Kibbutz Eshbal is a new Kibbutz in the Western Galilee located in the center of the Regional Council of Misgav. 40 graduates of the qualification path of the Noar Haoved Vehalomed founded the Kibbutz in 1998. The members of the Kibbutz decided to live their lives in accordance with the credo of taking responsibility for the surrounding community in particular, and Israeli society in general, by tightening relationships, co-operation, and social solidarity. Kibbutz members are dealing with various segments of Israeli society and have taken upon themselves social missions such as: social guidance in schools, centralization of all Noar Haoved Vehalomed activities in the region, work with youth from weak socio-economic strata of the population (through local service agencies and unique social projects), immigration absorption - which includes founding a boarding school for detached youth (mostly Ethiopian) on the Kibbutz, as well as projects for peaceful co-existence among Arab, Jewish and Bedouin neighbors. In addition, it is important to note that the main goal of this unique settlement is to found an Educational Kibbutz which will run a boarding school for distressed youth, a dual language school, social activities not related to the school system, youth groups, etc,

The Bedoin tribe of Arab El Naim lives close to Eshbal. . This tribe lives in a village, which wasn't officially recognized by authorities until the year 1999, and therefore did not receive basic human facilities which every person living in Israel deserves - running water, electricity, sewage, road infrastructures, etc. There are 800 people in the village, including 150 children and youth - some of who do not participate in formal educational systems from primary school age on. The newly founded Kibbutz's members searched the area for educational missions and during a walk happened to stumble upon the village. In the beginning, they initiated mostly spontaneous sport activities, however they learned of the deep need in the village, of both social and educational frameworks and decided to initiate activities comprising more substance and depth. The initial contacts with a member of the tribe's council, Mr. Nimer Naim along with Mr. Mohammed Sawad, the Bedoin youth co-ordinator, yielded co-operation between the Kibbutz members and the children and youth in the village. The Kibbutz members decided to support educational activities for village children and took a few projects upon themselves, which cover almost all the various populations in the village.


Developing Leadership for Local Youth

is a central goal in the work in the village and the key to peaceful co-existence in the area. Instead of creating an attitude of "We're coming to help them", the plan is to strengthen the village community from within and create a true relationship of equals between neighboring communities. This is done by creating a leadership group among village youth, which in the long run will take responsibility for the social educational activities of the local children. Young leaders from the village also work on communal projects with leaders from other communities in Misgav and with leaders from Sachnin and co-create a regional leadership group who have a shared goal for activities concerning co-existence.


The Hebrew Learning Center for Youth and Adults

Kibbutz members took upon themselves to aid village inhabitants in learning basic Hebrew in small groups, according to levels, using alternative pedagogical systems, which help the students accumulate successes and strengthen their self-confidence. There could also be individual, experiential learning, through games.


Young Women's Groups

Once a week, two Kibbutz leaders meet with a group of young women for the purpose of learning Hebrew, enrichment, and social activities. Some of the young women have ceased learning in school (some left after grade 4!) and some are in high school, and they are pioneers in the village by reaching such a high educational level. The leaders aid these women in successfully completing grade 12 (at this point only one person has completed grade 12 in the village). It is important to note that aside from this fruitful meeting, the young Bedoin women, donate all of their time to household and family chores and don't study or work outside the home, or find themselves in open social situations.


Youth and Children Social Club

The club, which is a meeting place for afternoon play and social activities according to age group, is modeled after the classical Noar Haoved Vehalomed Youth Movement structure. As of 2002, there are 9 leaders from Misgav settlements, and 6 local village leaders who provide activities for children from grade 3 to 7, including a game center for the youngest children. Leaders come to the village twice a week and set up activities for their participants according to age level. There are a variety of activities including sports, social games, and creative activities, strengthening Hebrew language skills, and enrichment.


After-Curricular Activities

Eshbal provides sports activities, which include basketball and soccer for the children of Arab-El-Naim. It is important to note that these activities are run on a voluntary basis by youth from the "Eshbal Youth Group" boarding school. These are mostly Ethiopian youth and the relationships between them and the village children are highly unique.


Summer Activities

Summer is an intensive time full of activities and project co-ordinators see fit to create many diverse activities for the children during all hours of the day. The summer camp "Kayetset" for youth between the ages of 9 and 13, for instance, is a week long camp with many different activities both on and off the Kibbutz. There are workshops in the Regional Council's camp in Arab-El-Naim, leadership trainings, which train the following year's leaders, camping, field trips, etc.

To summarize - today, there are activities occurring 4 days of the week, in the afternoons. The participants in these projects are children and youth from the Arab-El-Naim tribe, a mature leader, and young leaders from Sachnin and from Misgav, and project co-ordinators who also serve as mature leaders from Kibbutz Eshbal. The mature leaders comprise Arabs, Bedouins, and Jews, and they make up the local leadership complex and create an active and lively youth group in the village.

The belief is that notwithstanding all the difficulties that village inhabitants have to deal with, and notwithstanding the incredible gaps and the long road ahead still to be traversed, the youth activities in the village will significantly contribute to an empowered next generation in the village with greater self-confidence, and social awareness, in order to create an emotionally bonded meeting place between Arabs and Jews. Budding changes can already be seen.