58 The Birth of Youth

When the State of Israel was two years old and the Kibbutz was at the peak of its glory, Yohanan Simon made this painting for the dinning room of Gan Shmuel's High school. No sooner had the state come into existence than kibbutz children were its 'princes' of nature and freedom. The community of the 'Kibbutz Children' which was a kind of autonomous youth utopia was intended to create the 'New Man', who was to be the exact opposite of the Diaspora Jew. Influenced by the ethos of the European youth movements as well as progressive educational ideas, the educational institution was established as a world in itself, almost completely separated from the cares of adult life.

A basic component of the new youth world was wide open spaces. Going out to nature was one of the cardinal principles of the youth movement, and in the realm of the kibbutz itself, the daily life, shared by all, was extremely important.

All these things are depicted in Yohanan Simon's painting. The healthy, sport-loving kibbutz children reveal their bodies without any shame. They are not wrapped in layers of clothes and bent like Diaspora Jews, but exposed, tanned and tall. They leap high, dance, play music (and wave the red flag). Their activities take place outside in the wide open spaces, shaded by trees. No parents or teachers are present and they are engrossed in their youth world, creative and healthy. How much optimism, confidence and hope are in this picture.

From the original Simon fresco, Marko Santi created in Ravenna, Italy, this beautiful mosaic which now hangs in the lobby of the entrance to the auditorium of Pardes Hanah's Culture and Youth Center.