Jobs, Jobs, Jobs – Part Five

On A Kibbutz in Israel 1968
In the late 60’s, lots of young people from Canada and the United States went to Israel to volunteer on a Kibbutz. I was one of them.

The job assigned to me was digging gladiola bulbs out of the earth (which were later frozen and shipped out of the country). Our work day started at 5:00 am when we got onto a flat bed tractor that took us out into the fields. We worked until 7:00 am, at which time we’d go back for a hearty Israeli breakfast in the communal dining room.  (More about the breakfast in a minute.) After breakfast we’d head back into the fields and dig those gladiola bulbs until very early afternoon, at which time our work day ended. By then the temperature was about 35 degrees Celsius and the sun was way too hot to work under.

And speaking of the hot sun.......  poor me.

After only a week on the job I got very sick with heat exhaustion. I had to stay out of the sun completely. Thus began part two of ‘working on the kibbutz’.

I was offered a choice — I could work in the kitchen or in the laundry. Those who know me won’t be surprised that I didn’t choose the kitchen! So, the laundry it was. My job? – ironing men’s dress shirts!!! They taught me how. They taught me well. To this day, I am a very good ironer!

Oh, yes, I promised to tell you about the Israeli breakfast.

We farmers were hungry folk, and the Israelis know how to put together the world’s best breakfast. The following is a list of the food offered to us every morning:

• Orange juice
• Freshly baked bread and butter and jam
• Sweet rolls
• Eggs
• Cow and Goat Cheeses
• Olives
• Avocado
• Several varieties of fish
• All kinds of fresh vegetables
• Tahina (a thick dip made with sesame seeds)
• Lebaneh (a homemade yogurt cheese)
• Hummus (a dip made of pureed chick peas)
• Baba Ghanouj (a dip made of roasted and pureed eggplant)
• Israeli Salad (a mixture of feta cheese with cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and onions, with some parsley or coriander)
• Rugelach (small pastries made from cream cheese dough filled with jam, chocolate, honey, or nuts)
• And Turkish coffee

Absolutely wonderful.