I volunteered for 3 months and ended up staying in Israel for almost 2 years. Loved the people, the culture, the food and the diversity. One of the defining times of my life. If I was Jewish I’d be living there now.
most people graduate high school or college and figure out what they want to do with their life. they often go to the kibbutz to find themself. i almost did it after high school. wonder what it is like.
Israel, remarkable country. Its achievements (and compassion, humanity and generosity) are just without parallel in the world today. It has a big rôle to play in the future.
Former volunteer at Kibbutz Shefayim and still fully dedicated to my kibbutz family and friends. This video is wonderful and i look forward to more. Gratefully, my volunteer day relationships have grown to include the grandchildren of my contemporaries and new families through marriage. Without a doubt, my kibbutz experience continues today by virture of bonds formed nearly 50 years ago.
Wonderful! Those bonds are lifelong friendships so long as you keep in touch with those people. As they say sometimes "Your oldest friends are your best friends".
Shalom, I was a volunteer from South Africa working on Degania Bet kibbutz in 1988. An experience of a lifetime which has changed my life forever. Israel is such a beautiful country and I love the people. Every young person must experience kibbutz life and one point or the other. It is an experience that money cannot buy. I wish there was an opportunity now for me at the age of 55 to still volunteer at a kibbutz, I will pack my bags in a jiffy. Thank you Ivri
Hi, I left Degania Bet in 1981 for my present kibbutz. I visited DB 3 days ago to make a video with DB members on the Sea of Galilee. Subscribe and keep in the loop.
Shalom Ivri, I was born and raised on a kibbutz. My parents were among the founders. I wrote a fictional memoir called “Daughter of the Kibbutz” in which I described what growing up on a kibbutz in the 1960 and 70s was like for me. I think after reading my book it is not hard to understand why some second generation kibbutzniks decided to leave this “paradise.” Of course not all kibbutzim are the same, but the similarities are more common than the differences.
Galia Hi, yours is the type of story that I want to put up on my channel - obviously with a link to your novel. My first episode asked that question: why did a whole generation leave their kibbutz? Pls contact me on KibbutzIvri@gmail.com I am putting an instruction page together at the moment whereby viewers can consolidate their stories. I will then put their stories up on my channel. Thankyou.
I have fond memories of Kibbutz Ginosar where I spent most of 1976. We worked really hard in the fields but enjoyed the evenings sometimes with a barbecue of fish from the sea of Galilee. Mostly we ate in the dining hall and took turns washing the pots, pans, and dishes. I remember rubbing shoulders with Egal Alon, the foreign minister, with a scrubbing brush in one hand and a dirty pan in the other. I was working on the fishing boat when news of the Entebbe raid came over the radio and everyone jumped overboard in celebration leaving me alone to turn the boat around. A few of the lads from the kibbutz went on that raid and returned heroes but then went back to work in the fields the next day. Having served my time in the tough jobs I ended up working at the hotel that had just been started. The job we all coveted as we got occasional tips from the visitors. Happy Days Indeed
@@B4UGoClickMeYeah. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but not something to fear. In the nearly 50 years since I left the Kibbutz, I have had many adventures and many ups and downs but have always wanted a simple life independent of others. For the last twenty years I have lived it in a small farming village in North East Thailand. I seem to have gone full circle and am growing bananas again :)
Volunteered in 2000 on Kibbutz Eilon and I have to say it was the best time of my life… The lifestyle was amazing and I’m afraid Israel stole my heart. One day I’d love to return and travel Israel again. Great channel, I look forward to more videos.
Time and tide wait for no man. There's no time like the present. Don't let it slip though your fingers. Just book a flight, bring the family, take a trip down memory lane and see how Kibbutz Eilon is today.
October 19, 2023 Shalom Ivri - We were so glad to find your video and hope & pray you are safe and well. We are among many New Zealanders standing with Israel in these turbulent times. Am Israel chai!
