Sunday, January 9, 2011

Kibbutz Lotan

Three or four years ago, Josh came home from religious school at Mt. Zion Temple, in St. Paul, and informed me that during our “year in the world” we needed to spend part of it at Kibbutz Lotan.  I had no clue what he was talking about and when I asked him to please say more, he told me to “Google it, it is spelled L-O-T-A-N, Kibbutz Lotan.”  Josh did explain that someone from Kibbutz Lotan had visited his religious school class, and he thought it looked like a really interesting place.

Not that I always do as instructed, but I was intrigued and did “Google” the Kibbutz.  What I found fascinated me.  Kibbutz Lotan was founded in 1983, by a group of Americans and Israelis, most of whom were graduates of the Reform (Liberal Jewish) youth movements as part of the larger Kibbutzim movement in Israel.    What most intrigued me about the 21st Century Kibbutz Lotan was the integration of Reform Judaism, Environmental Awareness and active engagement in issues of Social Justice.  Sounded like our kind of place.

We arrived here after a hectic morning getting to the Tel Aviv Central bus station, a quick orientation from a Go Eco staff member (Go Eco is an organization based in Israel that administers Ecological and Humanitarian based volunteer opportunities around the world), followed by a four-hour bus ride through the Arava Desert.  (Which is a huge desert, which at moments looks like Arizona, until you see a camel or an ostrich.)  We were picked up at the bus stop by Leah Zigmond (the Eco Center Academic and Educational Director, and a master gardener), taken to the Kibbutz, given delicious date goat yogurt drinks, and shown to our guest cottage.  The sun was beginning to fade and all I could hear was the sound of children, birds and a few dogs.  Almost immediately I felt like scales were dropping off my body and I was able to drink in the environment through my entire sensory system.  I knew then and there, spending time here was a good choice.

We slept “late” the next morning, arriving at breakfast after 8:00 AM.  At 9:30 we met for a tour of the Kibbutz with an emphasis on the environmental programs.  Our tour guide was Alex Cicelsky, a passionate founding member of the Kibbutz and a current researcher, designer and builder.  While the Kibbutz was founded in 1983 it was in the mid 90’s that members started to think more about re-cycling and environmental sustainability.  The innovative programs they have developed since that time is nothing short of remarkable.  (Take a moment to visit their website for a more complete description of their programs, and a cool YouTube video that gives a great overview: www.kibbutzlotan.com)
Scrap art.

Kibbutz Lotan consists of 50 adults and 60 children living on 143 acres in the fragile desert ecosystem in the far south of Israel, 30 miles north of Eilat and less than 200 feet from the Jordanian border.  There are also about 30 non-member residents, and many visitors, including college students participating in the fall semester-long “Peace, Justice and the Environment” course, less traditional students attending the seven-week long “Green Apprenticeship,” and avid “birders” watching some of the millions of birds that pause in this beautiful little green patch during spring and fall migrations.  In addition there are volunteers who spend anywhere from a few days to a few months at the Kibbutz.  We are in this later category, here for a week and known around the Kibbutz as the “Go Eco family.” There are also two college students both named Nicholas (one from University of Minnesota, Duluth, and the other from San Paolo, Brazil) that are here at this time as Go Eco volunteers.

On Tuesday afternoon we worked with Shahaf, a remarkably poised 18 year-old, doing a year of service between high school and her military service.  Shahaf, coached us in mud construction (actually mud + sand + straw) as we worked on building a mini-golf course in the Center for Creative Ecology.

Bob and Josh working on the mini-golf course.


Wednesday morning we began our workday at 6:30 AM, had it been summertime the work shift begins at 5:00AM.  We met first with Mike Kaplin, co-creator, director, and head permaculture teacher, of the Center for Creative Ecology, and as a group did some yoga-like stretching.  It was in the low 40’s and very chilly to be working with mud and water, so we spent a few hours pulling an invasive vine called “livia” that was creeping into other gardens and hoarding the water from the other plants and trees. We worked for about two hours pulling the livia, and then took a break for breakfast.  Much to Josh’s dismay, fresh greens, and all sorts of salad fixings, are a standard part of an Israeli breakfast.  After breakfast we went back to work on mud-sculpting the mini-golf course.  We worked until about 1:00 then stopped for lunch, which is the main meal of the day on the Kibbutz.  After lunch I sat in on a two-hour class with the Green Apprentices (Green Apprenticeship in Permaculture and Ecovillage Design) that covered the theory and techniques of mud construction from around the world.

