Page 30 - C.A.L.L. #46 - Summer 2020

Intentional Community Confronts the COVID 19 Pandemic

By Michael Livni, Kibbutz Lotan
May 5th

During the last 200 years, most intentional communities were established as alternatives
value responses to perceived traumatic aspects of capitalism and mass society in urban
settings. Utopian socialist communities recognized that rural life in community might benefit
health and even provide an environment where epidemic outbreaks (e.g. cholera) might be
lessened. But the rationale for intentional community was primarily ideological and economic.
Health crises such as pandemics in a globalized world were hardly conceivable until very
recent times.

But now, as we live in the real world, we cannot evade an initial evaluation of how intentional
communities have confronted/are confronting the coronavirus. This issue of CALL is based
on an initial review of anecdotal reports received by the Intentional Communities Desk (ICD)
of the Kibbutz movement as of the
end of April.

Perspective

Intentional communities constitute a

tiny sector within their countries.
Their performance in the wake of a
pandemic has to be evaluated in the
context of how their macro
environment relates (or not) to the
crisis in real time. (For example -
compare on Google: Sweden in relation to other Scandinavian countries). The macro
environment is not only a question of political parties in power. The culture in general and the
sub-culture in particular (certainly in Israel) can be major variables. Age distribution and
geographical location are significant as well.

In Israel, 175,000 people live on kibbutz – members, children and non-member residents.

They constitute 1.9% in a population of 9 million.

Corona in Israel: 16,300 cases (one per 550) – 234 deaths (1.4% of cases)
Corona on kibbutz: 41 cases (one per 4,270) – 2 deaths, prominent underlying causes.

What Do We Learn from our Correspondents in Various Communities.

1. Objective Fact: Many intentional communities, especially small ones, describe
themselves as isolated in rural regions. They are less vulnerable.
2. Subjective Fact: A feeling of relief among many that that are part of a supportive

framework.

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