Our room at Mashabee Sade
We have our crates and are ready to pick oranges
Everybody working hard!
Yes... I was hard at work, picking oranges!
Our group, after a productive afternoon in the orange grove!
Tu B'Shevat seder in Holon
January # 19
On Wednesday our day began with the sounds of roosters crowing and peacocks screeching on Kibbutz Mashabee Sadee. We enjoyed simple and charming accommodations and another amazing Israeli breakfast buffet. The sun was shining and it was another beautiful day in the desert. After boarding the bus we headed north for our next adventure. Along the way we saw beautiful scenery (yes, we even saw camels) and how the Bedouin live in proximity to the larger city of Be’er Sheva.
Our next stop was at an agricultural field near Rehevot where we participated in a leket- gleening, a program where volunteers pick fruit or vegetables which are donated to the needy (www.leket.org). This particular farm owned by a lawyer, from Ohio, who made Alyiah 30 years ago; volunteers harvest all that is grown for Tzedakah. Today’s assignment- oranges! We were led into an orange grove where the trees were heavy with ripe fruit. Eagerly we grabbed our baskets and dove in! Reaching, plucking, laughing, lugging… we worked hard for almost an hour and a half, after which we were told we had harvested, get ready: 2 TONS OF ORANGES (and there were only 17 of us working)!! These oranges will be distributed to 1,000 families within the next 48 hours. We were sweaty, dirty and very happy and were rewarded with the sweetest oranges ever! It was a wonderful feeling harvesting on Erev Tu B’ Shevat.
We headed off to Holon where the children (and teens) were waiting for us to celebrate Tu B’Shevat!! When we arrived for the Seder, the tables were beautifully set and we were welcomed with joy! The children hosted and led us in the Seder with prayers and song. Were were entertained with a play, more music and dancing… a fabulous evening!
All in all our day was Sababa- Awesome!
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