This is a photograph of a man named Raphael Stern, watering plants on Kibbutz Ginegar, which is located in the Jezreel Valley. Stern is standing in the centre of a plantation surrounded by recently-planted young trees. He is wearing the clothes and boots typical of farmers and kibbutz members working the land. Another classic symbol of farmers and Sabras (native Israelis) is the kovah tembel (tembel hat) that Stern is wearing to protect himself from the sun. He is holding a sickle and a black hose, necessary farming tools.
Farmers worked in the years before and after the establishment of the State of Israel to transform Israel’s mostly barren land into forests and flourishing fields of crops. Israel is located in an arid region of the world. In order to overcome this, Israel has become a forerunner in water and agricultural technology, with innovative developments in irrigation and, more recently, desalinisation.
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Kibbutz Ginegar - Kibbutz Ginegar was established in 1922. Like other kibbutzim, it was originally founded as an agricultural village, but over the years the kibbutz has been renewed and privatized with most of its members finding work outside of the kibbutz. It is famous for its plastics company, Ginegar Plastics Products Ltd., which has revolutionised the manufacturing of advanced plastic films and nets.
