exodus + first beginings en c01

E X O D U S And

Early beginnings

From Bonn – Germany To

Magdiel – Palestine (Israel) Of

Hilde & Kurt Schatz 1932

Early Beginnings 2 / 22

From Bonn (Germany) to Magdiel (Palestine/Israel) by Hilde Schatz

Foreword by Gadiel Schatz - 2012.

My mother, Hilde Schatz1, née Sander was a gymnastics teacher. She worked in Bonn, where she met my father Kurt (Shlomo) Schatz2 and later married (December 23, 1930). They emigrated to Palestine in April 1932.

This document consists of 4 parts:

1. Exodus - the emigration from Bonn.

2. A letter dated 10 August 19393.

3. A letter to her children - Gadiel4 and Yehudah5,

written about 1945.

4. First Beginnings - the first period and the construction of the “Meshek”6 in Magdiel.

The original language of the documents is German. The translation into English was made by me in 2012. The documents appear here with little changes. Omissions were made mainly to avoid duplications. The order of some parts was changed. Footnotes were added by me. The accompanying pictures are all originals taken on site and added by me.

1 Born 14 August 1899, Suhl (Thuringia, Germany). Died 11 February 1998, Hod-Hasharon, Israel. 2 Born 7 August 1902, Bonn (on the Rhine, Germany. Died December 8, 1974, Hod-Hasharon, Israel. 3 to unreported receivers, probably her children. 4 Born November 19

th, 1933.

5 Born February 12th

, 1935. 6 Hebrew: Farm



1. Exodus. From Bonn to Magdiel - Palestine - 1932.

Rarely, the sound of a passing car disturbed the tranquility of the shady residential street in the University City of Bonn7. The houses resembled each other: three stories tall, with pointed roofs, in the taste of the 90th8, with stucco decorations. They had small gardens at the front, facing the street, and ca. 2,000 sq. Mt. large fruit and ornamental gardens at the rear of the house, separated by stone hedges. No. 24 had a heavy oak door, was spacious, with long hallways. The rooms and the staircase were very high and large, with carpeted floors. It was built at a time when no one asked who will maintain and clean everything? The serving spirit who opened the door when the doorbell rang, or had to serve the meals, had to climb five steps and run along a long corridor. The furniture, the carpets were big and heavy and crockery and silverware in various forms and designs were used. Everything was planned and furnished with a long and stable usage in mind.

The buildings remain, the times are changing. It was the First World War and there was not much to put on the beautiful porcelain plates. During the Inflation, the lady of the house took students as tenants, part of whom paid in foreign currency, to be able to keep everything running and to fill a bit the lean becoming budget. Then the Nazi party started to gain power. There was no joy in working anymore. The competition and even the customers were spiteful, which put bitterness into life. The propaganda against the Jews and the growth of the party in the elections, were deeply disturbing. The eldest son9 decided to emigrate with his young wife10. They were married for one year. They wanted to raise their children in a country, where they could feel themselves free. It was done carefully. No one said it can or must be Palestine. One wrote to the brother of the wife in South Africa11 and to relations in America, but mainly to not have left anything untried.

The information was actually not so deterring, and yet it became gradually and with doubt: one would move to Palestine. Even the Zionist friends were surprised. Many whom we

7 The house of the Schatz family was in 24, Humboldt Str. 8 of the19th century. 9 Kurt Schatz, Hilde's husband. See also remark 2. 10 Hilde Schatz. 11 Lothar Sander



saw again a few years later found the plan bold and unexpected. For the Christian friends it was fabulously to live “in the country of Jesus” and to see the Cedars of Lebanon. The young wife, who was somewhat apprehensive at the unknown, was none the less a little proud to set out into the world. They had set a date for leaving and there was much to do until then. There were all the formal visits to various offices; one should receive some money out of the business; the farewell trips to those whom one had to say goodbye to. Then the man gets sick with Pleurisy. Will he recover before the fixed travel day? We have to postpone and wait until the end of March.

At last12 we are at the station. Mother and our next friends are present. Dr. Levy has put in a box series of coins from all countries we are going to pass through. Stay well! Will we see you again?

Traveling southward on a clear cold day. Take up again into yourself, eye, the meadows and lakes, the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland, the valleys and chalets. Long will stay the longing for the green mountains, the tree shadows, the moss, the scent of meadows, the primroses and forget-me-nots. This is how the Lakes of Northern Italy look like? So far have we already pushed into the plane? Yes, pine trees are beautiful. Also the bald mountains near Genoa are great, with their strict border lines poking into the sky, and the cloud shadows.

In the afternoon we stroll, with a little uneasy heart, around the port and look for the point where our ship will harbor tomorrow, in order not to get lost and to have some prior tasting. The halls, by which one has to go to the passport and customs control, are desolate. But on the next morning, as we want to climb the ship, a party of dark people arrives together

12 April 1932.



with us. Arabs, with children, crates, beds, suitcases and shouts. These are our fellow travelers? Will one have some peace of mind on the deck and will the meals pass in a more or less mannerly way? It is not so bad. The few passengers of the tourist class got spacious cabins on the big and not heavily occupied ship. Only one “real” immigrant is with us on the ship. A solemn, well belied, already gray haired, gentleman from Warsaw. His nephew accompanies him only for a visit. We have also an Arab, which we call Ali. Beth-Lehem is his home. He does not travel well, and because we do not understand each other he just throws up meaningful glances with his melancholy black eyes. Fortunately his appetite is not suffering. When he meets the Italian speaking Stuart he always points at his round tummy and says: “empty”. The two Christian boys from Wilhelma13, dressed like pre-confirmation youths, return from a year of training in Germany. They use their Arabic language skills in order to converse with the dealers, who swarm the ship in Alexandria14.

13 A colony of German Templars, near Lod and Ramle

.

14 These dealers recognized each traveler by his nation and approached him in his language.



2. Beginning of the letter dated 10 August 1939.

My dears!

When Kurt and I now recall the beginnings of our farm, how awkward, how seriously we have undertaken many things, which now seem funny to us, that we regret not having kept a diary. Kurt asked me to do it, but that would mean being a kind of writer, which does not suit me. But I can tell you a bit in a letter and I think it will be interesting for you.



3. Beginning of the letter to Hilde's children (approximately 1945).

When your sight, my dear sons, awoke from the vagueness of infancy, you discovered in your next vicinity, different living creatures, to which your parents devoted much work and care. It was therefore something self-comprehensible for you that in the courtyard the large cows went around, mooed, sipped water, that green fodder was given them and that they were milked; that there were a lot of white hens that ate from low cribs, ran pell-mell, cackled and laid eggs in nests. You did not know anything else, you grew up in a “Meshek”6. Your parents were born in towns, not in major cities. The town where your mother was born had a population of only 17,000 people and no animals were kept at their homes. Your father had been as a young man for half a year on “Hachshara”15, knew how to harness a horse and how to plow and got a small concept of farm work. To me it was completely foreign. My vocations as teacher and gymnastics teacher - were non relevant. We did not feel ourselves young enough and did not have the patience to make a long pre-schooling and thus postpone the start of building our "Meshek"6, on which we had decided, for a long period after our "aliyah"16. After we had been for 3 months in Nahalal17, and got a little of the bitter sweet taste of working the land in Palestine, we decided to stay by our decision and your father went searching for land purchase.

"Pardessanut"18 was still considered lucrative. You could live on a "Pardess"19 of 20 "dunam"20. But our means did not allow us to acquire as much ready "Pardess' 19. We wanted to have a mixed agriculture, with “Pardess”19 as a sub-branch. The “Sochnut”21 at that time highly recommended a mixed agriculture as crisis-proof. It seemed plausible to us that it should be good to have something of everything: cows,

15 Hebrew: training. Kurt’s agricultural training was on a farm in Austria. 16 Hebrew: literally = go up. Here immigration to Palestine / Israel is meant. 17 A “Moshav” (cooperative village) in the Valley of Yizrael. 18 Hebrew: Citrus farming. 19

Hebrew: citrus plantation. “Pardessim” is the plural Form. 20 1 dunam = 1000 square meters, 4 dunams = 1 acre 21 The Jewish Agency - an economic tool of the Zionist Movement.



poultry, vegetables, "Pardess"19. In this way we would have also our own supply with everything.

We were completely foreign. Not only did we not know the people here personally, but their questions, their way of giving advice, their living habits and attitudes, their festivities, everything was strange and impenetrable to us. We were shy towards them. They had been in the country for a long time (6 years seemed to us then a huge period of time). They had already built farms and planted “Pardessim”19, while for us everything was still in the fogy future. Fortunately, your father had at least some idea of what he wanted. But I, I had no idea what would be most desirable to start with. We rented a room with the Winklers. It had poison-green oil painted walls, in many places damaged and crumbled off, and torn curtains. It was equipped with 2 iron bedsteads, a garden table at which we ate and a smaller one, on which stood a “Primus”22 and a wick cooker. I believe there were 2 additional chairs. When visitors came, someone had to sit on the bed. But despite these benefits it was not cheap.

