Kibbutz
As a kibbutz (Hebrew קִיבּוּץ " collection, gathering, municipality "; majority of kibbutzim ) is defined as a rural collective settlement in Israel with common ownership and grassroots structures.
General
There are currently about 280 of these villages with a size of up to 1700 residents. At start-up it is now little more. At the time of the creation of Israel lived about eight percent of the Israelis in a kibbutz, today there are less than two percent. There was emigration, especially of youth, which could be captured only partly by immigration, for example, from the USA.
Affiliated are approximately 270 kibbutzim in the secular kibbutz movement ( Kibbutz Movement), 16 religious, however, in the Religious Kibbutz Movement.
A member of a kibbutz is called Chawer (" comrade, friend," majority chaverim ) or in female form Chawera (plural Chawerot ) or as Kibbuznik (plural Kibbuznikim ).
Other agricultural settlement forms are the more numerous ( about 400 ) moshav, which are organized as a cooperative, and mixed forms of kibbutz and moshav. Another form is finally the ( considerably less than 100) Moschawot comparable with European villages.
Ideology of the kibbutz
In connection with the kibbutzim, the terms communism or socialism are often used. However, these teachings must not be equated with the former real socialism in Eastern Europe. Thus, the kibbutzim may well be associated with socialism in the original sense - while comparable forms of organization in socialist states like North Korea often not based on voluntariness.
Distinguish can generally secular kibbutzim that are no longer as binding consider the Jewish religious traditions (although in many cases the parties are still committed ), and religious kibbutzim who look after the religious traditions in different directions and look for their members as binding.
The ideology of the kibbutz founders was dominated socialist and Zionist. This orientation had mainly two reasons:
- The experience of oppression ( anti-Semitism, pogroms ) in the earlier " host countries " in the diaspora, which brought the newly immigrated to Israel with the founding generation
- The imprint of the patriarchal society of the Eastern European shtetl
These experiences have led the way for the kibbutz founders. They wanted to build a Jewish workers' state on its own soil. Should be created a classless society with an emphasis on equality and community. Each and every one should " give according to his ways ," according to the quote from Marx and " receive according to his needs."
Historical development of the kibbutz
The first kibbutzim
The first kibbutz was founded on 28 October 1910 by a Zionist group from Belarus. Deganyah A lies at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee, soon followed by other kibbutzim (see table below). The term was coined by Jude Ja'ari, one originating from Tarnobrzeg Galician Jewish poet.
The kibbutzim played a crucial role in the Jewish settlement of Israel. One advantage of the kibbutzim was especially in the early days is that lighter ( military ) settlements in previously relatively undiscovered areas could be established (even against the will of residents in surrounding villages Arabs ). The land on which the kibbutzim were founded, was usually owned by the Jewish National Fund.
There was also in Europe, even in Germany, settlements in the form of a kibbutz in order under the Hachshara to live in Palestine, later Israel prepare.
It is usually not known that the founder of the first socialist kibbutz prevent radicalization of their attitude underwent, but a - slight - " bourgeois ", as they were previously considered as a work brigade through Palestine, such as building roads, while keeping yourself fixed residences and any property ( including that of a group) refused, because this re -creating middle-class dependencies and the revolutionary dynamic hinders ". the beginnings of the kibbutz movement were more anarchist ".
Nevertheless, in the early decades was the daily life of kibbutz members who chaverim strongly influenced by socialist principles of life. Decisions were made on a democratic basis in the General Assembly. The individual chaverim owned no property, but they brought out their work free of charge for the collective one. In return, the kibbutz presented accommodation, clothing, food and medical care. The equality also included a rotation in all major offices and in filling the jobs.
Equal rights should also include women. That is why many domestic tasks were offered as services from the kibbutz. There were central laundries, tailor shops, and a common dining room (the " Chadar Ochel "); the dining room was also a focal point of community life, both at dinner and at parties and gatherings.
