Kibbutz is the Hebrew word for communal settlement. In Israel, it is a unique socio-economic rural community originally agricultural. However, over the years, Kibbutzim have branched out to include industrial enterprises and hi-tech projects.
The Kibbutz has gone through several changes over the years. Still, the original ideology of a society committed to social justice, mutual aid, the principle of joint property ownership, all receiving an equal education, and all members having a home and all it implies according to their needs remains in many kibbutzim.
It is 100 years since the first Kibbutz (named Degania) was set up near the shores of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) by a group of young East European immigrants motivated by the ideals of Zionism and socialism.
Even though there have been many economic and ideological setbacks, the kibbutz has become the largest community-based movement globally, with 268 Kibbutz communities stretching from the Negev in the South to the Golan Heights in the North of Israel and a membership above one hundred and seventeen thousand people.
80% of the Kibbutzim came into being before 1948 when the State of Israel was established. Each kibbutz is run autonomously by its members both economically and socially. Still, the strong bonds between them have been formalized into national federations that coordinate and share many activities.
A Kibbutz is not a village as no public roads run through it, and it is legally a completely private area. The economy is based on communal finances, and economic and social activities are shared. There is a community kitchen with meals served in a communal dining room. Some Kibbutzim have tried sending food to members’ houses, but the consensus seems to be that members prefer communal dining facilities.
There have been many changes in the way kibbutzim were run in the past and how many are run today. Originally members joining a kibbutz were expected to transfer any assets that they had to the kibbutz. Now total equality has ceased, and the concept of equality is provided mainly through food, health care, and education. Children’s houses no longer exist, and families live as a unit. Self-management has been replaced with representatives elected by ballot. There are several other differences in various kibbutz movements, but generally, the kibbutz movement carries on. Many Kibbutzim also have hotel-style guest houses for visitors and tourists to stay at while traveling around Israel.
Many people worldwide travel to Israel to volunteer on a kibbutz for a few months, where they work in exchange for food and housing and get to experience the uniqueness of this way of life. Many Kibbutzim also have guest houses for visitors and tourists to stay at while traveling around Israel.