#1, profile, Kibbutz Tzuba, Sobel

Sam Sobel                                                                                                 Kibbutz Tzuba profile

The breeze rustles the Middle Eastern flora, and the sun shines brightly down on a tan breadth of houses, contrasting against the greenery of the Judean hills they stand on. The smell of Schnitzel* and hummus fill the air, and Netta** plays in the distance. Kids walk by with Gleeda***, and cats and dogs roam the grass and walkways. It’s another beautiful day on Kibbutz Tzuba, my home for 4 months in Central Israel.

Kibbutz Tzuba (full name “Palmach Kibbutz Tzuba”) was originally “Tel Tzova”, an ancient Jewish settlement from the days of King David (1000 BCE). Some scholars believe that development in the area can be dated back even further to the time of Joshua Bin-Nun, around 1355-1245 B.C. A Crusader fortress called “Belmont” was built in the area in 1170 to guard the route to Jerusalem. Belmont was later conquered by Saladin in 1191, and in current times, “Belmont” is the name of the hotel’s lobby and lounge on the Kibbutz.

The nearby Arab village of Suba was the scene of plentiful fighting during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, because of its strategic location overlooking the road to Jerusalem. In 1947 and 1948, Palestinian forces stationed in Suba repeatedly attacked Jewish traffic on the main highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The village of Suba was taken over by the Palmach**** on the night of July 12–13 as part of Operation Danny. Most of the people who lived in Suba fled before the fighting and never returned. Most moved to the West Bank or Jordan, although some moved only 1 km away to the nearby village of Ein Rafa – where they and their descendants live to this day as Israeli citizens. On March 8 of this past year, I had the privilege of meeting these Arab-Israelis in their village of Ein Rafa/ Abu Ghosh. My friends and I listened to people of their village shared their experiences and beliefs, and although we disagreed with some of it, both sides remained respectful as we asked questions both ways and engaged in discussion. After the questions and answers, a family from the village treated us all to a wonderful Arabian lunch. When we returned back to the Kibbutz, we could still see the village down below.

In October of 1948, a group of Palmach veterans and Holocaust survivors established Kibbutz Misgav Palmach, later known as Kibbutz Tzuba. A Kibbutz is a socialist community that usually has one or two businesses in which everyone who lives on the Kibbutz works on, and the funds from that work is spread evenly among the community. As time has gone on, Kibbutzim have become more privatized and less socialist. While Kibbutz Tzuba is privatized, it is one of the few Kibbutzim in the country to still retain at least a partial Socialist aspect. Like many other Kibbutzim, Tzuba’s economy thrives from their farming. Unlike many other Kibbutzim however, they also thrive from their vineyard/ winery, their chocolate factory, their own amusement park called “Kiftzuba”, and last but definitely not least, their bulletproof glass factory. These five work options on the Kibbutz in addition to outside work opportunities provide for an economically thriving community.

Tzuba also makes money off their hotels, a section of which is dedicated to American students such as myself, to live and learn on the Kibbutz. We also have our own classrooms, social hall, and cafeteria section within the area, bringing in more money for Tzuba. The Kibbutz has its own mini-market beneath the dining hall, known as the “markolit”. They carry everything from shampoo to fresh avocados, from loaves of bread to nail polish. One would have to leave Tzuba only for a very specific thing, as most things can be found within the community. Even things that people aren’t looking for can be found on/in this historic area. In 1999, a man by the name of Reuven Kalifon found the cave of John the Baptist in the Kibbutz Tzuba orchards. I had the pleasure of having this very same man, Reuven, teach my class multiple times. He led us to the cave of John the Baptist, and told us all about the archaeological discovery that placed him on the cover of the New York Times.

A place of happiness and prosperity, a community of warmth and care, there is no place like Kibbutz Tzuba, a calm community amidst often turbulent surroundings.

* Israeli chicken tenders

** A famous Israeli pop singer who won the Eurovision contest this past spring

*** The hebrew word for Ice Cream

**** The elite Jewish fighting force during the British mandate of Israel. These warriors were commonly farmers as well.