Nora Roth
For me, Kibbutz Ketura was really a turning point of TRY. From the second we arrived, I could tell this would be nothing like what we have done previously in Jerusalem. The first few weeks of the program brought new ideas and opportunities regarding an Israeli lifestyle that we could have never imagined. It was focused on introduction and the slow normalization of what a day to day with school, meals and social life will look like. It was just as we got into this comfortable flow with schoolwork and who we were semi-permanently surrounded by that we were introduced to an entirely new environment and day-to-day life: a weekend at Kibbutz Ketura.
We were driving through a vast, vacant desert when Betsalel announced that we were 3 minutes away. The arrival was long anticipated after the 3 hour drive. I had never been to a kibbutz so I had no idea what to expect. But after a brief tour and game of jeopardy, I began to slowly understand some of the dynamics of living on the communal ground. There was an appropriate balance between learning and just having a good, relaxful weekend.
Ketura was a very important turning point for many, I think. We went into it being schoolmates and roommates. Sure, we had done a few icebreakers here and there, but the three weeks prior were structured and didn’t leave loads or time for individual connections. But Ketura changed all of that. It was our own mini vacation. The weather and the location were beautiful and the day’s activities were glamorous little snippets of life on a kibbutz. We were allowed loads of freetime, which often resulted in hours of communal giggling and stories being told in our group’s courtyard area.
The sun shined bright and Theo played lighthearted music endlessly. There was nail painting, reading, calisthenics, card games, workout sessions, frisbee and so much more. The lack of classes made it really feel as though we were just one big friend group on vacation. No one was alone and everybody was welcome to join everything. It introduced new hope that this joy and friendship and sunny skies would be how the rest of TRY would be.
Personally, the Kibbutz really just flipped a switch inside of me. I had been talking to everyone before the trip to the best of my abilities, but Ketura allowed for so much more casual mingling that brought me even closer to people I consider to be my best friends. From the scheduled bike rides to the pit stop at a different kibbutz for ice cream, it was truly a weekend to remember.
