After 100 years, Israel's kibbutzim are still adapting to war, change, and an uncertain future

Israel's kibbutzim, founded over a century ago, have evolved significantly from their original collective model while maintaining a strong sense of community. The first kibbutz, Deganya, established in 1910 by idealistic immigrants, demonstrated early economic success through collective farming and self-sufficiency, becoming a blueprint for others. Initially, kibbutzim were crucial for nation-building, defining borders, and forging a new Jewish society. Neri Shotan, CEO of the Kibbutz Movement Rehabilitation Fund, noted, “Many kibbutzim started and continued on the borders as a Zionist way to define the borders of the future State of Israel.”

Many kibbutzim started and continued on the borders as a Zionist way to define the borders of the future State of Israel.

However, by the 1970s and 80s, financial difficulties and changing societal values led most kibbutzim to privatize. This shift allowed members individual incomes, private home ownership, and career choices, while the kibbutz retained collective ownership of land and major assets, providing a social safety net. Today, only a small percentage remain fully collective. Despite these changes, community life, mutual aid, and democratic governance persist, blending individualism with core kibbutz values. Adele Raemer, a resident of Kibbutz Nirim, emphasized, “We’re still very socialistic. Mutual responsibility is the bas[is].”

We’re still very socialistic. Mutual responsibility is the bas[is].