In the kibbutzim, the patriarchal nuclear family was dissolved and also centralized the education of children. The children were brought up depending on the kibbutz from birth in a private children's home with their peers, so the siblings lived each in a different group of children. Each group was from a private teacher, the so-called Metapelet (plural: Metaplot ) passed. Through contact with several Metaplot and the day only brief contact with the parents, the young kibbutz members were strongly focused on their age group. After a certain period of time - about a year - was a change to another Metapelet. In spite of education outside of traditional family structures hospitalism was unknown, a healthy personality development usual. The strict focus on the education of children in the house broke up in the decades that followed slowly in the direction of "Kindergarten " on.
Changes according to the Israeli state was founded
At the time of the creation of Israel in 1948, there was a wave of start-ups ( see table). At the same time lost the kibbutzim that had been built in the 1930s, partly as a tower and stockade settlements, central tasks of the beginning of time in the range of settlement and defense, which went to the newly formed state.
Even more extensive were the changes in the following decades:
- The role of the family became more important; the collective consciousness decreased. An important consequence was the widespread abolition of children's homes ( the women took over again at the same time a traditional role of women and mothers ). Another consequence was an increasing disintegration of the kibbutz.
- By increasing economic problems many kibbutzim had to rely on to develop new business (especially in the industrial and tourism).
- Compared to the market environment of the kibbutz lost its appeal.
- Grassroots democracy and offices rotation showed in everyday life often be impractical.
The consequence of these changes was an increasing shift away from the old principles and gradually move closer to the surrounding market economic environment.
Changes recently
These developments have been rather accelerated in recent years; many settlements are economically and ideologically under pressure. There is also the problem of an increasing aging population, because the younger generation is leaving the kibbutz, to pull in the big cities.
Many kibbutzim have tried to meet the challenges. Often the central services have been reduced or abandoned, some not even exist the dining room. Private ownership is now self-evident; most chaverim receive a salary, through which they can have. From the children's homes kindergartens are mostly grown.
In summary, one can speak of a significant development of many kibbutzim towards a " normal" village of "socialist" settlements is less and less talk. Another resolution of the kibbutzim and its original ideals in the future is likely.
In this transition phase, the kibbutzim are divided groups ( depending on the degree of the changes adopted ) in 2 (4 ), also for the Israeli government policy (eg taxes ) are important:
- The "collective kibbutz " ( Kibbutz Schitufi ): Here the classic kibbutz model is continued to live with small corrections. Collective ownership and unity salaries in comprehensive care by the kibbutz describe the principle of "collective ownership of possession ."
- The " urban kibbutz " ( Kibbutz Ironi ): Here an attempt is made in the sense of classical ideals, to transfer the basic idea of the kibbutz to urban environments (examples: Tamuz and Migwan ).
- The " renewing kibbutz " ( Kibbutz Mitchadesch ): This generally applies the principle of "collective partnership in possession", that is privately owned, is admitted to a greater extent, and especially different (due to power) salaries are paid. But there are above average social benefits (eg free health care in nursing homes for older kibbutz ) and cooperative co-operation. Almost 75 % of the kibbutzim have decided on this model, which has to do with the classic kibbutz only slightly.
- The " kibbutz of connection" ( Kibbutz Meshulaw ): Here there is the same salary, but the other part of the salary is paid according to performance.
Volunteers from around the world
Helped early as the War of Independence of 1948/49, under the name of "Mahal " (short for " volunteers from abroad " ) volunteers from many countries, partly as a fighting soldier.
After the consolidation of the state of Israel came from the 1950s an international mix of volunteers (Hebrew Mitnadev (m), Mitnadevet ( f), pl. Mitnadvim ), in order especially in the just developing agriculture of the kibbutzim to cooperate, but also in the other areas of life ( garden, kitchen, children's home, nursing home, factory, tourism, etc. ). They were usually a half or a whole year, sometimes just four weeks. The first German Mitnadvim arrived around 1960. The time in the kibbutz were many young people at a formative experience, as is reflected in a variety of literature.
Due to the economic crisis of the kibbutzim with surplus labor and the mechanization of agriculture, the demand fell sharply. Nevertheless, after 2010, a volunteer placement is possible, especially in economically successful kibbutzim with tourist facilities.
List of kibbutzim
More detailed information on the individual kibbutzim contains the list of kibbutzim.