22 A Kerosene stove.



4. The land purchase.

Usually Kurt went alone for search of land. At last, after a 3 months long search, 2 plots remained for a narrower choice. We went together, so I could make the final selection. One was in Kfar Saba23, on the main street, not far from the center. The other was in Magdiel24. The former one had no views, so to speak. The one in Magdiel24 had an easy slope rising from the street, and had already midway a view to a kind of far meadow, on which a herd of Arabic cows were grazing on that day. Farther on there was a eucalyptus wood, an almost lovely landscape, In spite of the scantiness. My eyesight was still suffering from the unfamiliar bright sun and the still wake yearning for the calming meadows and forests. The ground was uncultivated, full of thistles and “Chilfe”25 scrub. A “Wadi”26 was running through the middle of the plot, where a pretty thistles shrub was growing, the only vegetation that resembled a tree. I chose this place and your father agreed. He was looking for a plot which was surrounded by Jewish settlements and had an easy access to the city. We purchased 9 Dunam20.

With the purchase of our land we had put our mind to the acquisition of the adjacent plot of “Cohen Godel”. We were generally assured that he was in debt and had to sell. We have acquired it finally, but only in 1946. He was a medium-sized, lean man with a nice cut face, dark beard, brown, scornfully looking eyes and a slow, cold speech. All negotiations that we conducted with him were in vain. When he had set a specific price, it seemed to him the next day too low. He explained that he must ask for so and so much more. This repeated itself several times until Kurt regarded it not worthwhile anymore. ‘Recollects the “Chochem”27, recollects the “Narr”27 was a proverb that I had come to learn at that time. We would have to take a loan and burden ourselves with interest payments. The narrow width of our plot forced us however, to nest the farm buildings which were gradually built, within each other.

23 Kfar Saba is approximately 3 km. north of Magdiel. 24 Since the 1960th Magdiel is part of the town of Hod Hasharon. 25

A kind of weed with sharp leaves and deep roots. 26 Arabic, used also in Hebrew: small valley. 27 Yiddish: the wise man. The word comes from the Hebrew. “Narr” is the foolish man.



5. The water installation.

The most urgent matter was now laying water pipes. While I was still in Tel Aviv28, Kurt went out for the day, to dig the trench for the pipes. He worked with a “Turiah”29 and put the first blow. He started down at the street and worked his way up, with even strokes, along a straight line, without a tight cord. The sun burned. The Ruthenberg30 “Pardess”19 next to us was still young. So he ascended slowly, up to the point where later the House should be built, about at the middle of the length of the plot, a little higher than the small “wadi”26. From there, he took help from Ruthenberg30, so that the work could be finished faster and we could begin building the House. It would have been much easier to lay the pipes on the ground, as it was done in all the “Pardessim”19. But in order to have cool water in the house, he dug the pipe trench half a meter deep in the soil. Portnoi lived at that time in Magdiel and he made the installation of welded 3” “Mannesmann” pipes. The friendly man, with his snub nose, came lolloping along with his flat donkey cart and his welding device.

When the water pipe was laid, it was October (1932). In no other year since then did such hot, dry eastern winds blow, as they did then. They caused Kurt’s lips to become dry and cracked up. This weather did not make any harm to me. I felt, in my grey winter coat, quite comfortably. For the ‘old’ settlers of Magdiel it seems to have been quite cold. The old Mr. Daum, taking the opportunity to have a little chat with a new settler, asked me in a friendly fashion and half admiringly: ‘It seems the cold does not bother you at all’. The oldest settlers of Magdiel were there for 6 Years. What a long, long time! Will we ever be such old settlers?

28

After we left Nahalal we lived a short time in Tel Aviv. 29 A kind of broad hoe which we did not know from Germany. 30 Our neighbor.



6. The construction of the House.

Before the water line was complete, the site for the house was leveled. The “Wadi”26 was too deep. The scraper, pulled by 2 horses, was operated by Katrielsohn and Kurt worked with him. As soon as there was water the construction began. At the same time we planted some vegetable beds in the area behind the House. They did not yet have a protecting fence and we had to watch out carefully that the donkeys and camels of the Arabs, who supplied the “Sifsif”31, did not run into them. They never the less succeeded sometimes to do it and trample the vegetables. For the design of the House, the Kaufmans in Tel Aviv recommended us their friend, the architect Sharon. He had built a series of “Batim Meshutafim”32 in Tel-Aviv. We ourselves had also designed plans and smeared a lot of paper. But we liked better Sharon’s proposal. He was a nice young man, tall and blond. The interesting part in him was his wife, an actress at the ‘Ha-bima’ Theatre. Later (too late) we found a number of deficiencies in his plan: the terrace, open to the East, was flooded all morning by the sun and it got no wind from the North. The bathroom was so narrow that its door could open only halfway. The flat roof, which our architect did not want to forego at any cost, because it was his style (I would like a sloped red roof) proved to be a heat radiant in summer. We have accustomed ourselves to the small bathroom. Instead of the unusable terrace we have now a nice shaded area under the pine trees in front of the house. And now finally we got a sloped roof over a large part of the House, on a second story we have built. But until it came so far, we had to suffer very much from the heat and lack of shade. Kurt added by himself a narrow terrace behind the House. Its base was made of a row of “Blocks”33, adjacent to the children’s room wall and behind the window of large room. The space was filled with earth topped up with “Chatzatz”34.

Now, the construction began. The “blocks”33 were made on site. Kurt himself worked

31 Sea shore gravel. 32

Hebrew: Condominium (in plural). 33 Building bricks made of concrete 34 Hebrew: A mass of small stones.



and saved the wage of a worker. “Block”33 producing is a hard work even for an experienced worker, let alone for a novice. Tukotshinski was our professional. He worked by “Kablanut”35 and wanted of course to produce a sufficient number of “blocks”33 per day. So Kurt had to keep up with the pace and was dead tired in the evening. Tukotschinski brought along his “Block”33 making machine. It consisted of 2 sections of 4 walls each, into which the previously prepared mass of cement and “Sifsif”31 was mashed. Then the stuffed machine was taken by its 2 handles on to the place where the “blocks”33 were deposited. There the walls were very gently opened and taken away. The fresh “blocks”33 should be regularly watered, to harden them and to avoid them from crumbling. We walked to our plot and watered the “blocks”33 also on Shabbat days.

While the two Jews, Kurt and Tukotschinski labored by the sweat of their brow, the Arab who had been delivering the “Sifsif”31 was laying nearby in utmost tranquility and waited patiently for his two children to return with the camels. I was comparing him - not yet accustomed to the sight of Arabs as an everyday phenomenon - to Ali Baba. He was unusually big and strong, had a wonderful beard, a thick round nose and busied himself for hours pulling out threads from the paper bags in which the cement was packed. He laid them on his huge big toe and braided them into cords. You could see that these big strong feet, with the wrinkled blackish skin like that of an elephant, even when at peace, that they were much used. This Arab had a big black jug which I have seen for the first time. He brought it in order to fill it with water from our pipeline. He was like coming from the world of the Bible. Rebecca, Ruth, stood in front of my eye.

The House was finished, and we moved in. With 2 beds, 2 or 3 Arab braided stools, the already mentioned folding garden table and a typewriter, that was neatly placed on a sack in the “large room”36. And yet another convenience - a deck chair. It was now April 1933. We had 2 simple kerosene lamps. Until we got electricity, after 7 years, we tried out all sorts of improvements: different types of lamps, with round wicks, of own production. One such was made of a small oil can as a petroleum reservoir. Later the “Lux lamps” appeared, which we used primarily for the hen sheds, but occasionally, when we had visitors, in the house. So there stood the small low house, with 2 rooms, kitchen, terrace, the small bath room and toilet. On the whole it had 65 sq. Mt. And it was as empty on the inside, as it was bald around on the outside.

35 Hebrew: Piecework 36 Our sitting room was the largest in the house.



The Citrus plantation. We had already planted our “Pardess”19. But the 2-

year-old stems were still small, low and delicate. They had not been trees yet. When we were still staying at Winkler's, we would go out in the morning with a long cord and a measurement rod, prepared a lot of sticks to mark the planting holes and began to measure, stretch cords, to measure again, to put sticks into the ground, pull them out again because the points where often inaccurate, measure again and mark. That was boring. I only thought it but said nothing. 2 Sticks marked the width of the planting hole; one marked its middle point. Kurt did not make all of the planting holes by himself. Ruthenberg30 made part of them. Then we consulted with various “Pardessanim”37 on the choice of the seedlings and their purchase. It was cheaper to buy non grafted38 seedlings. The grafted ones were more expensive but you won 2 years in getting income from the fruit. Advocates Existed for both types. We opted for grafted ones. On the part of our plot with the lighter soil, we planted trees with a root of “Limon”39. On the part behind the House, we planted trees grafted on “Chush-chash”40. This is easily written, but the various discussions and considerations, regarding various “Mashtelot”41, requesting price bids, negotiating and transporting, even the planting itself, all these were small troubles compared with the ones that just began, as the trees were planted and the irrigation began. Kurt had learned to work with the “Turiah”29. And if there would be water all the time. But that was a gloomy chapter. We were the highest located “Meshek”6 in Magdiel24. When a “Pardess”19 was irrigated, which was located lower than we were, then we stayed dry. At night there almost always was water and so nothing was left for poor Kurt, after a day in which he had plowed, dug, dragged and hammered, but to reach after dinner for the “Turiah”29 and to go irrigate his “Pardess”19. It was easier on moonlit nights. On dark nights he worked by the light of a lamp. The Water Company had made various attempts to set the irrigation days, so that everyone could have water during the day. The order was repeatedly disrupted and there was nothing to do about. And when there was no water on the farm, there was also none in the House. Then the dirty dishes and the childrens washings stayed until – oh’ salvation - the faucet trickled again.

