Page 20 - C.A.L.L. #27 - Summer 2006

In the following two articles commissioned by CALL, we hear from two veteran
members of the same kibbutz, and discover how each of them relate differently to
the changing face of their community.

Translated by Dina Bookman
Daily Life On A Privatized Kibbutz

By Eli Avrahami, Kibbutz Palmachim The privatized kibbutz's premises are charac-
terized by many spacious parking lots, in
order to make enough space for the abun-
A stranger happening upon a privatized kib-
dance of private vehicles which serve the
butz probably would not even be aware of
members who leave the village and travel to
the difference between the place he is visit-
work every morning. As the procession of
ing and a traditional kibbutz. However, that
members working off the kibbutz flows out
would be true at first sight only, for shortly
each morning, there is a trickle of parents
after that, he would notice that the institu-
from the neighbouring area, flowing in the
tion once considered the heart of the kibbutz,
opposite direction. They are bringing their
the dining hall, is empty. No-one has come in
to eat. At the most, maybe the dining hall is children to be educated in the kibbutz educa-
tional system, particularly in the pre-school
open for lunch, and most of the diners are
system. Even the privatized / new-style /
strangers – passing tourists,
changing kibbutz seems to
and hired workers who are
have retained its name as a
employed in the various
place which provides superb
branches in the ‘village’. (I find
education.
it hard to use the term

‘kibbutz’.) Usually, tucked
In the corner of the parking lot
away in the corner are a
you may see a small group of
handful of kibbutz veterans,
the elderly, who find it difficult people, again – mainly elderly,
who are waiting for a lift into
to cook their main meal at
the doctors' clinic in the
home, and come in for the one
daily communal meal, hungry Kibbutz Palmachim neighbouring town. This
transportation is one of the
for a little social interaction.
few services that the community continues
General meetings are few and far between
to provide for the few members who are un-
and when they occur, they are reminiscent of
able to purchase a car of their own. However
a shareholders' meeting, the annual report
given by the directorate. An exchange of the members must pay for this service, be it
a full or subsidized price.
words and ideas has become a rarity at these

meetings. Also the clubhouse is closed. In
Privatized kibbutzim which still manage to
some ‘villages’, a cultural club is open for the
collect a community tax from their members
elderly in the mornings, but again, there is
(a progressive tax, graded according to their
no multi-generational contact, it appears to
income level, although in many places the
be more of a ‘reservation’ for the elderly,
progressive tax is very limited) continue to
who are separated from the rest of the soci-
cultivate the gardens and keep the public ar-
ety.
eas clean. They are not overwhelmed by
neglect, as happens in the kibbutzim which
The rest of the population in the vil-
are unable to collect their communal taxes,
lage/kibbutz can no longer be described as a
or their taxes are minimal. However, it is not
closed support system. Most of the work-age
uncommon to find that in places where ne-
population have been banished from their
glect is rampant in the public domain,
homes - their village, and have been forced to
construction is flourishing in the private do-
find employment elsewhere, where they cre-
main: individuals enlarge their houses, each
ate new social networks, replacing the
according to what they can afford, and each
previous social network that existed in their
according to what they need or desire. On
home – kibbutz.
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