Thank you for your prayers and support. Please subscribe and share my videos worldwide. Horrible stories of atrocities are coming to the surface every day on Israeli media. I will do my best to keep everyone on my channel up to date.
Shalom . I was in Israel 1984 -1985 . As a volunteer I worked and enjoyed the kibbutz lifestile . At the beutiful vye over Golan heights in kibbutz Kfar Giladi , I picked oranges and worked at the eye factory Gallile Optic . In kibbutz near Netanya ,Kibbutz Givat Brenner I worked in a juice factory and the therd kibbutz near Nazareth , Kibbutz Ginegar , there I was working in the kitchen . Israel is a beautiful country and so many places to visit and see. Jerusalem I have always in my heart . Today I am a christian and praying for Israel and the jewish people . That they will live in peace in their own given land . I love Israel 🇮🇱❤
Dear Heline thank you for your comments and support of Israel during this difficult time. By the way, when you were here in the mid 1980s I was overseas representing Israel as the kibbutz envoy to the Reform Jewish communities in the UK.
Thank you again Ivri, I'm looking forward to this. I was a volunteer at Kibbutz Urim back in 1990. Fond memories. Such a beautiful country and people. Shalom.
I hope you enjoy future episodes. I interviewed some amazing people during 2022. Pls do me a favor and share my channel with everyone on your social media.
Absolutely fascinating insight into the history of the kibbutz, and the more recent changes. I was so very fortunate to spend a year on Kibbutz (Gesher Haziv on the north coast, and Palmach Tsuba in the Judian Hills) as a volunteer in 1975/6. Like thousands of volunteers, it was a fascinating and wonderful time, where I really discovered what was important in life. My stay informed my onward journey and decisions, influencing who I am, my behaviour, values and morals, and I can't thank the kibbutz movement enough for the experience. I understand the concept of inviting volunteers fell out of favour in the 80's and 90's for a variety of reasons, so it was just a moment in time. I look forward to catching up with your vlogs and more to come. And well done on the edit - can't believe you are new to this, great job.
Dave Hi, Thank you for your very positive response. Please send me a quick message by email to KibbutzIvri@gmail.com and I will show you how I can put your kibbutz experience up on TH-cam
Rich thank you for your compliments. Actually at my age, it's been a Herculean effort to learn all the technology of creating a You Tube channel. During 2022 I interviewed some amazing people coz Kibbutz is all about people. Pls subscribe, give a thumbs up, and share with others on your social media. Already after the first 15 hours of promoting this channel, I've been swamped by responses. To tell you the truth, I anticipated a lot of interest.
Loving your blog, I was a volunteer at Kibbutz Tel Yosef, I first went in 1979, I did various jobs at first from Citrus picking, to working in dining room, kitchen etc, but ended up in the chicken houses, looking after chickens for meat, I end up working on the Kibbutz for two years, I loved the way of life, the social side, meeting up in the dining room, or coffee house, the open air cinemas, aiming pool. I loved my work, I made friends with many kibbutniks, and still keep in contact, I so wanted to stay for ever, to me it was perfect. I did go for many reunions for years after, I think my final visit was in the 90s... It has changed so much now since the time I was there, no more dining room, kibbutzniks now eat at home. I would love to visit, but I don't want my memories ruined. It was the best time of my life and think about it often.
Shalom, I'm currently applying to volunteer in a kibbutz. Most of the documents have been processed and am currently preparing for my interview that would decide whether or I will be able to go as a volunteer. I'm using the time to look into more about the kibbutz and things to look out for as a volunteer. Personally found your video to be one of the most helpful one I've seen. Thank you very much.
Thankyou. I appreciate your feedback. Please subscribe, like and share. And please let your friends know about this channel. Maybe the too would like to visit kibbitz. If they don't want to volunteer, I also have a guest wing in my house. Write to me on KibbutzIvri@gmail.com and I'll give you details.