As long as the space between the trees allowed it, for 3 or 4 years, we sowed “Turmus”42 in the spring as green manure and plowed it into the soil. Kurt did the horse work himself, as much as his time allowed.

37 Hebrew: Citrus growers (plural). 38 Grafting: “planting” a stem of a productive but delicate variety on a root of a hardier but less productive sort. 39 Hebrew: Lemon. 40

Wild Citrus. 41 Hebrew: “mashtelah”=nursery (singular), “mashtelot”=nurseries (plural) . 42 lupine



The “Pardess”19 work was done with great care. It was given, among others, bone meal. Kurt chose the most thorough of the various fertilization ways, digging a small ditch with a hoe close to the stem and filling it with the bone-meal. This was done once a year. Later “Gisum”43 had to be done - cut out the dry or small branches. It was customary at that time also to make water ditches for each tree, to expose the roots, and surround them with a small wall, so that the water does not come out. Now all of this is abandoned and apparently, the “Pardessim”19 flourish no less.

43 Hebrew: pruning



7. The first farm buildings.

At that time we still of the opinion that a farm should be versatile in order to be healthy and crisis resistant. We therefore raised cows, planted vegetables on a larger scale and sold part of them, and devoted so much work and care to the “Pardess”19. The irrigation, pruning, hoeing, binding the branches, fertilizing with natural and artificial fertilizers, all took many work days.

For the mixed “Meshek”6 we had in mind, we needed a cow shed and a chicken house. The first buildings were two small structures of corrugated tin on wood framing, with concrete floors, as was customary, for which Wacksmann, the joiner, had been appointed. We had still the whole view free. The structures were on the right and left sides of the broadside of the plot, each with a courtyard. One could look down from the terrace of the little house and from its “big room”. That seemed to us extremely convenient, because one could see what was going on down in the chicken house. This was the beginning of a later small corrugated tin city, 20 Mt. away from the House, along the way which separates our plot from that of Ruthenberg30. The chicken house and the cowshed were parts of the same oblong building, separated by a wall. At the bottom of the

cowshed, a trough for the liquid manure was constructed, with a drain leading to the manure pit. For about half a year it had only one window to the court and Kurt sweat a lot while milking. After he had sweated long enough, he opened another window on the opposite wall.



8. The cow breeding.

There were 3 or 4 cow stalls. Now, a cow had to be purchased. The purchase of a cow is a matter of trust. One can be easily tricked. We did not know many people. Dr. Neriah, the veterinarian, was our consultant.

He called Kurt one day to his home in Kfar Malal44. He had a “Tzrif”45 behind his House. There stood a beautiful young cow, well nourished, with a shiny black hide, a straight back, of half Dutch half Arabian descent. We preferred the mixed cows to the purebred Dutch, because they were better suited to the climate. This young creature should calve in 4 weeks. It was our own for £1.00 and we named her Alufa. We did not mean “Countess” but “gentle”46. It was really a benign animal. The day when she should be ours and deliver her first milk was still some time ahead. Yet Kurt fastened outside the shed a solid Board with 3 or 4 wooden hooks, hung up a Milking bucket and 2 milk jugs. I wondered and admired this foresight. I would probably have waited until the last moment, to make sure first and see whether the cow would really produce milk. Then, I would have milked provisionally into any available bucket.

Kurt could not milk. He did not learn it in Nahalal17, but he trained himself. He read in a book how one had to do it. He tried it with his left hand on the middle finger of his right hand, then with right hand on the middle finger of his left hand and the cow did not bolt away even once as he tried out on her what he had learned. What he did not know, he taught himself. He was not inclined to ask others a lot. He preferred to rely on information in books and on his own mind and skill. He was shy by nature, and we did not know the people closely. He also did not have much confidence in the advice of others, and lastly, we had no time to run around and ask.

The first cow, Alufa, was bound during the day under a highly elaborate and picturesque sunroof, made of 4 poles with sacks over them, opposite the glass door of the “big room”. As yet no tree or shrub blocked the view, and we could see her always during our meals, looking whether the good soul made any stupidities! But no, Alufa did not do actually any nonsense. As long as Alufa was the only cow, there was still no courtyard for the cows.

A drinking trough for the cow was constructed only much later. For a long time Kurt supplied the animals with water from buckets. A cow does not decide to lower her head immediately into the cool water. First she is thinking whether she is thirsty. Then she smells

44

A moshav (cooperative village) near Magdiel. At that time it was still called Ein-Chai. 45 Hebrew: hut. 46 Alufa in Hebrew actually means 'winner' or 'Champion'.



the water, puffs into it and raises her head again. You stand there somewhat impatient, with your thoughts already with the next task, until she finally decides. To watch a cow drinking is a pleasure. The long cozy sips. The water in the bucket decreases in large steps. The slurping noise. A bucket is empty. Going to the water tap, making a renewed offer. Now, it goes without great fuss. After the 3rd or 4th bucket one waits to see if she is really satisfied. This repeats itself 3 times a day.

Alufa's firstborn was a strong bull calf. After it had suckled for 8 days and had become nicely fat, Kurt took it to Mr. Pasmanik, the butcher to sell it and the price was agreed upon. The “Shochet”47, the old Mr. Biber, the father of Mrs. Skidelski, was also present. He was a very old man, broad and heavy, with a broad white beard. The “Shochet”47 asks Kurt: “Is it perhaps the calf of a ‘Mawkira’?”48 and Kurt answers unknowingly in the affirmative. “Then it may not be slaughtered!” We did not know the Jewish law forbidding the slaughter of a first-born calf. Had the old Biber not been present, one may have turned a blind eye and overlook the matter. But that was impossible, and Kurt had to take the calf back home. It continued to drink the good milk and ran around in the courtyard. What will become of it? Who can slaughter it for us? Kurt was not able to kill such a pretty animal. A way out was found. We owed it to the “kibbutz”49. In return they gave us a large part of the meat. Only now did our neighbor, not having suspected our ignorance, explain us how one should conduct oneself in this case. In fact we had a bull calf later again by a “Mawkira”47. Shortly before calving we told Pasmanik. He arrived with an Arab, to whom the cow was ostensibly sold, at such a high price however, that he could not have any inclination later to insist on the deal. Now, if a bull calf was born, it belonged to the Arab, and was allowed to be slaughtered. Then we bought back the meat and the cow and the Arab got a “Shilling”50.

On our 9 “Dunam”20 plot there was no room for growing green fodder. The “Pardess”19 In front and behind the house occupied six “Dunam”20. The other 3 “Dunam”20 where occupied by the house, vegetable beds and the farm buildings and yards. So Kurt was collecting “Ridgella”51 in the surrounding “Pardessim”19 and hauled it home in sacks. It took

47 Hebrew: slaughterer. 48 Hebrew: a cow with a first born. 49 The Kibbutz was our neighbor, down on the street from Kfar-Saba to Magdiel. It was a place where every 2 years another kibbutz was on “Hachshara” before moving to its permanent settlement. See also remark 15. 50 1 Shilling = 5 piastres. 100 piastres = £ 1.00. 51 Arabic name. A kind of green herb with round, soft, juicy leaves.



about 2 sacks for a cow. You can calculate how many you needed, as the number of livestock grew later up to 5 heads! That used up his time and energy. He loaded himself each time with as much as possible, in order to minimize the times he had to go foraging52. The cows were given also “Tebben”53 with mixed feed. When buying the “Tebben”53 you had to see that it was soft and golden yellow. It had also to be sieved before feeding the cows. If it was dusty or contained a nail, a stone or any pointed object, it could cause a cow to perish.

The purchase of Alufa was in 1933. The next year Teddy54 immigrated. He stayed for the first months with us and helped with all work. In Magdiel24 at that time, there were still so many cows that it was worthwhile to keep a herdsman. Chaim Blumenthal was a quiet man. He spoke well Arabic and knew many Arabs of the neighborhood. We had asked him to inform us if he knew of a good Arab cow for sale. One Shabbat morning he appeared, notifying us that there was a good cow with first pregnancy for sale in Abu Kishek55. He was ready to go and negotiate. We needed about £5.00 for the deal, which we did not have. Teddy54 ran down to Hermann Aharon56 and got it on loan. It was the end of October and on this day there was a sandstorm, such as fortunately are seldom. The air was filled with so dense a dust, that you could see hardly 50 Mt. away. Teddy54 had on a decent dark blue suit, maybe because it was Shabbat, and perhaps also to make a good impression on the Ishmaelites of Abu Kishek55. I do not remember anymore whether Kurt had also made himself fine. They returned after a few hours from their long hike, both covered by dust. The color of their clothes could not be discerned, it was all yellow sand, and they were parched. With the aid of Chaim they had happily concluded the deal. They were leading a skinny, small, yellow cow that should calve in a week, which they had purchased for the low price of £5.00. The Arabs had assured that milk should be expected from her by the “Rottel”57. It was certainly because of this prospect (it could hardly be her beauty) that they had given her the royal name “Regina”. From a small cow only a small calf can be expected. The born calf was tiny. That did not disappoint us. But when instead of the promised 5 liters only one ounce of milk was produced, and that only against her will, as she was refusing and kicking, then a Regina does not deserve her feed and she must go under the knife. Ultimately, that was her fate.

The next cow was purchased from a dealer in Kfar-Saba22. Moyshe Sibiriak came from Siberia and looked Mongolian. He was large and broad, with high cheekbones and gloomy looking. He was a skilled trader. Kurt was not. The cow that he soon delivered to us was a “mixed” one. She was large and handsome, but unfortunately produced too little milk. We had to sell her soon and made a new trial with a pure-bred Dutch cow, by the name of Emma.

