Page 24 - C.A.L.L. #32 - Summer 2010
P. 24
Joel Rothschild, founder member of Ravenna Kibbutz (Seattle, Washington) sends us
this article, exclusively for C.A.L.L.
Sitting as I often do with my laptop open because it captures something essential
over an old treadle sewing machine, I hear about the Ravenna Kibbutz: Jewish
someone coming up the steps. “My house is community is always a serious business -
too quiet!” Steven announces as he walks in our heritage is at stake! Think of your
and starts rummaging through the novels, Jewish grandchildren!—so we need to be
pamphlets, magazines, and New York careful not to take it too seriously. That
Review of Books in the Ravenna Kibbutz's should go for intentional community of any
media room. Steven lives in House Aleph, kind. It is a pursuit of passionate people,
one of the Kibbutz's three shared houses - and many communities and organizers fall
each part private space and part commons prey to unmoderated intensity, followed by
shared by all eighteen residents - and I burnout.
live in House Bet, a few doors down our So, trying to be accessible for
plum tree-lined city block in Seattle. Americans accustomed to free-market
Two years ago, when there were capitalism, and for Jews guarded against a
only five of us, House Aleph was a 24/7 culture often framed by its religious and
social vortex, but these days the party political zealots, the Ravenna Kibbutz has
roams from house to house. Tonight it will opted to live outside many established
be here, when the monthly Yiddish Movie norms. We aren't strictly a kibbutz: we all
Night takes over House Bet's couches and work outside, and our collective wealth
video projector. Tomorrow night it will be comes from membership dues based on the
at House Aleph, where we plan to hold our sizes of our housing shares, not on our
weekly community Shabbat potluck dinner individual incomes. We aren't exactly a
while the other two commune: we value private
houses are cleaned for space and property equally
Passover. (This year, with the commons, and
Aleph's residents despite being a “Jewish”
decided not to clean for community, we are
Passover. It's a religious ideologically diverse,
tradition, and they're almost to a fault. We are
happy to be the most inspired by co-housing, but
secular house.) Monday we don't individually own
the party will be a our homes. (The Kibbutz
Passover seder dinner at House Gimel, rents them on our behalf. A new initiative
where residents, friends, and strangers would allow us to invest personal wealth in
who found us on the internet will fill a 50 the property where we live together, but
foot-long table in the “Zen room” which we it would allow non-residents to invest in it
normally use for yoga classes or dance as well.) Though we operate in many ways
parties. We will talk about the Biblical like a co-op, we pick and choose from the
exodus, modern human trafficking, Rochdale Principles as it suits us. And
enslavement to iPhones, health benefits of despite taking outside support to host
fermented food, and the many difficulties public programs on a nearly daily basis, like
of Jewish identity, over the two things a synagogue or community center would, we
that arguably tie our motley crew are keen to remain an amateur, peer-run
together: music and food. place where guests will always feel more
We still use the slogan, “Would it like they're visiting a friend or relative's
kill you to find a nice Jewish commune?” home than being served by a non-profit
institution.
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