לִפְנֵיlif-NEIעֶשְׂרִיםes-RIMשָׁנָהsha-NAבִּלִּיתִיbi-LI-tiקַיִץKA-yitzאֶחָדe-KHADכְּמִתְנַדֵּבke-mit-na-DEVבְּקִבּוּץbe-ki-BUTZבְּעֵמֶקbe-E-mekהַחוּלָה.ha-khu-LA.הִתְעוֹרַרְנוּhit-o-RAR-nuבְּחָמֵשׁbe-kha-MESHבַּבֹּקֶרba-BO-kerכְּדֵיke-DEIלִקְטֹףlik-TOFאֲבוֹקָדוֹa-vo-KA-doבַּמַּטָּעִיםba-ma-ta-IMהָרְטֻבִּיםha-re-tu-VIMוְהַקְּרִירִים.ve-ha-ke-ri-RIM.אַחֲרֵיa-kha-REIאֲרוּחַתa-ru-KHATהַבֹּקֶרha-BO-kerבַּחֲדַרba-kha-DARהָאֹכֶל,ha-O-khel,עָבַדְנוּa-VAD-nuעוֹדODאַרְבַּעar-BAשָׁעוֹתsha-OTתַּחַתTA-khatשֶׁמֶשׁSHE-meshחַמָּה.kha-MA.אַחַרa-KHARהַצָּהֳרַיִםha-tzo-ho-RA-yimקָרָאתִיka-RA-tiסְפָרִיםsfa-RIMבַּסִּפְרִיָּהba-sif-ri-YAאוֹoשָׂחִיתִיsa-KHI-tiבַּבְּרֵכָהba-bre-KHAהַקְּטַנָּה.hak-ta-NA.בָּעֲרָבִיםba-a-ra-VIMיָשַׁבְנוּya-SHAV-nuבְּמוֹעֲדוֹןbe-mo-a-DONהַמִּתְנַדְּבִיםha-mit-nad-VIMוְשָׁתִינוּve-sha-TI-nuבִּירָהBI-raקָרָה.ka-RA.הִתְיַדַּדְתִּיhit-ya-DAD-tiעִםimבַּחוּרָהba-khu-RAהוֹלַנְדִּיתho-LAN-ditשֶׁלִּמְּדָהshe-lim-DAאוֹתִיo-TIכַּמָּהka-MAמִלִּיםmi-LIMבַּשָּׂפָהba-sa-FAשֶׁלָּהּ.she-LA.לִפְעָמִים,lif-a-MIM,בְּלֵילוֹתbe-lei-LOTשַׁבָּת,sha-BAT,חַבְרֵיkhav-REIהַקִּבּוּץha-ki-BUTZסִפְּרוּsip-RUסִפּוּרִיםsi-pu-RIMסְבִיבsvivמְדוּרָה.me-du-RA.הַקַּיִץha-KA-yitzהַהוּאha-HUשִׁנָּהshi-NAמַשֶּׁהוּMA-she-huעָמֹקa-MOKבְּתוֹכִי,be-to-KHI,וְעַדve-ADהַיּוֹםhai-YOMאֲנִיa-NIמִתְגַּעְגֵּעַmit-ga-A-ge-aלַחַיִּיםla-kha-YIMהַפְּשׁוּטִיםhap-shu-TIMשָׁם.SHAM.
Twenty years ago I spent one summer as a volunteer on a kibbutz in the Hula Valley. We woke up at five in the morning to pick avocados in the wet, cool groves. After breakfast in the dining hall, we worked another four hours under a hot sun. In the afternoon I read books in the library or swam in the small pool. In the evenings we sat in the volunteers' clubhouse and drank cold beer. I made friends with a Dutch girl who taught me a few words in her language. Sometimes, on Friday nights, the kibbutz members told stories around a bonfire. That summer changed something deep inside me: and to this day I miss the simple life there.