52 Kurt, however, had a saying: "A lazy donkey loads itself at once to the death!" 53 Hebrew: chopped straw. 54 Theodore David, Kurt's younger brother. Born February 11, 1907, Bonn, Germany. Died 1990, Herzelia, Israel. 55

A Bedouin tent village, about 5 km west of Magdiel. 56 A Magdiel settler and an acquaintance of ours, of German origin. 57 Rottel = 2.88 kg. An Ottoman weight unit.



Emma had a good amount of milk, but she suffered badly from the climate. It was pitiful as she stood on the field huffing. Soon she fell victim to anthrax and died after a short illness. We were insured, but it took a lot of trouble, running around, travels to Petach Tikva58 and loss of time to get back about half of the purchase price. It is unsettling when an animal dies. You notice it does not feel well, is not eating, breathing heavily and will not stand up. One runs in the midst of the work to the veterinarian, makes all specified rubbings, gives the resisting animal the necessary drug, as one person grabs it by the horns with one hand and with 2 fingers of the other hand in its nostrils, leans its head back, while a second person forces the drug bottle from the side into her mouth, measures fever, in short treating it from all directions. But she makes nothing of it, lies down, twists her eyes and does not move anymore; the expensive Emma, the hope of our cow breeding. Now, how to get out the big heavy lifeless animal out of the narrow stable? And where can one dispose of the carcass? It was in 1935, we had already a trainee (we even had a small son of 1½ years and one of one month). A Board was pushed under the dead cow with the help of the trainee. With great effort they lifted it onto a wagon and drove it to a remote “Wadi”26, for the jackals to devour. One might think that now we had just the mental problem of accommodating ourselves with the loss. But there was still an after play, the medical determination of the cause of death by the veterinarian of the health insurance fund. Kurt and the trainee had to go once more to the “Wadi”26 for that purpose. They cut open the belly of Emma and Kurt had to pull out the intestines with his own hands for the examination.

To conclude the chapter of the cows, I will say that all of them, mixed, black or white, lean yellow Arab or charcoal sturdy Dutch, were too strong for our cowshed of corrugated tin. When they were bored, they clashed with their heads against the front wall and boxed it so far out, that a large gap was formed between the wall and the ground. The boards between the individual stands had also been smashed pretty soon. So the “Balebos”59 took 1 inch tubes, bent and screwed them together so that on the right and left of each cow there was an iron fence. These were stuck into the ground with concrete and another rod was fixed in front of each cow, to which she was tied with a chain. As the stock grew to two cows and a calf, Kurt made a yard out of thick wooden poles and fixed a water pipe in the middle.

The cows succeeded more than once, very often on Shabbat, to ‘remove’ a rod from the courtyard fence and break out. Hello! Alufa is up in Ruthenbergs30 corn field! As soon as she senses that Kurt is coming out to catch her, she gallops with a high wagging tail, so that earth bales fly as if from a steam engine at full speed. She was wild with the thirst for freedom and the joy of movement. Every time it was a terrible chase. For the cow it was fun but Kurt was pitifully exhausted. When he finally had caught up with her (I was helping by blocking her way, which did not always succeed), he grabbed her by the horns with one hand, 2 fingers in her nostrils with the other, and there Alufa's dream of freedom has gone. When Kurt was then spent and exhausted, a terrible rage was always grabbing him. Sometimes also against the donkey, who also broke off from time to time. He could then terribly beat up the creatures. I

58 A small town (or large village) about 15 km south of Magdiel (Now a real city). 59 Yiddish: landlord



could do nothing more foolish than trying to sooth him. He could not stand it and the situation only became worse. Alufa has treated herself also to the “Durrah”60 container, after quietly breaking the fence and stuffed herself nicely with grains. Just a few days earlier a cow of Mr. Adler died for this reason. You can imagine what a fright we got. Again leaving everything and rushing to the veterinarian. I think we have administered her English Salt. She has been spared.

We reached up to 5 heads, 3 cows and 2 nice calves. The last cow we bought, Zafra, was highly praised by Moyshe Sibiriak. “a goldener Seiger is sie”61. For a “golden watch”, she was certainly tremendously obstinate. She did not want to be milked at any cost. She kicked so much around that she had to be tied up. But even then, it was a terrible job. Kurt was always half-dead after this effort. Just as he had decided to sell this “Golden watch”, she had thought it up and began holding still. This cow was not a disappointment. Of course, she did not give the quantity of milk promised by the cattle dealer, but because she lasted through for a particularly long time, she reached a satisfactory annual yield.

We had in the meantime bargained a she-donkey from an Arab. She had only a tiny space in the corner of the cow shed. She was pregnant and gave us a charming little donkey, which we called Zira. Kurt was very fond of it. It seemed to him to be much smarter than any other ass and he thought earnestly that Zira would stay always so dainty and characterized by her intelligence. I must, however, disclose that in this he was disappointed. She got a thick skull just like her mother. The old lady was a timid, sulky creature. She could stop suddenly while in pace, frightened, before a piece of paper, throwing her head in lightning speed forward to the ground, and bumps, the rider slid off and lay on the earth. Kurt became used to her, but riding her in the dark remained unpleasant.

There were so many tasks and innovations at the same time but always lagging behind. I want to tell a bit more about the cows and will then return to the beginnings. The necessities came with the growth of the farm. As an example: for one cow, it was sufficient to bring her drinking water in a bucket: a bucket and another one and another one. Letting 5 animals drink from buckets was a lot of work and had to be changed. For making a better arrangement, there was not enough time. Finally a good fenced court was built (from where the space for everything always came is still a wonder, because we were so very limited) and drinking trough with running water was made. The housewife gave (under protest…) the “dud”62, in which she used to boil the laundry, as a drinking trough. One should never do something like this. I used to “lend” the “Meshek”6 various household utensils, never receiving them back or else receiving them back disfigured beyond recognition. But we had to save.

60

A kind of grain. 61 Yiddisch: „a golden watch She is”. 62 Hebrew: laundry barrel



On laundry days I took my “dud”62 from the courtyard and put it back after the washing was finished.

Why were our days so overly filled actually? There was the milking and bringing the milk away on the donkey 3 times a day. In winter, it was already dark at the evening milking. What a pleasure it was to ride up to Kfar-Malal44 on the stupid ass I have already told. In the first winter Kurt's rain gear had been still very poor (mine remained so always). Not just the shoes, the coat also was not fit for the local cloudbursts. In the second year Teddy54 gave his brother a heavy black oiled coat that remained waterproof for several years. When Kurt came back from the dairy, it was 9 or half past 9. On Sabbath days there was no one to accept and measure the milk. Everyone had to pass his own milk through the centrifuge. If you were not the first, or among the first, you had to wait for hours until those before you had finished. It was then better to get up at half past four or five in the morning, and not coming home after 3-4 hours, completely famished. It sometimes occurred that we that we started quarreling with each other on Shabbat mornings. As soon as we had eaten, we were peaceful again, until we found out it was the hunger that spoiled the mood.

So this was our daily routine: brushing and currying the cows every morning; milking the cows three times a day and dispatching the milk; looking after the chickens; the “Pardess”19 and the small banana plantation of 16 plants had to be watered once a week; the vegetable garden. The housewife had to care for the household, without any help (for the laundry I later took a girl from the “kibbutz”49, as we began to have trainees and I had even to mend their socks).

I had seen after 4 years that Kurt had to give up the cows. He had often such severe rheumatism attacks in the back, that he was distorted and curved and crawled around like an old man. The doctor in Magdiel24 could not help him. When he had it for the first time, he was watering the “Pardess”19. He did not give it up until he could not go on any longer. Then he dragged himself to הקלד ציטוט[

מהמסמך או סיכום של נקודה מעניינת. באפשרותך למקם את תיבת הטקסט מקום במסמך. השתמש בכרטיסיה 'כלי ציור' כדי לשנות את עיצוב תיבת בכל

הטקסט 'ציטוט'.[



the bus, which was passing on the street below the farm, despite the sandy route. He drove to our friend Dr. Sternberg in Tel-Aviv. He treated him with injections and got him “fit” again after 5 days. But it was recurring more often and I could not see this hauling of many heavy sacks with greens. Finally, he had to abandon it. Then one day he lay completely motionless and could not rise up. Both children were still small, one was still breast nourished. Our cows were not used to my hand and we had to ask the “Dod”63 to milk them for us. We did not like asking it, because he had enough to do with his own. And there was all the other work that had to be done. By a happy coincidence, just as Kurt lay helplessly in bed, a man from Herzeliyah64 came to us, sent by our former trainee and friend Mr. Gormanns. He wanted to establish a cow farm for his son. We had to negotiate with him more than once, of course, with Kurt lying on the bed. He brought along a veterinarian to inspect the cows and we sold the 3 cows and 2 calves and got out not less than we have invested (but also not more). Kurt parted unwillingly from the stately creatures. You don't like to abandon a branch into which you put much effort and where you got some experience in the course of time. It was not materially detrimental for us, because we could pay more attention to the poultry. Until then we had to leave them mostly to the little knowledgably trainees, because of lack of time. “Have a look, Hilde, whether they gave water, etc.”

As a dairy animal we soon got a goat, of which I will tell later.

