Bayit Rishon Ba'Moledet programme for singles

Aliyah the Easy Way

The Telfed Aliyah projects Committee travelled to the Negev to investigate the Bayit Rishon Be'Moledet programme for singles. We highly recommend this programme. We requested from one of the South African Olim participants -  Mark Baskind from Cape Town, to write about his experiences on the Kibbutz.

Below is his letter:

I arrived on Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh (after months of planning and a brain-fizzlingly stressful 24 hours) just after midnight on a hot May evening, and was warmly welcomed and installed in a very tidy and well equipped little room. The next day I was led through the beautiful green trees and gardens (gardens in the middle of the desert?) and shown some of the facilities. With a dining room, clinic, laundry, swimming pool and well-stocked mini-market, the Kibbutz has most the facilities one could need. I had the day to relax and meet some of the others on the program, as well as get some of the bureaucracy sorted out.

The following day a bus whisked me the short 20 minutes to Be'er Sheva, where I opened bank accounts, got identity documents and explored the city, a multicultural melting pot!

The ulpan started a few days later, and with it the arduous process of learning a new language, probably the most important step for integration into Israeli society. The ulpan, on neighboring Kibbutz Revivim 10 minutes away, is very professionally run, and after 5 hours of intense Hebrew it's back home to do some homework and relax (in my air-conditioned room!)

The kibbutz also does it's best to find work for participants on the program, although of course it is seasonal and not guaranteed. But a few weeks in the hen-house left me with a new respect for my scrambled eggs!

After the first month, a tiyul in the Negev saw us hiking around Sde Boker, Ein Avdat and Maktesh Ramon in the scorching heat, but the beauty of the Negev is well worth the trip.

The staff on the program have worked (and continue to work) very hard to provide this alternative option: an absorption process away from the crowded cities, where olim can have a quiet, safe, green and relaxing experience, with plenty of time to study Hebrew as well as start planning their futures. Problems, when they arise, are dealt with quickly and efficiently. It's no Sun City, but it is a very comfortable (and well priced!) alternative to an absorption center. The only thing the program really lacks is more participants... so anyone making aliyah should seriously consider it as an amazing alternative.

Mark Baskind

zbaskind@gmail.com
www.telfed.org.il