We met our friends Moshe and Rachel at the Tzuba Kibbutz to see what life on a kibbutz is like. Rachel's cousin on the left (Ze'ev) and his wife (across the table) live on this kibbutz and showed us around. We met them for breakfast in the cafeteria. The food services have been privatized. They are given a meal allotment and they can prepare their own meals or eat at the cafeteria. Most people eat at their homes.
It was a nice big cafeteria.
There were buildings used for gatherings and parties.
They have a communal laundry where someone's job is to do the laundry for everyone else. They have cubicles where each family's laundry is placed when it is done.
Some of the kibbutz members do all the laundry
and others iron and mend the clothing.
They have large laundry shoots where the laundry is separated by colors.
Everything is commercial sized.
Some of the women are assigned to take care of the children.
They are divided by age.
The playground is well equipped though the day we were there was rainy and no one was outside.
A lot of the play equipment is made by the kibbutz members.
The original children homes have been converted for other uses. They used to have all the children sleep in the children homes at night. They changed to having the children stay with their parents in their own homes a number of years ago. The people that showed us around thought this was a good idea.
Some of the original homes are scheduled to be torn down and new homes built.
There is a hotel on the kibbutz as a source of income. Anyone can stay at the hotel for a fee.
Newer homes in the kibbutz
There are public areas where you can have parties or just drop by to visit and have a snack.
This was one of the restaurants for the members that overlooked the kibbutz and Ein Karem.
This is a mosaic with the logo of the kibbutz. It was made by its members.
Walking paths connect the different parts of the kibbutz.
Playgrounds are incorporated into the landscape.
There are orchards, gardens, and a crusader castle all on the kibbutz.
There is an amusement park. Members of the kibbutz can use it free of charge but others pay for its use.
There is an indoor playground that appealsl to all children.
Ze'ev took us on a hike . This olive tree is hundreds of years old. It is the oldest tree on the kibbutz.
The inside of the olive tree was hollow but there were new shoots keeping it healthy.
There were stones marking old Palestinian graves.
It looked like spring even though the calendar is February 18.
Kibbutz Tzuba over looks Ein Karem and Hadassah Hospital.
In Ze'ev's home of 35 years, as their family grew, bedrooms were added and the living area expanded.
This is the inside of their home, simple and comfortable.
The living room and kitchen were combined.
Visiting in the living area
Their home is on the second floor. There are young families on all sides which they say keeps them young.
