Israeli summers of yore, when the outdoors was the adventure

A collection of photographs from the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) Archive offers a glimpse into Israeli summers before and during the early years of the State of Israel. These images depict a childhood that was simple, community-centered, and rugged, contrasting sharply with modern summer routines. Efrat Sinai, director of archives at KKL-JNF, noted that “the forest, fields, tractor, threshing floor and local swimming pool were all part of childhood. These weren’t staged vacation moments; they were everyday life.” Photos include children on a haystack in Kibbutz Tel Yosef in 1930, children on a tractor at Kibbutz Beit Keshet in 1935, and children at a community pool in 1940. Even in the late 1960s, as seen in images from a camp in Ben Shemen, summer activities remained focused on outdoor experiences and human connection. Sinai emphasizes that these photographs serve as an important historical record, preserving national history through everyday moments and evoking a sense of deeply Israeli nostalgia.