Matzuva 75 Years On…Birthday celebrations, New Year for Trees, Purim Fancy Dress Parties, Elections etc. ------

Apologies for Update Delay! Due to a problem posting material during March-April the monthly plus/minus update failed to appear. In consequence I'll try to update info on the community. Nostalgia, cultural activities, field trips, Purim and Iran and all that. I look out of the window towards the west and the sea beyond the green fields and the covered banana plantations. In the Matzuva Archives were I work on a part-time basis with a wealth of material on the on various media tracing the last 75 years. These include written material, photos and slides, all the editions of the Matzuva Newsletter in Hebrew that rightly serve as the recorded backbone of this egalitarian agricultural community in the Western from day one. We have records of the two original nucleus groups of young pioneers who trained at Kibbutz Degania and in the rural town of Hadera before joining together at Lower in 1938. Besides that we have photos of the negotiations held between Arab landowners from Lebanon and Jewish Agency leaders sealing the purchase of the rocky hill (Matzuva) to the south of the northern road in British . Photos of the day Matzuva was established, the first children born at Matzuva, the evacuation of Matzuva children by boat to Haifa suburbs during the six months siege when Matzuva was cut off during the Israel War of Independence in 1948 are all preserved at the archives. There are also details of students who attended one of the 52 Ulpan Courses 1967-1992 (also on this website) and some partial data on young volunteer guests through to 1996. Records of Matzuva members past and present are also preserved at the archives. During the last few years the emphasize is on backing up as much as possible of the last 75 years on a new advanced computer program and updating and transferring various outdated media to CD's, DVD's, etc. We have also during the last year passed on data to the Yad Veshem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem including written and recorded evidence of our members who survived the Shoah (Holocaust) in Europe. We have received old media testimonies back from the museum converted into present-day media. We are now in the process of upgrading the present computerized archive program with a superior and new program

Israeli Parliament (Knesset) Elections: Sharon our webmaster and I decided a long time ago that the Matzuva website should remain always apolitical (unbiased position with regard to political matters). However, the Knesset elections of March 16th 2015 were of particular interest with our kibbutz being affiliated to the and strongly in favor of the peace camp (a negotiated peace) and it's socialist leaning as an egalitarian agricultural working community. I received the Matzuva results by e-mail. These indicated a break from the traditionally overwhelming majority for the socialist left parties. Well apart from the small number of deviators (bless 'em) the majority support the parties of the left who yearn for peace in the volatile Middle East and especially with our neighbors over the border. As our friends from afar will know during the last decade we have absorbed new residents in our two residential neighborhoods to the south of the approach road into the kibbutz. I have been interested for a number of years on how their integration into a rural society will work out. To be honest I have been pleasantly surprised to note that many of these young families are active socially and educationally within our joint community. Their political persuasions are unknown but I perused over the Matzuva elections results and was intrigued by the swing towards the right wing among our voters. The Matzuva results: "Zionist Union" (Labor) 253 votes, "Likud" (Netanyahu's party) 81, "There is a Future" 98, "Altogether" 39, "Meretz" far-left 39, "Jewish Home" (religious) 26, "Israel Home" (extreme right) 9, "Shas" (Sephardi orthodox) 3, "We're all Friends" 1, "Aleh Yarok" (Green Leaf!!!) 9, Disqualified 2 – In total 560 votes out of 777 eligible voters (292 both labor parties votes). Well we live in a democratic country in a democratic community and everyone has the right to decide who they wish to elect into office. We "Oldies" may think to ourselves…How will it turn out for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the future?? It's a long and winding road but here's hoping!!! From the Matzuva Archives

February 1940: Day 1 Setting up the kibbutz – Early "Housing": outside the defense wall carob trees at the top of the hill and plenty of surrounding the kibbutz at the top of the hill boulders, gorse and thistles all the way up

