Page 17 - C.A.L.L. #31 - Spring 2009

Welcome to “Kibbutz Shorts”,

where we discover what’s new
on the Kibbutz in an update
KIBBUTZ SHORTS from around Israel.

Compiled mainly from the
Kibbutz weeklies by Yoel Darom,

Kibbutz Kfar Menachem

How Many?

"In the spring of 2007 we went through an existential crisis: out of the 8 founders (in 2001) of our
Commune HOF ROSSEE, only two were still living here. One new person joined us, but another
two announced that they would leave towards the end of the year". This tells us the German
monthly paper "Kontraste" (for Self-Organisation), and goes on detailing a well-planned one-year-
long campaign for attracting new members. "We achieved less than we hoped for, but more than
we thought we would", concludes Bettina Kruse, the writer of the story, "Now we count five
adult members and two children and see ourselves as a "commune in new foundation".

And - as another "contrast" – I shall describe the situation and strivings of my Kibbutz Kfar
Menachem, which found itself some years ago with "only" 250 members, many of them of the
founding generations, which means OLD. As many of our sons and daughters chose a different
way of life, we (like many other Kibbutzim) found ourselves in an awkward demographic situation
and had to take a decision that was unprecedented: to draw new, young people to come and
settle here, who would not be Kibbutz members. There followed a long and deep-going debate,
150 families are now building their homes here (and we don't know yet how to deal with the
multitude of problems that will surely arise), but one "common truth" was agreed upon by all:
200 are not enough to keep up a fully functioning, self-servicing community.

How diverse, how widely different is the world of communes!

"Let's Meet Tonight" (Long live the internet!)

Ronen (born and bred on his Kibbutz) was 41 years old, had toured the world, worked in the fields
and at the same time studied and taught literature, but did not find his beloved. Billy, at the age
of 36, had become a full-time teacher, riding in her free time, and stayed single all those
years. Nowadays they celebrate 7 years of happy marriage (and two children), in her home
Kibbutz Lochme Hageta'ot. Both of them recommend warmly the electronic "Kibbutz Singles
Meeting" site, especially for people like them who had been for so many years somehow slow and
unsuccessful in their romantic attempts.

There are many singles among the thousands of Kibbutzniks, bachelors growing
older, divorced, widows and widowers, and nowadays quite a few of those find
their partner through the Kibbutz Internet site "Let's Meet". Chava Klass (Kibbutz
Nir David), who founded and still activates the site, tells us that in the 8 years of
its existence many lonesome people found their "true love" through the site,
including herself.

Would you like to try too? You can find it from the homepage of the Kibbutz Movement, but it is
all in Hebrew.

17