After leaving Jerusalem, we rode our blue tour bus to Kibbutz Kalia, where we had a brief tour and prepared to ask residents of the Kibbutz about the Dead Sea and their life. My group was assigned to bright woman named Nir and her small baby. We walked to a cool spot and started our talk.
We first learned about her interesting life: She was born on this kibbutz but then moved to Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, there were barely any Jews and she faced constant antisemitism, but she pushed through and once 18, instead of going to college, she decided to go back to the place where she was born. She join the IDF and at the time, Israel had recently regained the land close to the Dead Sea. Nir was assigned to a unit that would develop the area through kibbutzim. Even though the work was back-breaking, she said it was the best time she had and would go back if she could.
Then we moved on to questions about the Dead Sea, which was at the center of our mission there. Nir told us how you could see the shrinking of the Dead Sea where rocks that were previously underwater formed steps down to the Dead Sea, and to look out for a white lifeguard tower that used to be next to the waterline when we would visit the sea. We were told that if the sea disappeared, then Kalia beach would not bring in income for the kibbutz and hurt the community as well as the environment. She felt that it was dire that action must be taken so when her child is 20, he will be able to experience one of the world's natural wonders. What I thought was interesting was that when we asked how everyday people could help, she said we were beyond that point and government action must be taken on big companies who are causing this. I was shocked to hear that there was no official foundation to lobby in the government to press for change. She told us how the situation was so complicated involving borders, water usage, and companies – including a new international one from China – that the government won’t tax enough.
In the end she told us about her job of supporting Israel on the internet and teaching children important life skills that they need – for example, what to do in case of an earthquake, or missile sirens going off (this included an anecdote on how after she taught a community about what to do in case of the sirens, they were all safe after a missile hit a building). Nir inspired us. She embodies leadership that not only leads a group but also sets examples through work and spreads her thoughts and ideas to create awareness and an impact. I hope that 20 years from now, both us and the younger generations from the kibbutz will be able to feel the weightlessness of floating in the Dead Sea in the State of Israel.