75th Birthday Celebrations

A few days after the events the 75th Birthday Celebrations lead team of 10 members and residents summed up the events. On Friday and Saturday morning the moadon (club house) housed an exhibition of various items, pictures, handicrafts, paintings etc. from the early days of Matzuva (on loan from the Matzuva archives). The main event took place in the theater next to the swimming pool with each section of the population presented with colored flags according to their grouping – founder members (white flags), second and third generation born at Matzuva (pink), absorption members (orange), Army nucleus groups and Youth groups (bright green), Ulpan students (grey), Volunteers (lawn green), residents and tenants hiring apartments (yellow). The program included early movies of the fledgling kibbutz, the first well and the swimming pool. The mayor of the Mateh Asher Regional Council congratulated Matzuva as being one of the three kibbutzim (Hanita, and Matzuva) who secured the Western Galilee right up to the international border as part of the State of Israel. Each section of the community contributed to the success of the evening with the remaining original pioneers being introduced, a choir of ladies who led the song mentioning "the wind blowing at Matzuva" coming to the Galilee, a "skit" (comedy act) of two veterans reminiscing about the good old days and the public showers of old. The second and third generation of kibbutz kids presented a unique dance routine with cardboard cartons with the names of all the age groups over these 75 years at Matzuva. The final act was the participation of groups in the audience who proudly waved their particular colored flags when introduced.

Birthday Greetings and Mazal Tov to Matzuva

A Greeting Card from graphic artist Matzuva member Avner Galilee, a second generation son of veteran members of Matzuva Shosh and Dov Galilee. Avner works at a publishing company in Tel Aviv. Both the "Jail House Rock Pub" logo and the "Ulpan Matzuva" logo are fruits of his talented labors.

Finally and as is the norm all Matzuva participants went over to the "Community House" opposite the theater entrance in order to enjoy an abundance of home-made cakes and refreshments which were very high on calories but enjoyed by all. All in all, a very worthy and enjoyable evening saluting the small band of young people who established Matzuva in 1940 The Local Committee- This committee is responsible for the running of the entire community. Their discussions are now dealing with the educational activities held during 2014 and preparing the budget for 2015. They will hold discussions with the various sub-committees and hear their reports and requests for the year. Meanwhile, upgrading and renovation work of the playgrounds meeting required standards is underway. The tennis court has been also renovated and the tennis class will have to meanwhile use the adjacent basketball court.

A Moadon (Clubhouse) agreement has been reached with the Kibbutz Committee regarding the usage of the moadon and will be managed by the municipal committee. Private functions will take place throughout the week but will be regulated not to disturb the peace of resident living in the vicinity.

More Agricultural Woes – 2015 brought with it a drastic change in the weather and this manifested itself in violent storms and welcome rain that on certain days we witnessed downpours that included sleet and hail The weather has been absolutely crazy during March and April…you name it we've had it – rainstorms, temperatures from 0o-30 o. We had sleet, a little snow, strong winds bringing rain and sand from desert regions. Some trees and branches also fell during this period. The rainfall this season so far is in excess of 800 mm. The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) is on a high and augurs well for the arid summer months. The financial and physical damage to fruit yields and the groves and fields for the entire season is as yet unknown. I'll speak to Johnny Adjemi, the manager of Matzuva Agriculture, as soon as possible and provide information in the next update.

Children's Day at Matzuva – It will take place during the next month but unfortunately the traditional pantomime production will be missing this year. However, the stress will be as always on the lunar park and the special meal for all the Matzuva kids.

The 50+ Cultural and Social Committee – This committee was formed in order to address the cultural and social needs of this age group that is no longer young and does not exactly fit in to the senior member's activities that are usually of a static nature. Unfortunately, as mentioned the senior group is dwindling in numbers and the over fifties need an outlet suited to their age group that now also caters for the under 80's. Meanwhile the Pesach (Passover) Evening was held at the "moadon" with a full house of 50+'s for a great evening organized by Tzipi Kadoshi (ex-Ulpan student and later a qualified teacher). Besides the matza (unleavened bread) participants enjoyed a cultural evening including a choir performance, an enjoyable video, readings, soup with Matza balls, wine all taking place in a fantastic atmosphere

Apparently, there is a preference to participate in activities organized by 50+ and this may have to some extent ramifications on the general community cultural activities. Obviously not every activity is suitable for all age groups together (Dr. Sharon Bial, sociologist). A feedback questionnaire is being prepared. All credit to the team of volunteers!

