The Chalutzim & Tu Beshvat

We're going to tell an exciting adventure story about the chalutzim!!!  But first, we must prepare the chanichim, because they have a very important role in

this story.  Play a game with them, where they stand in a line/circle/whatever, and every time you say a number, they have to do an action + noise to

match the number.  Go through the numbers really quickly... it'll get really funny.  Make sure you teach them each of the movements and sounds, first! 

After a while, when you see that they've got the numbers down pat, replace the numbers with words.  Go through this for a while, and maybe make it into a game by eliminating kids as you go along....

Here are the numbers/names with their matching motions/sounds:

#1)(Land) kiss your fingers, then "touch" the ground 

#2) (chalutzim) make a motion like you are digging with a shovel, and say "I'm working the land!"

#3)(eucalyptus trees) hold an imaginary straw to your mouth and make a sucking sound

#4) (malaria) make a buzzing sound, then "smush" the bug by clapping

#5) (kibbutz) hold a finger above your upper lip, like a "mustache" and say "heyhey!" is a strange voice (ask Racheli or Datya to find out how it sounds)

#6) (farm) hold two fingers like "horns" on either side of your head and say "moooooo!"

#7) (fight) make fighting sounds and motions

#8) (Turks) make a square "hat" on your head with your hands and say "gobble gobble"

Stage 2: the story

 incorporate the newly learned sounds/motions into this story.  Make sure the kids actively participate in it, cuz it'll be fun!!!  Don't be afraid of being really dramatic or using outrageous accents...

Stage 3: discussion

Ask your chanichim if THEY would have stayed and settled the land despite the dangers…

You can explain the courage it took to settle the land back when there was danger all over the place (Turks, Malaria, droughts, locusts, etc…).

THE STORY!!!

Make sure that before you start the story, explain these few things: 

1)       The Turks controlled Eretz Yisrael before WWI, when our story takes place 

2)       In the time that our story takes place, the chalutzim are starting to create the first ever kibbutzim in Eretz Yisrael -- a very hard thing to do.

The year: 1907.  The place: Land of Palestine (also known as “Eretz Yisrael” to those special few… those people who called themselves…. CHALUTZIM!!!!!!…. Dun dun DUUUUN!!!!)

It was a dark and stormy night, at the end of the summer when we, the

Chalutzim were finally resting after a long, hard day of planting eucalyptus trees.  These eucalyptus trees would help us to drain the surrounding swamps, the cause of our mysterious outbreaks of malaria which were threatening the creation of our kibbutz. for months and months now we were planning our farms in the future kibbutz, but with no extra help from the malaria mosquitoes. Back in (heavy Russian accent:)  Mother Russia, we learned that eucalyptus trees can be very helpful in draining up swamps. We wanted to drain all the swamp waters in the land of Israel, because the malaria mosquitoes lived off of these gross waters, and prevented any kibbutzim from growing successfully, cause everyone was getting sick with malaria.

            Suddenly, us chalutzim heard gunshots!  We were being attacked by a band of Turks!  They wanted to get us off the land.  A desperate fight quickly began between the Turks and us chalutzim.  They wanted us to surrender, but we wouldn’t go down without a fight!  As the turks came nearer and nearer, we realized we must have a plan to defend our land, our kibbutz, and our farms. we dodged through the clouds of malaria mosquitoes, ran through the swamps, and climbed up the eucalyptus trees. The turks ran towards us with their swords ready to strike! We had to come up with a plan – and fast! One of the chalutzim shouted out from his eucalyptus branch that we might still be saved: all we had to do was to do was to go to the farms, get our full jars of collected malaria mosquitoes, and throw them right at the fighting turks. It was so crazy – it might have just worked. Might have. Because right at that moment I felt my eucalyptus tree branch cracking. As I saw my fellow chalutzim reach out to help me, I started screaming…..

            And then – I woke up. It had only been a dream.

 In the morning, we, chalutzim of the future-to-be “Dgania” kibbutz, all woke up early to start building our farms among the beautiful eucalyptus trees on our holy land. Two days later, our kibbutz stood strong and proud – proud to be the first ever kibbutz in the land of Israel.