This is a photograph from the NLI collections taken in 1953. The photograph depicts two young men standing on a cart decorated with plants, fruits, and vegetables and carrying an oversized model bunch of grapes as Bikkurim, the first fruits. The wheels of the cart are also decorated with plants, representing the abundance of produce grown in Israel. The two men standing on top of the cart are dressed in striped shorts that are bound by a sash and are bare chested. Their pose with the oversized bunch of grapes is reminiscent of the 12 spies who surveilled the Land of Israel before the Jews entered for the first time. It is believed that the fruit at the time were so big that two men had to carry one bunch of grapes. The large fruit and the spies’ negative reports demoralised the Israelites, and the spies were punished by being barred from entering the Land of Israel. In the background of the photograph there are also men in white shirts and hats.
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Shavuot - The festival of Shavuot is also known as the Festival of the First Fruits, and it has become a time of celebration for farmers in Israel, particularly on kibbutzim. During the time of the Temple, the bikkurim (first fruits) were brought to the Temple in Jerusalem in a joyous procession. Rabbinical interpretation explains that the first fruits were the seven species of Israel and thus included grapes. In modern Israel, kibbutzim celebrate Shavuot and the bikkurim with processions displaying their produce of the previous year, including fruit and vegetables, farm animals, and even the new babies!
Kibbutz Hazorea - This photo was taken on Kibbutz Hazorea, located in the west of the Jezreel Valley. The kibbutz was established in 1936 by German Jews belonging to the Werkleute youth movement. Werkleute was a socialist youth movement that later, in 1938, joined the Hashomer Hatzair movement. Kibbutz Hazorea was famous for its furniture factory, which closed in 1991. It is currently the home to the Plagim School, various volunteer programs including Garin Tzabar (a program for lone soldiers from abroad), and the Wilfrid Israel Museum.
