Hayanka Gilad, the oldest member of Israel’s historic Kibbutz Movement, passed away Monday at the age of 110.
Hayanka immigrated to Israel from Lithuania in 1937. Two years later she and her family moved to the Upper Galilee, where she helped establish Kibbutz Dafna - one of Israel’s most successful and well known communal communities.
According to Hayanka's son Erik, his mother worked tirelessly around the Kibbutz in various fields until she reached the age of 97.
"She worked all her life. She worked at the chicken coops, in the kitchen, and for almost 60 years was a caregiver and worked in education.”
"Until the age of 97, she would get up every morning at 6 am and stay active until 11 pm or even midnight. She continued to work at the kibbutz's shoe factory, until one night she fell and then decided to retire,” Erik added.
Hayanka eventually moved to the kibbutz's sheltered housing. And though she stopped working, she never stopped being an active member of the kibbutz’s community.
"She was constantly involved in activities. She knew everything, remembered everything and continued to be the life of the party everywhere,” said her son, who further spoke of his mother’s well known kindness and constantly happy demeanor.
"She never quarreled with anyone. To her, everyone was a good person,” he added.
In a statement, the national Kibbutz Movement stated that the entire movement is mourning Hayanka's loss.
“[She] was a symbol for all of us when she immigrated alone from Lithuania, devoted most of her life in the kibbutz to education and retired only at the age of 97, after joining the kibbutz shoe factory at the age of 63 and building a glorious family line of three children, nine grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.”
First published: 17:11, 03.08.22