In Hebrew, kibbutz means “communal settlement,” and that describes some of what goes into these rural communities dotting the Israeli countryside.
First founded in 1909 by a group of young Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, the original kibbutzim (the plural of kibbutz) were guided by the Marxist principle “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” Members of a kibbutz shared meals, property, possessions, farming duties, and child-rearing responsibilities. They were dedicated to living off the land and being a strong, giving Jewish community.
Modern kibbutzim – there are about 270 of them in Israel today, with memberships of 40 to more than 1,000 – allow for a bit more individualism, and many have transitioned from agriculture to industry. But the guiding values of social justice, simplicity, and community still remain – and many are marked by a certain ideology or political leaning.
First founded in 1909 by a group of young Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, the original kibbutzim (the plural of kibbutz) were guided by the Marxist principle “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” Members of a kibbutz shared meals, property, possessions, farming duties, and child-rearing responsibilities. They were dedicated to living off the land and being a strong, giving Jewish community.
Modern kibbutzim – there are about 270 of them in Israel today, with memberships of 40 to more than 1,000 – allow for a bit more individualism, and many have transitioned from agriculture to industry. But the guiding values of social justice, simplicity, and community still remain – and many are marked by a certain ideology or political leaning.
http://blog.ifcj.org/post/what-kibbutz
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