Kibbutz << kih BOOTS >> (plural kibbutzim) is a form of Jewish community in Israel based on the idea of social and economic equality. Members of a kibbutz share ownership of all the kibbutz’s means of income production, including land and businesses. In most cases, members employed outside the kibbutz turn over their salaries to the kibbutz. Members also own all houses and buildings on kibbutz land in common. The kibbutz is responsible for providing education, health care, and housing to individuals and families.
Most kibbutzim are in rural areas. Some are in poor urban neighborhoods. The economy of most kibbutzim is based on manufacturing. Rubber and plastic are the most common products. Some kibbutz members work in agriculture. Tourism is also an important source of income for kibbutzim.
Before the 1980’s, all kibbutz members worked for the kibbutz and received goods and services for their labor instead of wages. These goods and services included food, housing, education, and medical care. In the 1980’s, financial difficulties prompted changes in the kibbutz structure to develop new income sources and raise productivity. Some kibbutzim began paying wages. Some began charging members for food and utilities.
Many kibbutz members hold regular daily jobs on the kibbutz. A work committee assigns other members to a variety of jobs. Many other members work outside the kibbutz. In the past, kibbutz members did all work on the kibbutz. But hired workers now handle many tasks.
When kibbutzim were first established, the adults and children of some kibbutzim lived separately. Children were raised in children’s houses, where they slept, played, and studied. They spent time with their parents only after work. Since the 1970’s, life has become more family-centered, and children are raised by their parents and live at home.
Elected committees and officeholders run the kibbutz government. But in most kibbutzim, the highest authority rests in the general assembly, where each adult kibbutz member gets one vote. In some kibbutzim, a representative body has replaced the general assembly. Kibbutz ideals call for involvement in Israeli society and in Jewish communities worldwide. Kibbutz representatives serve in Israeli political parties, government offices, the military, and labor organizations. Kibbutzim also assign their young members to do community and educational work.
Jewish immigrants from Europe founded the first kibbutz in 1909 in the Jordan River Valley, south of the Sea of Galilee. Today, Israel has about 270 kibbutzim. They range in size from 50 to 1,000 members.
See also Israel (Rural life).
