This is an article reporting a talk given by Surika Braverman in Holon in 1963 about the founding of Kibbutz Shamir. According to the article, despite the numerous difficulties faced by the kibbutz members, no one had left and a thriving community had been established.
In her talk Braverman referred to the support provided by neighbouring settlements, for example, after Kibbutz Shamir was damaged by Syrian shelling, neighbouring kibbutzim assisted with repairs. She also mentioned the care needed to tend to each tree planted due to the rocky terrain of the Galilee. Surika told her audience about the life of the children who had to stay in shelters for long periods due to bombardments from Syria and about the “War over Water,” the dispute with the neighbouring Arab countries over the sources of the River Jordan. She referred particularly to the conflict with the Syrians over the rights to the water from the Dufeila stream.
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Kibbutz Shamir - Kibbutz Shamir was established in 1944 by members of the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. Hashomer Hatzair was a Marxist-Zionist youth movement which believed that Jewish youth could be liberated by moving to Israel and forming kibbutzim. It is the oldest Zionist youth movement still active today.
From the time of the War of Independence to the Six Day War, Kibbutz Shamir was continually attacked by Syria. The occupation of the Golan Heights following the Six Day War brought an end to these attacks. Kibbutz Shamir’s water used to come from the Dufeila stream east of the Kibbutz, around 300 metres from the previous border. In 1949, the members of Kibbutz Shamir built a reservoir and a dam collecting the water of the stream, which led to conflict between Israel and Syria where the stream originated. A compromise was reached between the two countries that the kibbutz could use the water at night and half of the water flow during the day. However, during the summer, when the need for water was greater, the Syrians diverted the water flow and prevented water from reaching the kibbutz. Later, the Syrians attempted to destroy the reservoir and block the water pipes, as a way of obstructing Jewish settlement in the north of Israel. In 1967, an alternative water system was created to provide water to the kibbutz.
Davar – The newspaper Davar was founded in 1925 by Berl Katznelson and was the official journal of the Histadrut (Labour Union). During the British Mandate it was considered the official publication of the Yishuv (the Jewish population of pre-state Israel) institutions and played a central role in moulding Jewish public opinion in Israel. After the establishment of the State of Israel, Davar was primarily identified with the ruling socialist Mapai party and served as a platform for op-eds by the party leaders. The paper was closed in 1996.