Matzuva Swimming Pool – The kibbutz committee recognizes and is determined to see the necessary alterations and upgrading of the swimming pool built by founder member the late Eliyahu Koren in the early 1950's. As mentioned previously the pool no longer has the license to open the pool due to the need to upgrade the toddler's pool, showers and changing rooms. The committee is making a donation of 150,000 Shekels towards this project. Meanwhile, a group of members has appealed to residents to make a donation to meet the total needed to upgrade the pool's facilities and receive the OK to open the pool in the near future. The response has been good and these residents will have use of the pool at a preferred rate. Others wishing to purchase a season ticket who have not donated will pay the regular rate. Individuals wishing to visit the pool occasionally will pay an extra surcharge for each entrance. As I work in the archives next door I am a witness to contractors working full throttle to see the pool renovated before the opening in the early summer. The committee also reviewed the Beitan Hakvutza (the Collective Group House) opposite the theater building next to the swimming pool. At the moment the building houses a committee room, archives, the Matzuva museum and a Remembrance Room. The building is in a bad state and its renovation will cost a considerable amount of money. For the archives there is not enough space to contain the ever growing amount of important material covering the 75 years of Kibbutz Matzuva. The house is not central and the elements within would serve the community better in an improved location. The committee met with Edna Nathans and Baruch Kadmon representing the remembrance and archives. It was decided to move the remembrance room to the stone building (opposite the site of the once laundry building) and the archives and the museum will move to a spacious lower level below the one- time clubhouse (now a teenagers clubhouse) that is also central. The Collective Group House will be demolished and will be sold as a plot for a kibbutz family thus financing the move of the other elements to their new locations within the next 2 years.

Interesting Article – Hava Doron (now in her 90's) wrote in the kibbutz newsletter of the early days at Matzuva. The rocky hill in 1940 was nicknamed " the furuncle" without water that was transported to the hill from a local British army camp. The intention of settling Matzuva was to strengthen the existing kibbutzim of Hanita to the north and Eilon further to the east on the northern border road. The real-estate on the hill was a communal dining room with tables and benches (with a knife shared by every six diners) and metal plates and each day we were given a half a hard boiled egg or a measured amount of cottage cheese with bread morning and evening. At the top of the hill there was also a watch tower and a number of tents and plenty of rocks. Hava along with other Czech teenagers formed a nucleus group at Kibbutz Degania and after a further training period at Kfar Hachoresh lasting a year they arrived at Matzuva in 1942. Emissaries from Matzuva visited the group during this period and we wanted to settle as a new group in Matzuva. The situation was bad and already some of our group had had enough and left. We had an option in the Jezreel Valley but it didn't materialize. The situation at Matzuva was not easy and there wasn't enough cash. Shlomo Doron, my late husband and I were a new couple in love and we were delegated to a tent with a 'third lodger' as was the case with other young couples. Beside each bed there was an orange box that served as a closet. Our lighting consisted of a paraffin lantern on a small table with an earthenware pot. The 'toilets' were quite a distance away and in point of fact it was just a hole in the ground. There were also a corrugated shower room divided into two (male/female) but quite often there was no water that was announced as "only for washing one's face and hands" or "only a kettle full. With the lack of flowing water one member came up with the idea of growing mushrooms without water and soil. The arrival of the Czechs was a fillip for the fledging community and we brought with us considerable know-how. The champignons at Matzuva were the first to be grown successfully in Mandatory Palestine. They were grown in caves found on the hill. Later we built mushroom houses and marketed the produce as "Matzuva Champignons". In the following years Shaul Gutvilik established an electrical network and this enabled us to found "Arigei Matzuva (Matzuva Weaving)" with the once famous "Matzuva Diapers" (in Queen's English) "nappies". Wool from our sheep were the basic material for their production and also for carpeting and cushion covers. The late Naftali Vidra planted the first bananas in the Western Galilee and the first artesian well supplied water. Other founders were active as leaders of the regional council, spent time abroad as emissaries for the State of Israel as well as serving as local and regional school principals at the regional schools at . Our now deceased member Eliyahu Koren was a champion and coach of the Israeli pistol team.

Today, we salute the original pioneer members who turned this barren and rock strewn hill into the vibrant community at Matzuva today

This last week we have seen and participated in remembrance ceremonies for the 23,320 casualties of war and terrorism who have fallen since 1860; 116 newly fallen since last year with 35 wounded IDF veterans who have died due to their disabilities. The following day we celebrated Israel's 67th Birthday with approximately 1,000+ participants at a great celebration on the soccer pitch – fantastic evening

New Project at Matzuva – We still 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 "" 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 . 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 mid 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, April 26, 2015

M A T Z U V A ’’S 7 5 t h Y E A R 106 YEARS OF THE KIBBUTZ MOVEMENT