Chapter 4 Group Spirit and the Movement

T he transition from elementary school to middle school and high school is always a milestone in the lives of teenagers. At Merhavia in the 1950s, it meant a major change in lifestyle. Our older group separated from the younger children's group, and joined the group at the high school called the " Mossad " – the educational institution – that was located on the western side of the kibbutz.

We were young and "green," but we felt big and mature. We embarked on a different agenda, full of new procedures that led to independence and responsibility for ourselves. Every day after school and lunch, we worked for about two hours in different branches of the kibbutz. We were included in the various committees and began to be part of the youth group society, and we organized our cultural life, work, events and holidays by ourselves. We were still a functioning unit, and we kept our identity as the Snunit Group. We had a daily schedule of duties, shifts in cleaning the house, group discussions once a week, and the planning of activities, yet the "nanny" and our teacher were still very important. In group discussions, we were free to express ourselves on social issues, current events, and the state of the kibbutz. I remember the 7th and 8th grades as a fascinating gateway to an active and vibrant society that filled our lives with rich, formative content. We had entered a new world full of excitement and growth, on a personal as well as social level.