Kibbutzim

Back from Tel Aviv, my friend and I packed and she called her uncle for a ride to the kibbutz where she has some family. The word kibbutz comes from the word for “group”, and at the beginning of the 20^th century, immigrants to what is now Israel would settle in groups and work together to survive. They shared everything: the work, the income, the expenses. These closed communities were therefore given the name kibbutz (plural: kibbutzim). For many years they were agricultural, planting various crops and raising farm-type animals for food, clothing, etc. and living in tents.

Children are highly valued in kibbutzim, so the first buildings were built for them while their parents stayed in tents. This way, a few adults could stay with the kids while the rest went out to do the very hard labor. The land was not ready to be cultivated when they arrived. Rocks blocked the way for crops to thrive, and water was scarce (and still is!). So while the parents did backbreaking work under the hot sun, children were reared by a few in the “children houses” (beit yaladim). Now children live with their parents, but they are still highly valued in the communities, so that kibbutz schools are often the best in the area and families that do not live on the kibbutz will send their children in so they can benefit from the good education available there. Long ago, they came by carriage, but now the use buses, of course.

As society grew around these small communities and more luxury materials became available (aside from the simple life-sustaining things like food and clothing), many kibbutzim built factories and became experts at making one item or another that they could then sell, and buy new technologies. The kibbutz I visited specializes in making colored lenses for glasses. When my friend took me on a walking tour, we were headed to the pool after it, so I totally forgot my camera, but snapped this the next day as we drove out. :-P The factory tower had pictures commemorating the many years it had been running (it had just had an anniversary, so the pictures were put up as part of the celebration).

The neighboring kibbutz makes solar panels. They got the contract for the Olympics recently and so are now pretty well off, unlike many kibbutzim that are nowadays pretty low on the economic scale in the country.

At the beginning, kibbutzim members shared everything. Even the first indoor bathroom facilities. (Once houses were built, these just became a nice addition next to the pool, as everyone had their own facilities inside their house.)

Later, each family was given a budget based on how much the kibbutz earned. And my friend’s grandfather told me that it used to be that if anyone in the kibbutz wanted to make a large purchase, like a refrigerator or television, that they would then propose the idea to the kibbutz and they could only have one if everyone in the kibbutz decided that they would all have the said item. So, if someone’s family from America, or wherever, sent them a television, they would not use it until the kibbutz could afford to get one for everyone (and until the kibbutz decided to spend the budget on that).

Then for a while everyone had the same budget, but you were allowed to spend that budget on whatever you wanted. If you wanted to spend all your money on a radio or stove, you could, it was just a matter of everyone having the same budget. Whether you were a janitor, or working in the factory, or in the fields, or as kibbutz secretary, everyone got the same pay because everyone was part of the kibbutz.

Now, many kibbutzim are privatizing, like the one I visited. Once the kibbutz people decided that is what they wanted to do, they hired an expert from off the kibbutz to come in and consult about how much each job's salary should be. My friend’s grandpa said almost everyone was happy with what was decided for each job. After all, he pointed out, someone doing hard labor all day outside is actually working more than someone washing dishes inside. And both types of workers agreed that the one working out in the weather should get more pay for his/her labors. My friend told me that they used to rotate jobs when everyone used to be paid the same. So for a few months you would work outside, and then a few months in the factory, etc. until they started getting paid according to their job. Then of course they stayed in the job associated with their salary.

Also, with the privatizing, some people now get jobs in a nearby city rather than on the kibbutz. But everyone pays into the general fund of the kibbutz, which then provides for members who need some extra help, whether they are injured or sick, or whatever.

We visited the community pool for a few hours, and my friend pointed out that there was a lack of a certain age group—of course, because after high school, members of kibbutzim enter the armed forces for a few years, just like all the other Israeli citizens. And she told me that kibbutzim children are highly valued in the military because they have such a special upbringing.

It kind of reminded me of the kids at the camp where I grew up, but to a further degree. Everyone knows all the children, so everyone helps to raise them. Kids can wander all over the kibbutz because it is perfectly safe—the entrances are guarded, and everyone will watch out for them.

My friend’s seven-year-old cousin took us for a great tour all over half of her kibbutz and half of the one next-door, leading confidently with a whole stream of Hebrew, complimented by gestures so clear and abundant that I felt like I understood most of what she said. Although, when I would form questions with great effort that I thought might elicit a few word response, like “How old are you?” and, pointing at what might be a birdhouse or bat house, and asking “What is that?” I was answered with a veritable lecture of which I gathered the main point, and nodded enthusiastically as she then pulled us on to the next stop on our tour. I did manage to figure that she will turn eight around the time of Chanukah, and to learn the word for bird (by listing other animals I knew and then pointing to the caged birds. She thought it was pretty funny as I enthusiastically listed off “um…cow…horse…dog…cat…um…camel…what is this?”, but after laughing, she supplied me with the word—after first trying much more sophisticated things like “Cockatoo” and I think explaining how the school children interact with the birds).

She showed us their cemetery, and after checking with my friend about cultural concerns, I took a few pictures, to the great entertainment of her cousin. (“What's with this adult that seems to think cows, fields, and cemeteries are picture worthy? Has she never seen such things before?”)

On our walk back from seeing the horses (and not seeing the camels, since time would not allow walking far enough), I spotted our university off on the distant mountain. :-)

We walked, and raced, and walked, and panted, and sweat our way back to my friend’s grandparents’ house for a great dinner with them and her aunt, uncle, and other two-year-old cousin, whose language and motor skills were impressive for his age (which my friend attributes to the special upbringing in the kibbutz environment).

Every Friday night during the summer, one of the three neighboring kibbutzim hosts a concert, so after dinner and some down time for chatting, my friend’s uncle, aunt, and cousins and she and I went to the kibbutz next door, and I was very impressed by the performance. My friend told me there was low attendance because the week before was a cover band of Abba, which was oober popular. So less people came this week, but it was still great. My friend told me that usually they have half and half songs in English and Hebrew. That night they were all classic songs in English, but even though they were not in Hebrew, most people seemed able to sing along and clearly enjoyed it. (Of course when “I Will Survive” and “Respect” began, the audience roared. Who can resist it? haha) Unfortunately I am new to taping with my camera. Didn’t know it cuts off the song if I zoom in or out, and also I ran out of batteries halfway through the show. *shrug* Live and learn. :)

For more information on kibbutzim:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibbutz :-)