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Monday morning the whole family gathered to have breakfast sitting out in the sukkah, which is traditional to eat in the sukkah. Carol made pancakes and David had made challah and fig jam. Everything was delicious, especially the pancakes with nutella!
After breakfast we went to pick almonds in one of the kibbutz groves. Although the kibbutz produces almonds as one of their businesses, kibbutz members are able to pick almonds once the main harvest has been done. Most of the family went to pick, which is not really an easy thing to do. Most of the trees had already been harvested, so it was a bit difficult to find almonds. Many of them were too high to reach, but with perseverance we eventually found a lot of almonds.
From the hillside above a residential area you get a beautiful view of the Jezreel Valley.
On our walk back home David was telling me about the issues for expanding the kibbutz. As I understand it, the state essentially zones areas for residential building. Currently, the kibbutz has used up all the space available for building new neighborhoods. There is an application process for getting approvals, but it is lengthy and tedious. There is about an 8-year waiting list of people wanting to reside in the kibbutz so new development would help. Children who were raised on the kibbutz have priority for residential units. None of the current apartment buildings are more than two stories. David favors the ability to build higher apartments since getting approval for land use is difficult. In the above photos, although there is vacant land visible, it is not approved for residential use. David is frustrated by the issue. He is a great supporter of the socialist collective model of this kibbutz and would like to see better land use. It is a very interesting place, for sure, but as everywhere, politics plays a role and there are diverse views on everything related to kibbutz life.
After almond picking, we all went to the pool for a few hours. Christine didn’t go because, as you’d expect, she caught my cold and needed a rest. So far, I don’t think Carol or David were infected, thank goodness. After the pool, we all came back to the apartment for a rest.
Dinner was another meal in the sukkah. Dana is an excellent cook and brought over several very good dishes. She has an Indian neighbor who has taught her several recipes, so we enjoyed a wonderful variety of food. David is also very involved in food preparation and always has made something yummy.
The Gilad family is a loving and warm family. They clearly enjoy one another. The young cousins have a great time playing with each other. David and Carol are wonderful grandparents and it is so beautiful watching them interact with the kids. The four Gilad children are each interesting and seem different in personality. It has been so nice being a part of this large, happy family.