63 Hebrew: Uncle, so we called our neighbor Mr. Ruthenberg. Kurt was also called “Dod” by the Ruthenbergs. 64 A village (now a city) about 15 km west of Magdiel, near the coast.



9. The Turkey breeding.

(To the kids:) We were still staying at the Winklers as your father astonished me with the announcement that he had bought 2 turkey hens and a turkey cock from Ruthenberg30, with the purpose of hatching chicks. To me it seemed such a venture, such a bold investment. He had spent £1.00 on this! Would it be right and worthwhile? Can we really achieve it, that living chicks will come to the world? I was doubtful.

Our first “incubators”, the “Inditshkes”65 were excellent egg layers. Almost daily, we found a large pointed, brownish egg, with red spots, in the laying nest. It was actually a box standing in the corner of the yard, with the an opening on the side, padded with straw. After we had collected 15 eggs, we prepared a nice nest in a somewhat secluded place. There was still a narrow hallway between room 7 and the fence. There the trusting large bird sat undisturbed. We took care that she went from the nest every day, to drink and to eat. During the brooding period, the turkey cock was put in “Pension” to Ruthenberg30 so that he will not bother the hen. But on the day when the chicks should hatch, as even some eggs were already picked on, an accident occurred. Kurt cleaned the (small…) pen in which the young turkeys should be raised, with a good stream of water. He Scrubs and sprays and does not notice that the turkey has gone out of the nest. When he finished with the cleaning he noticed the excited bird running around in the yard. He examines the nest and finds out it is flooded. The water ran through under the stall wall. I just came by. What a misfortune. Now all of our little chicks will be dead. But anyway, we prepared a new dry nest somewhere else and carried the eggs carefully there. All this occurred in the morning, just before I had to go to Tel Aviv for some buying errands: various accessories, “karbolineum”66 and other things. I was doing it as Kurt was more occupied. When I returned in the evening with my heavy load, the first question was about the chicks. Oh wonder: of 15 eggs, 14 were hatched and the bath did not harm them.

(To the kids:) Our good “Doda”67, who grew up on a mill which also had agriculture, was our consultant. The nests for the turkeys were put in their “Machsan”68 and little yellow chicks were actually hatched. Of two turkeys together, there were 25 chicks. Personally I did not dare to touch them. The “Doda”67 put them first in a padded-out pot and kept them warm in the kitchen. To the 25 own chicks we bought 25

65 Yiddish: turkey hen or cock. 66

Disinfecting material, mixed with kerosene, to be painted on the wooden parts of the stalls. 67 Hebrew: aunt. That was how we called Mrs. Ruthenberg and so did the Ruthenbergs call me. 68 Hebrew: storage room, warehouse.



additional pullets. We did not need a “Brooder”69 or heating lamps, because the turkey hen took over the supervision and education.

Small turkey chicks are sensitive to moisture and need especially good nutrition. I cooked for them hard boiled eggs, according to the time-saving methods of the day, mixed them with finely chopped vegetable remains and also with white cheese. This particular meal was served them at 10 o’clock in the morning. This took at least 20 minutes. You could not simply put the bowl and go away. The old one, this loving mother, was the first to pick out the tidbits. So I stood there with a little stick and drove her away. The party grew (it is much slower than with chickens). They got their pretty black and white plumage, and strutted in the courtyard, which looked quite handsomely. They became big and heavy and when they reached their weight, they came on the market (How much did we earn on such a brood?)

69 A chicks warming dome or cupola.



10. The chicken breeding.

(To the kids:) In order to enlarge our stock, your father decided to buy young pullets. We heard that Mandel in Kfar-Malal44 had some for sale. I did the buying personally, without knowing how good “Pargioth”70 should look like. In my memory it is as if I have chosen the largest. 25 pullets were delivered to us, along with a bag of sodium chloride against lice. I think we assumed that all chickens had lice, because we did not find it strange. Later we had often to combat the lice.

The late Mr. Bernhard Gandz gave us much guidance. He had a large and beautifully landscaped “Meshek”6, a spacious and comfortable house, relative to those times, with a basement, where 2 Buckey incubators were set up. His house was already connected to electricity. He was broadly built, not tall, looked neat, his hair always smooth and parted. He radiated something that commanded respect. He had something very certain in his nature, a fixed look, almost severe. His “meshek”6 was nicely laid out, with concrete court yards. It was larger than most other poultry farms in the “Sharon”71. In Magdiel24 he was the “Muchtar”72 for a long time, had also authority among the Arabs. I always remember with pain, that this efficient and cultivated man (who was also a great bibliophile) had to leave his possessions and move to the city73. He died far too early.

He had let me help around occasionally. I was allowed to turn eggs over, watch how he culled unfertile eggs and dead embryos. He recommended us the first feed mixture, sold us grains, which I took in a small bag. From him we also bought our first hatching eggs. How hard and primitively we have worked, you can hardly imagine. The water pipeline of the “Pardess”19 ran through the chicken yard, with the taps close to the ground. I used a coconut-oil tin to fill the hens’ drinking trough. This was a “pach”74, in which strips were cut out from the broad sides, high enough so that enough water could stand. On the top it remained closed so the hens could not trample into it. At that time “Pachim”74 were essential material, reworked for various purposes. Our laying nests were made of “Pachim”74, as were also the feeder troughs. They

70 Hebrew: pullets. 71 The name of the central district in Palestine / Israel. 72

Arabic: chairman of the settlement. 73 Tel Aviv 74 Hebrew: a tin container. Here it refers to 20 liters kerosene tin vessels. “Pachim” is the plural form.



served also as an important measure for larger quantities. Usually Quaker tins were used for measuring feed mix, etc. The weight unit was the “Rottel”57.

We were considered at that time by everyone as very serious. In the near area there were only 2 poultry farms which had about 400 to 500 hens. This seemed to us exceptionally large. From these two farmers we had received advice and reassurance. For example the man from whom I bought the first 25 pullets had given me also powder against lice. From this evil we dreaded terribly! The treatment methods were cumbersome, but we did not shy them. With time we got used to the fact that lice turn up and we began to use effective American means, a powder that was scattered on the perches. We had almost as much work with our 50 hens, as today with 500. In the past I had to draw water with a tin can from the low water tap, clean the shed every week and drag many buckets of water to rinse everything. The shed has been thoroughly scrubbed, left to dry and then new “Tebben”53 was spread. Now we clean every 4 weeks to 3 months, depending on the material one spreads on the ground. If you have the hens running on wire mesh, you can remove the litter when you have the time.

In the front shed, the “Leghorn”75 hens were good egg layers. Of the 25 hens, we had often 20 eggs per day, which was a good laying percentage. In 1934 Kurt's mother was on a visit and found it amazing and joyful, as I brought in an apron full of eggs. But now we have over 60,000 eggs per year.

We had of course many more eggs than we needed for ourselves. The surplus was sold to “Tnuva”76 which was at the House of Pasmanik. To transport the eggs, the donkey got 2 “Pachim”74 cross hung on its back. The eggs were packaged in “Tebben”53. It once occurred that the wire connecting the 2 “Pachim”74 snapped and many eggs were broken. Some other time many eggs were broken, but for another reason. Jehuda5 had discovered the eggs in the old incubator room and invented a game: throwing the eggs, one by one, on the floor. I saw it only after the first 40 were “processed”.

We used to eat on our single, small garden table, in front of the glass door in the “large room”. The view had an advantage which we had in mind. There were 2 hens who regularly wanted to lay their eggs on the sack roof which formed Alufa's sunroof. Often one of us ran out during lunch, to drive the silly creatures down. Sometimes it was too late, the egg was laid and it was a matter of luck to bring it down in one piece. But what would the case be if the table would be otherwise positioned, so that we could see nothing? Much nastier was the case with that hen which used to lay her egg in the space between the shed wall and the feed

75

A breed of white feathered, egg laying chickens. 76 The name of the main marketing cooperative in Palestine/Israel.



container in the corner of the courtyard. Miraculously, it usually did not break. But to get it out was difficult and it was rarely possible to catch it at the moment in which she wanted to lay it. Incidentally, this hen was our favorite. She was tame, ran after us and liked to be stroked. It was a fabulously good egg layer. She was slim, with a beautiful comb. A rare phenomenon: a smart chicken.

Who was it that cut the “Pachim”74, to be used for a variety of purposes? It was Kurt. “Pachim”74 served for laying nests, for drinking troughs, as containers for the transportation of eggs and vegetables. Kurt could suddenly do all kinds of hand crafts, even to build. Without great preparation he someday cut wood beams, which he nailed together to make a frame, on which he fixed corrugated tin. This will be a “Machsan”68, one which we needed. Where should we store the “Tebben”53? “And do you think you can set it up correctly?” “I think I can!” And he could. This structure stood and was used until July 1949. It was the beginning of a series of corrugated tin structures which he set up in the course of time. He called for help only for casting the concrete floors.

On the other side of our plot, a small shed for rearing day old chicks was built (the later Room 7), so now there were a small house with 2 rooms and kitchen-living room and two farm structures. The next enlargement was the “Machsan”68 built by Kurt" for “Tebben”53. Then, along the width of cowshed and about double its length, the court for the cows was allocated, the sunroof of Alufa could be removed and the whole yard received some shape.

Teddy54 eagerly collaborated on the construction of the new structure, in the extension of room 2. He came to us shortly before Gadiel4 was born and it was a pleasure to have him. We would like to have him as a partner, had he not preferred the city life. He had so much pleasure in the construction, as a little boy with his building blocks. Immediately after lunch, rather than have a little rest, he went out again, gripping the hammer and nails, and resumed putting the beams together.

