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Going Green Down SouthReprinted from The Jerusalem Report 1998 Lotan's isolation isn't only physical. It is one of the only two Kibbutzim whose members belong to the tiny Israeli Reform movement (the other, Yahel, lies just a few kilometers away). And, in a country that is increasingly materialistic and still relatively indifferent ecologically, it has chosen to be different in yet another sense: Lotan is in the midst of what amount to a life-style conversion- it's going Green. Always heavily dependent on agriculture, the kibbutz is now moving toward organic farming. It is using "natural" predators: such as mites, to control pests and replace noxious, polluting pesticides. It is adopting "inter- cropping" techniques- where different crops are planted together on the same land so that a balance of nutrients is maintained in the soil. It is growing most of its vegetables organically, and hoping, with the imminent arrival of solar ovens, that it'll soon be able to heat it's water by burning the methane from its 250 strong dairy herd. And members are investigating wind energy as a source of power for domestic use. For many Lotan members, the connection between ecological awareness and their religious beliefs is obvious and natural. "Reform Judaism and ecology go together: It's about thinking for yourself, creating your own traditions, experimentation", says Mike Kaplin, 33, manager of environmental and building projects on the kibbutz. David Dolev, director of the kibbutz's educational tourism program, agrees. "Many of us feel that it's strongly connected to our Judaism. Part of this is because of the holiness of creation itself, but also there are suggestions in the Scriptures of how we act and react to nature. At Lotan. It's a community commitment, not just the beliefs of a few crazies". Lotan was founded in 1983 by about 40 people in their early 20s, mostly American immigrants, from the Reform movement. Twenty five of the founders still live on Lotan; the average age has risen to 32, and the numbers have swollen. Today, there are 60 members and 40 children, and 10 more women are expecting. The demography has also changed: About half the members are Israeli-born, and the non-Sabra component is less American, with members from England, Russia, Australia and elsewhere. Work has also begun on a children's playground made of recycle objects. At the moment, it's an exposed patch of land with some sculptures, seats made from old tires, and huts of mud and bottles. But Kaplin hopes that it will form the basis of an education area for kibbutz children and visiting groups. Lotan already runs seminars on Reform Judaism and ecology. Why is that Lotan, and so many other kibbutzim particularly in the Arava, are heeding the call to turn rotten cauliflower into compost, to shift from harmful organochlorine pesticides into organics? One reason may be the high proportion of Westerners here, many of whom have brought a global environmental awareness and practical know-how with them to the area and came to the Arava not only out of Zionism, but also to get away from the pollution and environmental horrors of their home countries. What's more, says Kibbutz Gezer's Jan Martin Bang, treasurer of the Green Kibbutz Group, the relatively young Arava kibbutzim are not burdened with the "inertia" of some of their longer established counterparts, and are thus more open to change and to fresh ideas. Samar's energy officer, Bryan Medwed, who immigrated from Michigan 15 years ago, believes kibbutzim are ideal for promoting the Green way of life. "They're organized, interconnected communities, and they're connected to the land." "The Arava is a very boring place", adds Medwed, only half in jest. "If you come here to live, you must have an interest in nature. It's the only show in town." But it's an uphill struggle. There are no recycling facilities nearby and like other kibbutzim in the area. Lotan draws on the increasingly limited supply of underground aquifers to irrigate its crops. What's more, there are few precedents for environmentally sensitive farming in Israel, particularly in the harsh climate of the Arava. that means a lot of trial and error. "There are no real models yet, no real confidence in this kind of thing", says Medwed, who compares environmental awareness in Israel to attitudes on sanitation was widely accepted," he says. "It's the same with ecology." Even Lotan is sometimes forced to curb it ecology enthusiasm. Members admit to using chemical fertilizers, albeit reluctantly, on the watermelons and dates which together with the dairy, constitute the backbone of their income. But such concessions to economic pressures, members hope, will prove temporary. To underline the depth of its commitment, Lotan is even gearing up to defy the lesson of the three little pigs- by reverting from bricks to straw in future building. Mike Kaplin became familiar with the technique of "straw-bale construction"- where straw (an agriculture by-product, left over from the grain, that would otherwise be burned) is mixed with mud and concrete- back in Arizona. Lotan is to introduce it within two years. Contact Lotan Center for Creative EcologyLeah Zigmond |
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