Israeli summers of yore, when the outdoors was the adventure

“The forest, fields, tractor, threshing floor and local swimming pool were all part of childhood,” said Efrat Sinai, director of archives at KKL-JNF. “These weren’t staged vacation moments; they were everyday life.” Long before branded summer camps, ninja parks, tech learning and family vacations abroad, summer vacation in Israel looked very different. Children rode tractors through newly established farming communities, cooled off in small concrete pools between the homes and gathered beneath the trees to watch impromptu performances accompanied by an accordion. A collection of photographs from the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) Archive offers a rare glimpse into Israeli summers before the establishment of the State of Israel and during its early years. Together, the images capture a childhood that was simple, community-centered, rugged and far removed from today’s routines.