On Wednesday evening they do not serve dinner in the Dining Room, so we were invited to join the Green Apprentices (called GA’s) for a potluck dinner at the eco-neighborhood, or as it is known here – Bustan, which means orchard in Hebrew.  The GA’s live in geodesic domes that have been constructed using the metal pole frames, straw bales and mud plastering techniques that the GA’s are studying.  In fact, the “dome-itories” were designed and built by previous generations of Green Apprentices.  Like everything at Lotan the construction was based on the principles of Permaculture , which is really a contraction of the concepts of “permanent agriculture” and  “sustainable culture.”  Mike Kaplan, describes Permaculture as “a culture, philosophy and design method that teaches us to look at the whole system or problem, to observe how the parts relate, and to mend what needs fixing by applying time-tested sustainable practices.”  We sat around an open fire in an oversize geodesic dome skeleton, and enjoyed homemade food and lively conversation.  This particular group of GA’s had only been together for a week and a half.  They had come from different parts of Israel, Europe and the U.S.  It was a clearly a group that had bonded together and had a comfort with each other.  We headed back to our guest cottage fairly early, since our workday would start at 6:30 AM the next morning.



One of dome-itories in Bustan

Thursday we spent our entire shift working in the organic garden.  We raked up that last of the straw from where bales had been removed, deposited it in the compost, other compost bins were turned over with pitchforks, and lots of time was spent weeding.  Now I don’t really care for weeding back home in mosquito plagued Minnesota.  But sitting in the sunshine, pulling renegade grass from rows of heavenly fragrant basil, was more therapy than work.  I discovered an unknown passion for pruning as I removed all the old growth from feathering fennel plants.  But perhaps my favorite moment was when Josh asked me if we would be home from China in time to get our garden planted.  I told him we would not be home in time, but perhaps Dad and a few of our friends could get it started for us.

Me, pulling weeds.
Friday we did not work.  Josh went for a very long hike with the two Nicholas’, and I spent as much of the day as possible, relishing the quiet.  There is fabulous and funky somewhat steampunk sculpture all about the kibbutz.  A thrifty yet creative and whimsical spirit permeates the place.  Friday night there was a community Shabbat service, followed by a sit-down dinner.  Saturday was another quiet and restorative day, and I began to steel myself for another day of travels and transitions.  Saturday evening we visited two of the Kibbutz members’ homes.  We joined Eliza’s family for dinner, and Alex’s family for tea afterwards.  I love hearing the stories of the various pathways that had brought different individuals to this community.  And I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this community for this past week.  Like so many experiences this one will take time to process.  However, this much I know.  I came here with my nerves on edge, and feeling depleted.  This week has been nourishing on many levels.  I feel restored.
Amazing sunset on Friday night.

Tomorrow we travel back to Tel Aviv and Bob heads back to the U.S.  I am so glad he was able to join us for these weeks and share in this experience.   Josh and I will travel to Tiberius for four days, then back to Jerusalem for about 36 hours, and then home for three weeks.  Home. One week from tomorrow.

4 comments:

  1. Ooh, aah. I'm glad that you found your time at K. Lotan to be a respite...literally a desert oasis of refreshment in your travels. (You finally had a chance to be "useful," Michele, maybe that's what did it.)

    BTW, James says that someone from Living Routes, a study-abroad consortium of eco-villages including K.Lotan, was at GAC last Nov. to inform/recruit students for K. Lotan plus a program in Scotland. These were the only two "GAC approved" study-abroad Living Routes programs. But hey, you had Josh!

    Perhaps you could offer to share your thoughts and photos from your experiences at this kibbutz with Environmental Studies students at GAC. It is clearly a place that would add rich educational dimensions for E.S. majors.

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  2. Michele, I'm so glad that you, Josh and Bob included a 'work-study' stay on Lotan as part of your itinerary. Thanks for allowing us the opportunity to get to know you all. I hope that our paths will meet again. B'shalom, Alex www.kibbutzlotan.com

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  3. Thanks for the lovely post! Sounds like my kind of a place.

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  4. Michelle--thanks for sharing this with the world! We loved having you and hope you come back to visit. Maybe Josh will do the GA...

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