When most people think of a working holiday in Israel they have in mind the fairly well-known kibbutz, a communal settlement usually engaged in agriculture.

      Not nearly as well-known are Israel's moshavim (plural for moshav) - farming cooperative where the farmers work their own plots of land. From the agricultural standpoint, the moshave is even more important than the kibbutz as it produces over 40% of Israel's food.

      But unlike the kibbutz, the moshav has not produced the same volume of important political and military figures that have protected kibbutz interests in the government. Consequently, many moshavim are in dire economic straits.

      Neverthelesss, the moshavim in Israel continue to suffer labor shortages, which give foreigners the opportunity to work in the country. With the exception of the summer months, a tourist will usually have no problem getting placed on a moshav somewhere in Israel.

      Work on a moshav can be a rewarding experience but it may take some endurance to stick out the minimum two month commitment. The work is almost universally hard, and sometimes the living conditions are even more difficult.

      The range of activities you may be engaged in at the moshav vary greatly. In a single day you could find yourself caring for tomato plants in the morning, washing off the roofs of greenhouses at midday, and harvesting watermelons in the afternoon.

      Accommmodations at the moshav are also highly variant. If you're lucky you will stay in a new cubicle behind your assigned farmer's house, where you may have your own private room and even a television. On the other hand, you are more likely to be assigned to a volunteer housing area that looks worse than the refugee camps set up for incoming Russian and Ethiopian immigrants.

      Volunteers are assigned two to a room and four to a cubicle here with a shared bath and kitchen. In these housing areas one can find oneself without running water for days at a time, and with electricity that flutters on and off every several minutes or so.

      But even worse than these inconveniences may be the problems caused by large numbers of hard-partying British volunteers who routinely flock to the moshav. The combination of heavy drinking and restlessness on the part of the British has often led to fighting and vandalism.

      On some occasions, the office that assigns volunteers to their respective moshavim have refused to accept tourists from Britain unless they have worked on a moshav before with good recommendations. For those who eschew rowdy behavior it might be wise to ask for a moshav that screens its volunteers more diligently.

      On the positive side of the moshav experience, the volunteer has a chance to learn a great deal about some of the most advance agricultural practices found anywhere in the world. The work is both physically and mentally challenging, and there are opportunities to forge close friendships with both other volunteers and the moshavniks themselves.

      If you work there long enough the moshav will take you on free tours to sites around Israel. These trips can range from a dinner in a bedouvin tent to a tour of the Old City in Jerusalem. The moshavniks lead the trips themeselves and their knowledge of Israel and its history is often surprising.

      The other benefit of working on the moshav is that, unlike the kibbutz, you are paid for your work on the moshav. The wage current early this year was 700 shekels per month, which equates to approximately US$300. If you work overtime you get paid five shekels an hour. Accommodations are free, but you have to buy your own food.

      To work on a moshav you must apply in person at one of three offices in Tel Aviv. Another way is to go directly to the moshav itself, but this is frowned upon by the main office. The office of the Moshavim Movement can be found on 19 Leonardo Da Vinci St. in Tel Aviv.

This article was written in 1995