still working as a motor mechanic for Matzuva Agriculture. He is married to Tamar who is also a daughter of founder members. I spoke with Nitzan recently (who is a neighbor of ours) about his aspirations as a proud grandfather. He told me of his dream to ensure that the early days of Matzuva be somehow remembered not solely in words but also in a tangible way for present and future persons of the wider Matzuva Family. I asked Nitzan what idea he had in mind!

He said that we would love to establish a "Miniature Matzuva" depicting physically how Matzuva became a reality in 1940. He subsequently spoke with Noam Netzer the kibbutz trustee who embraced the idea. Nitzan identified a little hillock not far from the main entrance to Matzuva with the kibbutz to the north and the community neighborhoods to the south. At this site a retro of Kibbutz Matzuva 1940 is to be erected as a visitor's center attracting visitors to the Western Galilee as well as the hundreds and hundreds of volunteer guests and Ulpan alumni who we hope will make a nostalgic visit to Matzuva and Israel to meet residents and take a walk down Memory Lane.

We need your assistance and generosity to turn Nitzan's dream into a reality that will bring back in most cases pleasant memories of younger days including the kibbutz experience of work, study and camaraderie bringing together young adults from numerous countries and backgrounds.

The project has been recognized and approved by the Mateh Asher Regional Council and the plans have now been submitted for approval. The cost of the project is not finalized at this stage but we will keep you informed when known.

Once again I recommend readers to visit Max's Photo Album on this website for a pictorial view of life at Matzuva through his excellent and original quality photos and videos. Enjoy! Baruch

MATZUVA AGRICULTURE Growing with Love

Until the next update – keep well and be in contact.

Best wishes to all our readers Baruch - Matzuva, November 24, 2014

M A T Z U V A ’’S 7 4 t h Y E A R 104 YEARS OF THE KIBBUTZ MOVEMENT