מילים חדשות

The first kibbutz, Degania, was started in 1910 near the Sea of Galilee. Its members shared everything: the land, the work, the money and even their clothes. Nobody owned private property, and every decision was made together at a weekly meeting.

This way of life was most visible in the dining hall. Three times a day, all the members ate together at long tables. The food was the same for everyone, from the youngest worker to the oldest member. For many people, the dining hall was the heart of the kibbutz, the place where news was shared and arguments began.

Children, too, lived differently. In most kibbutzim they did not sleep at their parents' homes but in special children's houses, where they grew up together with others of the same age. Parents saw them every afternoon for a few hours. The first members believed that such an education would create a new kind of person, free and equal.

These ideas did not last forever. In the 1980s, many kibbutzim faced serious financial problems, and their younger members began to ask for more control over their own lives. Parents wanted their children at home at night, and by the end of the 1990s almost every kibbutz had closed its children's houses.

The changes that followed were even bigger. Many kibbutzim began to pay their members different salaries, according to their jobs. Some dining halls now open only for lunch, and members pay for each meal. In others, the hall has become a place for events and celebrations.

Yet the kibbutz has not disappeared. Today there are more than two hundred and fifty kibbutzim in Israel, and some are growing again, as young families look for a quieter life in a close community. The kibbutz of today is not the kibbutz of 1910, but its members still believe that people can achieve more together than alone.

The first kibbutz, Degania, was started in 1910 near the Sea of Galilee. Its members shared everything: the land, the work, the money and even their clothes. Nobody owned private property, and every decision was made together at a weekly meeting.

This way of life was most visible in the dining hall. Three times a day, all the members ate together at long tables. The food was the same for everyone, from the youngest worker to the oldest member. For many people, the dining hall was the heart of the kibbutz, the place where news was shared and arguments began.

Children, too, lived differently. In most kibbutzim they did not sleep at their parents' homes but in special children's houses, where they grew up together with others of the same age. Parents saw them every afternoon for a few hours. The first members believed that such an education would create a new kind of person, free and equal.

These ideas did not last forever. In the 1980s, many kibbutzim faced serious financial problems, and their younger members began to ask for more control over their own lives. Parents wanted their children at home at night, and by the end of the 1990s almost every kibbutz had closed its children's houses.

The changes that followed were even bigger. Many kibbutzim began to pay their members different salaries, according to their jobs. Some dining halls now open only for lunch, and members pay for each meal. In others, the hall has become a place for events and celebrations.

Yet the kibbutz has not disappeared. Today there are more than two hundred and fifty kibbutzim in Israel, and some are growing again, as young families look for a quieter life in a close community. The kibbutz of today is not the kibbutz of 1910, but its members still believe that people can achieve more together than alone.

The first kibbutz, Degania, was started in 1910 near the Sea of Galilee. Its members shared everything: the land, the work, the money and even their clothes. Nobody owned private property, and every decision was made together at a weekly meeting.

This way of life was most visible in the dining hall. Three times a day, all the members ate together at long tables. The food was the same for everyone, from the youngest worker to the oldest member. For many people, the dining hall was the heart of the kibbutz, the place where news was shared and arguments began.

Children, too, lived differently. In most kibbutzim they did not sleep at their parents' homes but in special children's houses, where they grew up together with others of the same age. Parents saw them every afternoon for a few hours. The first members believed that such an education would create a new kind of person, free and equal.

These ideas did not last forever. In the 1980s, many kibbutzim faced serious financial problems, and their younger members began to ask for more control over their own lives. Parents wanted their children at home at night, and by the end of the 1990s almost every kibbutz had closed its children's houses.

The changes that followed were even bigger. Many kibbutzim began to pay their members different salaries, according to their jobs. Some dining halls now open only for lunch, and members pay for each meal. In others, the hall has become a place for events and celebrations.

Yet the kibbutz has not disappeared. Today there are more than two hundred and fifty kibbutzim in Israel, and some are growing again, as young families look for a quieter life in a close community. The kibbutz of today is not the kibbutz of 1910, but its members still believe that people can achieve more together than alone.