For many years, thousands of volunteers came to Kibbutzim from all over the world. They worked on the Kibbutz, traveled all over Israel, and experienced the common life of the community. Some of them even found love and married Kibbutz members. The volunteering project revealed a whole new positive aspect of the Israeli being, which usually appears in a negative way, mostly in the international media. A number of celebrities were volunteers in Kibbutzim, including Jerry Seinfeld, Sigourney Weaver, Ali G, Simon La-Bon (“Duran Duran”), and Debra Winger. Denmark is one of the main countries which took part in volunteering project. In an article that was published in “Ha’aretz” a couple of years ago, it said that about 40 Danish parliament members have been volunteers in Kibbutzim in Israel in the past, - a fact that has probably increased Danish support in Israel. The volunteering project is an important part in the good relationship between Israel and Denmark. But this relationship reaches back further into the past. In September 1943 the Nazis decided on the “final solution” for the Danish Jews. This plan was secretly told to the head of the Danish Social Democratic party, and he passed the message to the Danish underground and the head of the Jewish community, and the Jews were rescued by Danish people.

The Danish underground managed secretly to transfer the Jews to the eastern coast of the country, and in a few days, thousands of Jews were smuggled on fishing boats to neutral Sweden. About 7,200 Danish Jews (90% of the Danish Jewish population in those days) were safely smuggled to Sweden. For this heroic rescue operation the whole Danish people received the Righteous Gentile award. Although it seems that Israel and Denmark are two totally different countries: cold climate as opposed to hot climate, peace and quiet as opposed to constant security tension, the similarities are more than one would think. Both countries are relatively small (if we ignore Greenland which is part of the Danish territory), and the size of the population is similar.

Personally, I see in the Danish social-economic model a role model that can be adopted in the Israeli economy. The Danish market balances a governmental welfare system and high quality of life with minimum governmental intervention. The labor unions in Denmark (which represents 75% of the Danish labor force) have a daily influence on the everyday lives of the workers. The Danish business tradition includes a wide range of cooperation with the unions in managing the businesses, and in most cases, they have representatives on the boards of directors. I hope that a day will come when Israel will be more similar to Denmark and the Scandinavian peace will be a part of the Israeli reality.