Though every few years we experience a crisis situation, we have over the past years become accustomed to the idea of a New Middle East of peace and economic prosperity. Only this time - no one knows how long it will last, what will follow and whether we are past the peak of events or in other words, can the situation get any worst.

Activities recently initiated - bringing in venture partners and overcoming the large debts of the Kibbutz - will need to withstand the test of these difficult times. In the meantime, we need to deal with damage control. In some of our tourism business ventures we have suffered a loss of 80% of our income. The kibbutz guesthouse suffered less than the spa and the inn, and even has some bookings, but no one can predict how many will in fact materialize; it all depends on the specific situation at the time.

In addition to the decrease in the number of guests there is also pressure to downgrade prices. Extensive efforts have and are made to reduce salaried manpower to the minimum so that the community can receive maximum salaries. To do so kibbutz members are expected to take on the jobs that were previously manned by salaried manpower such as the guesthouse evening and night reception clerks, custodians and life guards at the spa and the swimming pool, work at the guesthouse dinning room, cleaning of guest rooms, etc.

These times requires greater job responsibility on the part of each and every kibbutz member. We have not faced such a crisis situation since the Gulf War, only then, the crisis was over after three months but today - no one knows. Most of the teams in our business ventures adapted quickly to the new work patterns. Kibbutz members took on work at unconventional work hours and additional tasks.

In each and every position, flexibility, responsibility and creativity are essential to cost saving on the one hand and income increase on the other hand. We have no other choice but to adapt ourselves to the situation and thus ensure our survival.

Shvat 5761 - February 2001