Nadav Peket | Photographer  

The Histadrut (General union of workers in the Land of Israel) was established in 1920.

The Histadrut was established in order to unite under one roof all the Jewish workers in the Land of Israel.

Further to its activities as a workers union, the Histadrut was an entity which undertook the absorption of immigrants, the development of the country, the establishment of health and education state institutions and places of employment.  Holiday sanitariums were also built for the Histadrut employees. In 1930,  Mapai ("Workers' Party of the Land of Israel") was established and in the elections held in 1933, the party members won control of the Histadrut. The sanitariums were very popular and the Histadrut workers would take a few days every year, to vacation there. Till the early 80's of the 20th century, a vast number of sanitariums were operated in the country and sometimes a two year waiting list existed for a popular sanitarium. But in the 80's, with the coming of many hotels, especially in Eilat, the public began to steer clear of the sanitariums and most of them were closed. A problematic mixing of politics amongst the heads of the Histadrut, who were also members of the ruling party in the government, along with financial mismanagement, brought about the final dissolution of the Histadrut in 1994, which was then re-established as an entity which would function as a workers union per say.

Most of the assets owned by the histadrut were sold after it's dissolution. Those few still standing, are derelict.

The series of photographs "Absence" is in memory of a generation and a period in time which disappeared, never to return.