Can you imagine now, that everything is planted and built up, how open the view was before? The spirit, the hand and the trends of the time, that could encourage or inhibit the development of this piece of land, had a meaning and were a contribution also to the “Binjan Ha'aretz”77. There was little experience in the construction of chicken houses at that time. In the course of time and in the use, different errors emerged. Firstly, the structures were too low and consequently too hot. The rear wall was completely closed. Working in them was uncomfortable. Only much later was it realized that good

77 Hebrew: building the land (country).



ventilation is important for the wellbeing of the chickens in summer. Large openings were then cut out. In the evening the shutters were closed, letting them fall down with a bang, thus shooing the whole flock from the perches.

(To the kids:) Should you ever have to construct a roof on a shed, do not economize too much with the material. Let the corrugated tin sheets overlap 2 lugs, as Kurt has always done. If they overlap only one lug, the rain may run into in the shed. Always nail the sheets to the beams through the lug top, not through the valley. Otherwise, as soon as the nail holes begin to rust, they become larger and the rainwater drips in. And do you see the large and costly rain gutters behind each shed? They were not constructed for beauty! We made many trials with the gutters. At first we did not realize they were needed. The winter, instead of being a quieter time when one could have it a little easier, due to the overlooking of these “trifles”, became terribly exciting and exhausting. It dripped from the roof and I had to constantly change the litter. This was still the easier part. But the rain accumulated behind the shed, then suddenly broke through with violence and poured in a broad stream, between the wall and the ground, into the shed. In feverish haste Kurt began dragging tin sheets and laying out a gutter. Then the wall had to be patched and the shed had to be drained and dried again. Of course, I was helping with all these. We ourselves were also not “waterproof” (see last chapter). This gutter of tin proved to be insufficient. For several years we made attempts with ones made of concrete. But they were too narrow and jammed quickly by dirt and dry leaves which accumulated in them. In some places they were cracked by “Yablit”78, which grew through. Still, regarding the modest scale everything had at that time, and remembering that everything was done with only 2 hands, a concrete gutter was a major step forward.

In the course of time various types of feed containers were made and later discarded, largely as not practical enough. We now have found a model that meets all requirements, in particular in not wasting feed. We have still a wooden feed container, covered by sheet tin, from our beginnings.

The first perch on which the hens were roosting by night was made of iron. Later, Kurt made good durable perches, partly of wood, partly of iron. We were advised to put the legs of the perch tables in empty sardine cans filled with petroleum, so that bugs or lice could no crawl onto the poultry. The cans stayed with “neft”79 for one hour and then became full of “Tebben”53. The more modern perch tables had small saucers welded halfway up the leg. But these were also always full with dirt.

At that time, our monthly expenses amounted to about £6.00 to £7.50. We could do with £5.00 per month but our budget was strained by things such as various diseases, like Kurt's rheumatism, and by the births of the children and the things related to them. The “Pardess”19 did not yield any revenue yet. On the contrary, it was still costing money. With

78 A sort of weed with very strong roots. 79 Petroleum



one, or even two cows and 25 chickens, we could not get even without making debts. Kurt decided to enlarge the “lul”80. At that time, a revenue of £1.00 to £1.25 per 100 hens could be anticipated. From Bernhard Gandz we got our first “brooder”69 and our first 400 chicks (2½ “Piaster”48 per piece). When he later saw them as white feathered and evenly developed pullets running about in our yard, I told him they had been good chicks, producing such beautiful pullets. He replied it depended on good rearing, not on the chicks.

The “Brooder”69 stood in “room 7”. The first chicks-room was occupied by those we had incubated with the turkey, together with those which we had purchased from Mandel. For the pullets we purchased from Gandz we lacked a suitable space. Kurt had by now enough skill to do the construction himself. He bought wood, nails and “Blocks”33 for the base. The space which he allotted was necessarily quite close to the House. It stretched behind the present small Pine Grove. I still have it clearly in memory, how he measured off the ground, inserted sticks in the ground, bound strings along and began digging the trench for the “Blocks”33. The size of the two rooms - later 1 and 2 - was 3 x 4 Mt. each.

80 Hebrew: literally = Poultry house. Here poultry farming is meant.



11. The beginning of the Hatchery.

From Mr. Gandz we received the very first fumbling experience in the handling of hatching eggs. He explained us the construction of incubators, allowed me to turn eggs, and showed us the candling lamp. In 1934 Kurt had considered it worthwhile to hatch his own chicks, instead of buying them. He went to Tel Aviv, looked at the 4 stores dealing in incubators and ordered a “Buckey” for 600 eggs from Gusmann. One day it came, accompanied by a nice engineer who set it up and again explained how to use it. It took up a space of 1.50 x 1.50 Mt. from our living room! The device got its space, only we had then much less. I still remember one night when we had 3 persons for visit. I had a seated sand cake to offer, in the narrow space between the incubator and the beds, on which we sat. But it was quite amusing. The device took its place in front of the big glass door where our couches and coffee table had been standing. Now they were put in front of the “Buckey” and we called it “our small living room”.

We obtained our first hatching eggs from Gandz. He had shown us how to handle the kerosene heating lamps of the incubator and how the wicks had to be maintained. They had to be very flat so that the flame is not jagged and not sooting. I went over it with a razor, wiping my fingers afterwards with tissue paper. One has to fill the lamps only to ¾ and carefully wipe

over spilled petroleum, as the resulting fumes are toxic. We were turning the eggs morning and evening by hand. There was also a kind of ladder, where the eggs can be placed between the rungs and over which they turned by pushing it upwards or downwards. But we preferred our way to be sure that each egg had its quarter turn. Now, the kerosene lamp burned in the room day and night. We, being novices, were punctual and accurate and followed all instructions to the utmost. It was obvious that one had to get up every night, at least once, to control the temperature. It was usually my task.

I become aware again, while writing, that in all we have done, not only in incubation, we pursued everything with extreme accuracy the things we had learned from books or from experienced settlers. For us there was never this “it does not matter so exactly” or “it is not so important.” It proved to be good that we rather exaggerated being careful in everything. Only



one who dominates a field, can judge what is important and what can be omitted. Otherwise you can easily do less necessary chores and skip the important ones.

(To the kids:) Now it's unfamiliar, if you do not hear, day and night, the noise of the incubators81. You do not know it otherwise, than there is a hatch at least once a week. But can you imagine what it is like when you get new eggs the first time, place them on the trays, fill the containers underneath with water and light the lamps on the sides of the incubators82? We knew well: although from the outside the egg looked quite unchanged, its color and size were the same, still, something was going on, a mysterious process took place in their interior. 6 days later, you illuminated into in the secret. The unfertilized eggs and dead embryos are for the first time taken out. If there are not too many of them, you can assume that you did no nonsense in the incubation. The result was not bad. On the 20th day a very tender peep could be heard for the first time, beginning with only some shy, tentative, very weak individual calls. We asked ourselves where it came from, perhaps from outside? Then it became clear and we understood that “the first hatch” had begun. It sounded very lovely and it filled us with great joy. For a long time these first small calls, the signs of awakening life, put us in a joyful mood. We listened to them when the room was already dark and we lay in our beds.

Our hatch percentage at that time was approximately 60-65%. Neat chick boxes, as we have them now, were not necessary at that time. The chicks were put into field boxes83 and came soon under the “brooder”69. You know the accompanying symptoms of the hatch, which are not very pleasant inside the house: the typical smell, the dust from the fluff, the dirt that is inevitable when removing the shells and the eggs that did not hatch.

In 1934 there were 2 important developments: a second “Buckey” incubator of the same type as the first one was added and the enlargement of the chicken house parallel to the house. With an incubator of 600 eggs, we could never fill more

81

Here are the electric incubators already meant. 82 Here the petroleum Buckey incubators are meant. 83 Wooden boxes for harvesting and transporting oranges.



one “brooder”69. When we bred several times in a row, our hens differed at least 3 weeks in age. That prompted Kurt to acquire a second incubator. In this way, we got a larger flock of the same age. Even before we acquired it, buyers appeared for chicks, which we could hatch and did not need for our own need. But where was the space for even a table of 1½ square meters? It was placed on the first one, on good wooden pegs, approx. 30 cm in height. The temperature in the upper incubator was set at 0.2 degrees lower than in the lower one. The arrangement proved itself. But now of course, there was also double the amount of work. Actually, that is not entirely true. First, two devices do not make as much work as twice one device. Then, you become more agile and learn to be more efficient in your work. In the long run, however, stacking the 2 devices on each other in our room, proved to be cumbersome and too inconvenient. So, a room was built out of the “lift”84 of Kurt's mother. In order to utilize the 2 devices throughout the season, Kurt wanted to sell chicks. I was of course skeptical whether customers will be found, but they were. And more were found as two more devices were added in the 5th year. These were a bargain: one of the big local poultry farms was dissolved and the incubators were to be had for a ridiculous sum. Kurt has calculated that it was not great risk, even if they were not fully utilized. We could still produce the hatching eggs for these 4 devices ourselves, because they were in operation in alternating pairs. Every 11 days, 2 incubators of 600 eggs were loaded with 1,200 eggs, i.e. 2,400 for the 4 devices.

That was how the chick sale began. Our first customer was Chasson. I forgot the others, except for Mr. Wind whom I still remember, and who was “gone with wind” after not too long a period. He had rented the House now owned by Mr. Fridgut. He was a young, tall and somewhat weak looking man, dressed like a city man, always with a tie and accompanied by his nicer, better half. He tried from the beginning to impress us with his expertise. He had built a beautiful large chicken house. The reception of the chicks by him did never go smoothly.

While we now take the chicks out of the incubator on the evening before the day of delivery, at that time we delivered them directly out of the incubator trays, on which they had hatched and on which the shells and the un-hatched eggs still lay. They were still too “fresh”. A chick that is at least a few hours out of the humid warmth gets up and is alive, provided it is healthy. Our first chicks were partly still a bit dazed and were sitting instead of standing up. Mr. Wind refused to accept such chicks. Kurt knew that the chicks were healthy and only needed some time to recover and get stronger. He suggested Mr. Wind should accept those he would select for him. Kurt intended to come to him the next day and take back all those that were still not on their feet. Was it not a fair proposal? But Mr. Wind refused to have them and Kurt lost his temper. Finally, he took them and the rearing was successful. The payment, on the other hand, was less smooth. We had to run after the money for a long time. He either was not at home, or he had just then other expenditures. Everyone knows these tricks. In Magdiel24 it was looked upon as out of place, when in the evening, finely dressed, he was walking with his wife along the street. He felt it himself and agriculture was soon also over for him. He left the village and Breslau (in-laws of Selig) took over the house.

84 A large wooden crate for sea- transport, used to bring her furniture from Germany.



The egg light-scaning. In hatching, one must scan the eggs on the 7th day to remove unfertilized eggs and on

the 18th day to remove dead embryos. This is done by illuminating the inside of the eggs.

(To the kids:) The way we scaned the eggs seems now ridiculous to us. For 600 eggs we needed at least 3 hours. It would have been too late to do the scaning in the evening. The cows had to be milked and the milk brought to the dairy. Until Kurt came back it was usually half past 9. So we had to do it by day.

Our egg scaning system was “Classical” then and now. We constructed a light-scaning lamp, according to a design by Mr. Gandz. It was made of a piece of rolled-up sheet metal, with an oval hole cut out at the height of the flame of a kerosene lamp and the egg was held against this hole. The surrounding had to be dimmed. To achieve this, we have built a “wall” of open and stacked books, upon which we hung an apron. The books collapsed ever so often. I reached the eggs to Kurt, who had to stand bent down. This painful procedure took several hours for 600 eggs. Later, Kurt invented a frame under which he could sit and which had a cover over it. This cover was extremely practical. It was made of a thick blanket, in which I had once ingeniously burnt a hole with an iron, in a bright foresight that the hole was in the exactly right place for reaching the eggs through it. It still took a full morning and I still remember how happy I was when Teddy54 once replaced me, because this work fell always on Shabbat and I was very strained. Kurt was sweating abundantly under the blanket. Each egg had to be taken from the tray and then returned, and this took its time. Then a wonderful lamp appeared on the market. It was powered by a battery and was moved over the eggs. That means you did not have to lift them from the tray anymore. That was fabulous. It was 3 times as fast as before and was much easier. If only the wires of this lamp had been better and not torn so often, the thing would be perfect. Later came another improvement, a lighter and more stable lamp. With it we processed 3000 eggs at the same time as 600 before. You see: with the growing number of eggs and purchase of additional equipment the working methods improved, and more could be done with the same effort.

(To the kids: ) “I'm sorry, Mirjam, that I can’t stay with you. It gets dark and I have to light-scan more than 3000 eggs”. “Can I come with you?” “Sure, until you get bored. It takes about 1½ hours.”

Like anyone who for the first time is watching how the lamp, attached to its handle, runs quickly in the dark over the rows of eggs, arranged on the trays, the unfertilized or dead embryos taken out and put away in boxes on the side, so my guest wondered how it was possible to discern what was necessary, in such a short flash. The answer: Practice, practice, and a handy device. There was a time, when we had done it for the first time. At that time we did not have electric power yet.



12. From mixed to mono agriculture.

Each year a new shed had to be built because the flocks got larger. We also got orders for pullets and needed more for ourselves. Where was the necessary space on our plot? The arrangement of the buildings was also not as it would be if they were built from the start as a poultry farm.

Before we expanded the incubation department by 2 additional flat incubators85, there was an important turning point in our economic development: the transition from a mixed to a Mono operation. We sold the cows and purchased instead a goat. The citrus plantation was used as a courtyard and less effort was dedicated to it. Having cows, where no feed cultivation is possible, was not practical. We now grew vegetables only for our household. It became evident that the manpower was not enough and it was not profitable to cultivate all branches. In the coming year, our situation without the cows was not worse than it was with them. We could practice more care in the rearing of poultry, which proved more profitable.

I must add that Kurt was never speculative in undertaking the incubation enlargements. We had always more orders for chicks than we could carry out. Therefore, the purchase of an electric incubator for 6800 eggs was justified. It was much easier to handle. For instance, you did not have to clean daily the heating lamps and fill them with petroleum. It was no more work handling the 6800 machine than the 4 flat incubators for 2400 eggs. A further change of the farm came while installing the big incubator. Until then, we had produced our own hatching eggs and were not necessarily dependent on chick sales. We reared most of them ourselves anyway. But now, the framework of this self-contained farm was blown up, it became more industrial in its nature. The hatching eggs were not all produced on our premises anymore.

There was at the time a cooperative of large poultry farms formed by “kibbutzim” and “Moshavim”86. It was a trust called “Iggud Mishkey Ofot Le'Revia”87 for commonly selling hatching eggs and day-old chicks. Being the price leader, they set high prices for hatching eggs and relatively low prices for chicks. They were not interested in in the existence of smaller private breeders. We once bought hatching eggs from them and were dissatisfied with their quality. Also their attitude was unkind. Kurt has cleverly managed to get a supply of enough hatching eggs from good chosen farms, mainly from 2-year-old hens and under his own control. From eggs of 2-year-old hens you get more viable chicks. The hatching eggs are more expensive, but the chick is better paid for. “Our organization” is as follows: Kurt had contracts with some farms, to keep flocks of 2-year-old hens for him. He sorted out himself the best hens and provided selected cocks from pedigree breed hen families. These farms, who also got regular instruction by an instructor hired by Kurt, could earn some extra pounds per year, because the price they got was higher than they would get for table eggs. We, on our part, are

85

The petroleum “Buckey” incubators. 86 Hebrew: A cooperative village or settlement. “Moshavim” is the plural form. 87 Hebrew: Association of poultry reproduction farms.



independent of the “Iggud”87, have eggs only of 2-year-old flocks that the “Iggud”87 could not deliver, and last not least, buy the eggs at a much better price. For these reasons, the incubation business proved to be profitable in the last year. The following may be of interest to farmers. The keeping of old hens for table eggs does not pay off. First, they lay fewer eggs than young hens. Second, their molting time is just when the egg prices are high, or when hatching eggs are needed. The profitability of the old hens has increased extraordinarily since Kurt has introduced the forced molting. You're putting the old hens into the molt (by change of the feeding and lighting schedule) already in August, so that they begin laying again in November, when the hatching season begins. The procedure was tried in England and America, but was not yet adopted in this country. We are doing it this year for the 3rd time. The farms associated with us, and some new ones which have been added this year, for the 2nd time.

Now, much marketing work was added of course, customer acquisition, sales and what it all entails. Furthermore, it is necessary to regularly visit the customer farms, to instruct them and to maintain the relation. It all depends on the trust they have in the supplier. Kurt abides by the principle to supply only chosen merchandise to keep his customers (“we are not a wandering circus!”). Incidentally, the farms associated with us, are obliged to buy their chicks from us, which is self-explanatory. With the growth of our business, Kurt's influence has also increased and he was invited to join various associations.

This year, many breeders opened new businesses. It is always the same in this country. When an industry was profitable one year, then too many people jump into it the next year, to “also” make a big profit in a short time. However, since the land and the market are small, it becomes oversaturated and all the “clever ones” begin to lose money rather than make a profit and thus ruin the respective industry. In most cases they lack the necessary knowledge for success. There is reason to fear that it will be the same this year in the incubation industry. In view of these facts, Kurt decided to increase our breeding department with an additional “Hansen” incubator of 6800 eggs, which was available for a cheap price. When there are many breeders, the market will be probably allocated by capacity. The new incubator is meant to secure a larger share in advance. It will arrive next week.



