A gift for our children

The Museum of Art in Ein Harod is showing an exhibition called "A gift for our children: culture for children in Kibbutzim". This exhibition and the book written afterwards are the result of 4 years of research made by Dr. Einat Amitai. Amitai investigated the unique culture of children that grew up in Kibbutz. The exhibition based on collection of written sources of information and assembly of objects from kibbutzim archives and from private people throughout the country. Parts of the pictures shown in the exhibition are taken from the Central Zionist Archives.

The exhibition introduces ideas related to the culture children in the kibbutz were raised upon beginning with the 1920s and up to today in various domains: games and toys, literature, art, movies, theater, architecture and photographs. The exhibit and the book raise questions about the significance of collaboration in education, about the involvement of the community in the children’s education, and the contribution of adults to the design of the cultural milieu in which the future generation was raised.

In order to execute the exhibition, Einat Amitai looked throughout the photograph collections of the CZA photographs related to children and their environment in different Kibbutzim in the 40's and 50's. The photos chosen for display at the exhibition are showing children playing in their kindergarten and playground, a Nanny with babies, a toy store and Honzo David Ben Shalom with his Puppet Theater truck at the tent encampment.

The exhibition continues to display until the end of January in the Museum of Art Ein Harod.