KIBBUTZ MEMBER PIONEERS NATIONAL SERVICE EXCHANGE

Kibbutz Maoz Haim's Adam Gilboa: Volunteering Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

The spirit of volunteerism among kibbutz members runs above and beyond the call of duty, with some 40% of United Kibbutz Movement members volunteering for a year of national service prior to their full period of recruitment in the Israeli army. This year, Adam Gilboa of Kibbutz Maoz Haim in the Beit Shean Valley is adding a new twist to the Movement's National Service program, as he spends his volunteer year in Cleveland.

Adam's interest in Cleveland started when he took part in a Partnership 2000 week-long encounter with a visiting Cleveland youth delegation two years ago. He followed up the experience last summer by joining a Cleveland youth delegation for the entire summer. "It made me hungry for more," says Gilboa. "I felt a need to show ourselves and our country to our guests. I then also learned about Partnership 2000 and came up with the idea of spending a year's service in Cleveland".

Overcoming, the many difficulties involved in becoming the "first", Gilboa has started his tour of duty with Cleveland's Jewish community, working at several Jewish schools. If the experiment succeeds, it could serve as the harbinger for many more idealistic Israeli youth that seek to help the partnered Diaspora communities address their many challenges.

Nisan 5762 - April 2002