13. Some additional topics.

a. (to the children:) Our working day was comprised of not less than 14 hours, 16 in average. There were always several duties, in various branches, to be done at the same time. The sheds were built by your father, together with Wachsmann the joiner. He thereby acquired the technique of building structures of wood and corrugated tin. We tilled the ground behind the House, planted the first vegetable beds and the first “Mashtelah”41. I wanted to demonstrate that we were very unhandy in many aspects, because we did not know better. We worked not only according to our capability but very often exerted our capacity. We tried to do everything thoroughly, clean and tidy. Not one new immigrant who came to visit us, called our small and humble “Meshek”6 (in today's terms), a model farm. It was probably felt, that work was done carefully and according to a well-conceived plan. Furthermore, it was probably an example that we, who begun with little capital, without making debts, succeeded in enlarging the “Meshek”6 from year to year. Your father was reading scientific poultry literature, we read together instructions about vegetable planting in Hebrew. He made excerpts from literature he had borrowed and exact plans and estimates for future developments and kept accurate bookings of income and expenditure. He made written plans for scheduled tasks. In this way he became continuously well informed and had soon surpassed our initial examples and teachers, the good Ruthenbergs30, so that they now ask him for advice. At the same time the learning of the Hebrew language, which for him was just a little, for me not at all, familiar, went on. He ordered the “Ha'aretz” newspaper, wrote down words from it and memorized them. If I was lying down during the day once in a while, he used the opportunity to query me for words. Often I could not concentrate enough, because I was expecting Gadiel4. I did not feel myself restricted but was very tired and sometimes I felt unwell. We did not have a bit of time for leisure, the day was never long enough, even if it became so late. I can now hardly understand how little consideration we had for ourselves. It was as if we, the humans, were completely subordinate and unimportant. Only the “matter”, the “Meshek”6 counted. That one could do it easier, that one would want to have some variation, pleasure, nice clothes, that the house is not convenient enough, too hot and too full of flies, it seemed both of us a shame even to mention it. On the contrary, it seemed shameful to us to take a rest or conduct a proper Shabbat. It was taken for granted that we avoided spending money on anything which was not essential for life. When on



the way, why should one drink “Gasos”88, when back at home in 10 minutes, one has water? Do you need chocolate or candy? Should you buy yellow cheese, when you produce yourself white cheese? Is it necessary to eat potatoes, when rice is so much cheaper and better utilized? Buy a dress when you have one, even if it is not modern anymore? Without feeling it as a sacrifice, we gave up all amenities. It seemed to us that it could not be otherwise and we felt compensated by the success we have had in our work. It gave us a feeling of happiness and satisfaction in spite of all fatigue and ongoing tension. I think it is good that now, as you are bigger and more understanding, your parents have it so much easier. Although, even now, most of the year, we cannot spend very much time with you, but the daily schedule is not so fully pressed with work that cannot be delayed, and the slightest disturbance brings the balance to tip over. In situations like these, patience is hard tested and not always holding. As our thoughts were always set on the next task, they were not able to enjoy beautiful, but not necessarily useful, things. In any case it requires special energy. There was though some time when your father, under the warm glow of the kerosene lamp (though it was summer and we were dressed as lightly as possible), wrote essays about questions related to adaptation to the country, Jewish and Arab work, or about religion topics. I practiced the piano. The sweat ran down our faces but writing and piano exercises gave us great satisfaction.

b. In the first winter Kurt's rain outfit had been very deficient (mine remained so always). Shoes and coat were not adequate for the local cloudbursts. In the second year, Teddy54 gave his brother a heavy black leather coat which remained waterproof for many years.

Kurt went in the Sun with only a small hat on his head and his skin, which had been so rosy in Germany, and, as I had imagined, would never take on color, was soon dark brown. Although he does not belong to the kind of people who look at themselves at work and who never become dirty, he preferred white blouses. They were more comfortable because they hung over. In winter and summer he wore high shoes with soles strengthened with nails, and thick woolen stockings.

The high shoes were certainly warm enough in summer, but not winter. They were not waterproof. And why did he not buy rubber boots? Because they were not yet invented! The first were introduced by the “Dod”63 Ruthenberg30 some years later. They were passed around, admired and praised. And at that they were of poor quality and were soon torn and one got wet feet in the rain. The deerskin boots of Teddy54, which were tied high up the thigh and looked stable, did not have the right soles either.

Shortly after we arrived, still wearing our modern garments, the German settlers in Magdiel24, in their Shabbat suits, with the pants too tight, too short and out of fashion, seemed slightly funny to us, like confirmands that have grown out of their suits. But then our good clothes also hung for years in the closet and became unfashionable. The women on the

88 Sweetened sparkling water.



countryside went to work in short trousers in black or blue. For heaven's sake - not as short as the shorts of today! No, they were closed over the knee and that too was very advanced. They were, so to speak, the Grandmothers of the shorts. Our good Doda67 with her round figure, her strong legs in bright blue bloomers, sitting on the donkey, with 2 full bags hanging down on both sides over its back, was a pleasing sight. I had Bella Hirsch89 sew for me a few short khaki pants in boys fashion which was the beginning of this elegant costume of trousers here.

c. About the time as the first incubator arrived, we have had furniture ordered. There were good cabinetmakers in Tel-Aviv. But we did not have the time to go to the city73. Everything that was not part of building the “Mesheck”10 was in second priority. We ordered the furniture from Wachsmann, a local carpenter. He accepted the job, but it was a torment until he finally delivered them. He drew it terribly long and I was very cross with him. I wanted to let him at least run a bit after his money, to have a little revenge, but Kurt did not and gave him the money as soon as he appeared to collect it a single day after delivery. The simple painted open bookshelves of plywood and the desk were not very nice, but enough for our needs. The desk stood opposite the front door, where the sewing machine is now standing. Our two iron beds with their beautiful red toned covers from Germany stood on the narrow wall opposite the large glass door. The built-in furniture in the kitchen proved to be practical. As an eternal memory of Mr. Wachsmann, one sliding door is missing in the cabinet below the marble slab. It was not delivered with the whole lot. On my urging, Wachsmann's brother appeared - exactly on a Shabbat morning - and began to saw and hammer for hours and fill the place with wood shavings. Then, silently, he left the venue of action, without having the door installed. He had no success, it did not fit. And so it remained until this day. In 1934, our two armchairs, the smoking table, and the many books, in 7 crates, had arrived.

d. we got often visits by new immigrants, as the big “aliyah”16 from Germany began in 1933. Among them were acquaintances from the past and also others, recommended to us. As much as you showed around and offered information willingly, still each visit destroyed the day’s schedule. Every minute was so urgently needed. In comparison to the non-knowledgeable we were already experts. It gave us great pleasure when a visitor asked whether all the eggs, which were in the laying nest, were all laid by one hen. About this we could already laugh heartily.

e. At the same time with the beginning of our poultry and cow farming we started a vegetable “Mashtelah”41 behind the House. I have said above that our 9 “Dunam”20 were “Bur”90. The plot had the form of a towel: long and narrow (24 x 360 Mt.), inconvenient for the setting up of farm buildings. It caused for walking long distances and one could not well oversee the entire farm. All plots around us were cut into such strips: the also uncultivated ones of Liebermann and alias “cohen Godel”, then the “Pardessim”19 of Pinchasi, Tamarkin, Perl, etc., which were already yielding fruit. Only that of Ruthenberg30 had a double-wide plot of 18 “Dunam”20. He had a “Pardess”18 only on the 9 “Dunam”20 below his cottage, in direction of the street. On the uncultivated plots, “Chilfe”25 was growing abundantly in summer, thick

89 A friend and member of the Blau-Weiss movement. 90 Hebrew: uncultivated land.



grey-green bushes. From the outside it could not be seen how sharp the edges of the leaves of this grass were and how stabbing their tips were. Because it grows on dry ground, this weed sends its very tough roots down, up to one meter long, into the ground. It is very difficult to get rid of it. You hacked it over and over again, until it finally loses its strength. It was very time consuming.

On the whole we did not feel any inconvenience. It rings a bell for me in this context that I could not imagine, that for me the following could play any role: Mrs. S, in Tel-Aviv, showed us her flat and its practical facilities, such as an air cupboard in the kitchen, which was unknown to us from Germany. But to this she had to add she was unsatisfied that it began closely above the ground and she had to stoop down to take anything out. Would I notice it? Paid attention to it? Surely that would not make a difference to me!

f. After 3 sides of the first barn were built, it was still open to the court on one side. It was the orange picking time. Our neighbor Mr. Tamarkin found the open barn would be an ideal storage place for oranges and asked us to store his fruit there. We thought at the time it would be unfriendly to deny it, especially, when the man promised to clear the place at a certain time. For a long time we wanted already to close the barn and complete it – installing the perching tables for the hens, building the stalls for the cows and the donkey – but the oranges were still lying around and were not packaged. There was always some other reason. When he took them out at last, they have become much less. We could not prevent the builders from sweetening their breakfast every day with an orange. They were lying there so tempting and easy to take. It was quite unpleasant for us.

Of Tamarkin's reliability I got a bad impression. He has borrowed our “Plyer”91, a tool continually needed, “for a very short time”. He did not return it for weeks, despite our requests. Finally he returned it, half broken. What he had to say was “es is mir zar ufn harzen”92. I do not forget this expression since. But for us it was also “zar ufn Harzen”. We could not simply afford a new one and whenever we used the half-broken thing, one could not suppress an annoyed feeling. When later Tamarkin's late Father borrowed sack bags, the returning of which fell in oblivion, he had lost our respect, despite his stately and sure appearance. I am writing this because it was our first such experience. I also want my children to bear in mind, that such small misdemeanor in reliability, can forfeit the respect, and to a certain extent even the confidence of people to whom one is related. When this neighbor later approached us to borrow a tool, it was always “just in use”, until he ceased to ask. The “kibbutz”49 also liked to borrow hand tools from us, which we then had to get back always by ourselves. Happily, this music did not sound between us and Ruthenberg30. Borrowing was also very common between the housewives. One ran to your neighbor for a little salt, cocoa or an onion. These occasions do not end without some chatting, and much time is wasted. Fortunately, we lived inconveniently for neighbors.

91 English wrench 92 Yiddish: “It aches my heart”



g. As said above, Kurt was invited to participate as member or director in many organizations. Here are some documents connected to this activity.

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exodus + first beginings en c01

Documents