74 Passover – 'wandering in the desert'

Every year during the Passover vacation and before the evening of the Seder we children went 'wandering in the desert'. All of us were divided into tribes. We would paint ourselves flags of the Israel tribes, put keffiyehs on our heads, provide ourselves with military water flasks hanging on wide military belts and set out to 'wander in the desert', that is to say, through fields and orchards to the hidden valley. There we would set up a scout camp with tents, tables and towers, bake matzos and spend the day there until darkness fell.

Here we are seen about to start on our way, the children of 'Sela' and 'Shachaf'. Apparently I am the one holding the flag. It is difficult for me to identify myself in this picture, but there is no reason for it to be in my album if I do not appear in it and the only possible child is the one that holds the flag. To the left of me is Shlomit, and on the right is Ronit, and then Ygeal and Neomi. Next to me and slightly behind is Hagit, and the tall child behind the others is Yair.

There was fierce competition between the tribes to have the most beautiful flag. Pride was taken in marching straighter and singing louder, in preparing the most successful show and in building the highest tower. We are tribe Yehuda, if I succeeded in making out correctly the faded flag in the picture.

Up to this day has this tradition been kept up in the Kibbutzim. Not long ago when in Kibbutz Hatzor, I saw a picture of Ronit, who died this year, leading a group of little children that she worked with, on such a 'wandering in the desert'.

The flag poles were long, straight branches cut from Eucalyptus trees that also served us for scout structures in our improvised camp. Two flags are fluttering high above us.