Knowing Your Options

For the past week we’ve all experienced a little taste of kibbutz life in Israel. While Dorot and Ruhamma have been outstanding hosts, they’ve also been our personal tour guides into alternate local governing system. On our fourth night Ulla Hadar spoke to us about socialism on the kibbutz. He describes socialism on the kibbutz as a collective agricultural community that unanimously decides aspects of their life that affect the well-being of their entire community. Kibbutzim originated in Eastern Europe during the late 1800s as a result of the Zionist movement and has mainly prospered in Israel. He described early kibbutz living as a strict yet close knit community that provided the needs of every member.

Although it is important to note that modern kibbutz life is now geared towards privatization, industrialization, and more personal freedom, I think it’s worthwhile to compare capitalism to their early socialism. This comparison may help us understand why socialists were constantly targeted by the government throughout early American history (See The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in Its First Age of Terror by Beverly Gage). In the United States in order to survive capitalism citizens must work for labor and their income is subject to the whims of the market. Consequently, wages determine the type of education, food, and clothing a person can afford. In contrast, on the kibbutz there was no wage labor; members simply worked to provide subsistence for the members of the kibbutz and then they would work to gain a profit for the community to share. In return they would receive clothes, food, shelter, and education.

Though their needs were handled, they could not have any private items, raise or teach their children, and they had to conform to community norms rather than individual preferences. Ulla, for instance, preferred sleeping with his parents when he was scared. Unfortunately for Ulla, the kibbutz kept babies and children in a separate kibbutz. Despite his preference, he was watched by a night guard almost every night to prevent him from running away. He also discussed how his parents broke the mold when it came to air conditioning and even vacations! Whereas in a capitalist society individualism and privatization is praised. Mass consumption and suburban lifestyles of the 1920s gave rise to public support of individual and material preferences. For instance, my best friend will spend all his money on the newest fashion whereas I would much rather prefer spending my money jewelry. Either way our individual spending habits make up a part of our American identity, whereas Ulla and his family’s behavior destroys the community’s uniform identity.

Considering both options, it’s interesting to balance the pros and cons of each society with your own preferences. Although there has been a rapid decline in the number of kibbutzim, many people are traveling back to receive the community closeness they once received. Although his talk centered on kibbutz life, communal living is not confined to Israel. Several different countries host socialist communes such as Germany, France, Niger, and even the United States.¹ Thus, we should always consider our options when balancing our individual lives between the betterment of our local community.

For more information on international commune living see

http://www.ic.org/directory/communes/