Norwood Dentist Dr. Norton Fishman and Family Reflect on Volunteer Month at Israeli Kibbutz-October 13, 1980

American dental expertise is held in remarkably high regard in Israel, and Norwood dentist Dr. Norton Fishman knows firsthand just how vital those skills are abroad.

Dr. Fishman, his wife Carol, and their three children spent the month of July volunteering on Kibbutz Kinneret in the Jordan Valley, nestled near where the River Jordan flows out of the Sea of Galilee.

“Medicine is advanced in Israel, but the state of dentistry on the kibbutzim is about where we were 25 years ago,” Dr. Fishman observed, offering the assessment with deep admiration rather than criticism.

A Profound Cultural Immersion

The Fishman family completely fell in love with Israel, captivated by its scenic beauty, the warmth of its people, and its slower-paced, value-rich lifestyle.

“Living on the kibbutz was a great experience for all of us,” Dr. Fishman said. The family worked side-by-side with local residents, fully integrated into community life. “It was unusual being accepted as one of them, not as part-time volunteers or visitors,” Mrs. Carol Fishman added. “They told us we are now family and can come back any time.”

Founded in the 1920s on what was once a malaria-infested swamp, Kinneret is the second oldest kibbutz in Israel. Today, it stands as a thriving, magnificent community shaded by eucalyptus trees and sustained by commercial agriculture—including cotton, dates, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, fodder corn, hay, mangoes, and grapes—alongside a 600-head dairy herd, a plastics manufacturing plant, and a factory producing paddles for Israel’s popular beachball game.

Family Contributions on the Kibbutz

Every member of the Fishman family took on daily responsibilities:

• Dr. Norton Fishman: Devoted four days a week to dental care, treating nearly 200 patients across four weeks. He focused heavily on teenagers, beginning with 18-year-olds preparing for military service and working down to 13-year-olds.
• Carol Fishman: Worked in the communal kitchen and dining room preparing breakfast and supper (with the main meal served at midday).
• Scott (17): Worked in the banana and cotton fields.
• Robin (16): Initially worked in the cotton fields before transitioning to the dining room due to an allergy.
• Lauren (14): Polished paddles in the factory.

“Living and working on the kibbutz gave them a new set of values,” Mrs. Fishman noted. “It was an experience that will be important to them for the rest of their lives.” The couple noted that children on the kibbutz assume adult responsibilities starting at age 13, ranging from childcare to driving tractors and building bomb shelters.

Professional Background and Reflections on Security

Back home in Norwood, Dr. Fishman—a Harvard Dental School graduate (Class of 1954), faculty member, and specialist in geriatric dentistry serving at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aging in Roslindale and New England Sinai Hospital—found his month of treating Israeli youth a refreshing change of pace. “They are such beautiful kids,” he remarked.

Reflecting on regional geopolitics, Dr. Fishman noted that despite the volatile Middle Eastern political climate, he felt entirely safe, often taking late-night walks along the roads as late as 11:00 p.m. “But,” he added, “the whole country is heavily protected. It’s a real burden on the society, but a necessity.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger