In 1939, the British government issued a policy, known as the White Paper, which allowed only 75,000 Jews to immigrate to Palestine for the next five years, after which Jews would only be allowed to immigrate if permission was given by the Arabs. In response to the persecution by the Nazis and the immigration limit imposed by the British, European Jews were forced to enter Palestine illegally. Even though the British blockaded the Palestine coast, tens of thousands of Jews were smuggled in.
At the Clandestine Museum, we saw an exhibit about the ships used to bring Jews into Palestine. Some of the boats used contained thousands of people, with the largest carrying over 7,600 people.
We saw a model of the Exodus, which held over 4,500 people. Of all the boats, only seven were sunk. However, many of the boats were stopped by the British, and the Jews onboard sent to prison camps, primarily in Cyprus.
Elsewhere in the museum, we saw sculptures made by the Jewish prisoners in the Cyprus prison camps.
Also in the Clandestine Museum was an exhibit about Israel’s navy. The exhibit told about how Israel converted old passenger ships and World War II ships purchased as salvage. They combined these ships with weapons acquired by purchasing scrap parts from naval ships of other countries into a navy which it used to defend itself from the surrounding countries after it declared its independence. They even sneaked 5 warships out of France when the French reneged on a deal to sell them.
Outside on the grounds of the museum, we walked through a submarine and a destroyer. The boats were very cool.
The Maritime Museum was less interesting. It was mainly a history of boating in the Mediterranean Sea. However, there was an exhibit about pirates downstairs, which was more interesting. According to the exhibit, the pirate Jean LaFite was Jewish as were a few other captains and a small percentage of crew members.
The Clandestine and Maritime Museums were, for the most part, fun to visit.
The exhibit on illegal immigration was interesting, the boats were cool, and the exhibit on pirates was okay. I liked going to the museums.
Other than food, laundry and electricity, everything remains largely communally funded. At the same time, the kibbutz is building beautiful new townhouses for its members with new families.
Originally, the kibbutz used children's homes. The children would live separate from their parents and barely see them. Instead, the children now live at home and go to school on the kibbutz.
Ein HaShofet operate two factories, one manufacturing screws and the other electronic appliances. It also has a large farm with dairy and meat cows, a large dairy producing cheese and ice cream, and a poultry farm. As we left, we watched the dairy cows being led into the barns for their afternoon milking.
New members can still join the kibbutz. Some start in the ulpan and wish to stay. Others wish to join the community. If you want to join the kibbutz, there is a vote by all its members to see if you will be invited to join.
קיבוץ קִבּוּץ kibbutz
A kibbutz is a form of communal living that combines socialism and Zionism. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities and have gradually embraced a more "scientific" socialist approach. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Less than five percent of Israelis live on kibbutzim. A member of a Kibbutz is called a Kibbutznik (Hebrew: קִבּוּצְנִיק).
(Wikipedia)
The ulpan is designed to teach adult immigrants to Israel the basic language skills of conversation, writing and comprehension. Most ulpanim also provide instruction in the fundamentals of Israeli culture, history, and geography. The primary purpose of the ulpan is to help new citizens to be integrated as quickly and as easily as possible into the social, cultural and economic life of their new country.