Yes, there are about 15 kibbutzim that still take volunteers. See the previous reply of a person who is undergoing processing. He will give you the info how to apply. @@michaelwayne4568
Highly informative video I have fond memories of the time I visited you in the kibbutz as a little boy. your voice and your accent really reminds me of Saba Yaakov and that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling ❤️
I remember you and somewhere deep in my drawers I have a black and white photo of you jumping into the swimming pool. Please subscribe to the channel and share it with everyone on your social media platforms. Your Saba Yaakov who was my Uncle Yaakov was such a great guy. I miss him a lot. You and your family are invited to visit me in my present kibbutz, Givat Chaim Meuchad. Where do you live?
I was a volunteer back in the early 80's on Kibbutz Beit HaShita. It was October when I arrived from England , and my first job was in the fish ponds . It was so hot during the day , we started at 4 am until midday , when the sun was too strong to work in . I remember the pickle factory too . We volunteers sat with the Kibbutzniks on the conveyor line , sorting out the olives. We had radio headphones to listen to whilst working , as the job soon got monotonous. I remember hearing the news that John Lennon had been murdered in America 😮 Syria was threatening Israel at the time on the Golan Heights border . Though tensions were high for a while , I never felt in danger there on the Kibbutz or when travelling around Israel. I wish i could return to Israel and end my days on a kibbutz. Even now , during this time of war between Israel and Hamas terrorists. God bless Israel and may the IDF finish Hamas off for good 👍🙏 ✝️🆓🇬🇧
@@ivritasker It was that good that I started watching it again, I also sent a link to my friend who is still on Nirim. Im very much looking forward to the next episode.Thanks again.
I presume that your friend was a volunteer (short time working visitor). As such, your friend would only have seen a limited section of kibbutz life. One has to become a member for a few years to understand how the system works . Please subscribe and learn more - especially what is happening in kibbutzim now during our war with Hamas.
Thanks. I'm looking at ways and means of how I can get memories like yours up on my You Tube channel. Contact by my email here and we can talk things over.
Great content Ivri. I had an amazing experience in Israel. I was there for one year, September 83’ to September 84’. at 22 yrs old.I ended up on Kibbutz Kinneret and worked bananas and dates for 5 months. Lots of memories and stories attached to my year in Israel. I look forward to checking in on your channel. 🙏🏴🙏
Ian thanks for your feedback. I'm checking out how to interview former volunteers and uploading the video to this channel. Interested? Email to kibbutzIvri@gmail.com
Just to say standing with you in prayer in Isreal loving you and blessing you Lord have mercy on all in uk and expose all lies of the enemy. Your land is beautiful and hope to visit one day to help heal and restore. God knows our hearts cry. Shalom.❤
Great video from an ex kibbutz Matzuva volunteer. I may of left but my heart stayed in isreal. Since 2007 i visited Matzuva about 30 times,my friends are my isreali family. Thanks
Thanks for sharing! Yes indeed - you have really connected with your kibbutz. Please share on all your social media both with those who understand English abroad and in Israel. Thankyou
You are an exceptionally charming host and I loved your video! I spent a year doing an ulpan on kibbutz Ma'ayan Tzvi and then Ramat David and loved the experience. I made lifelong friendships, in fact I just came back from visiting a kibbutz friend / brother in South Africa and another in Greece. Don't worry so much about the technical stuff, what's truly important is the content and yours is excellent. Be well and I look forward to the next one.
Thank you for the compliments. Jokingly I can say that flattery will get you nowhere. But seriously - your feedback is very important and essential for me. It empowers me to tell the story of all kibbutzim. And BTW I was the national coordinator of Kibbutz Ulpanim in the 1970s. So perhaps we met when I talked to Ulpan classes. Please share - onward and upwards: All for one and one for all. That's what kibbutz and community is all about.
Great stuff, Ivri. Please don't worry about the technical aspects of production. Like everything in life, that will develop and improve exponentially. You referred at the start to ex-kibbutzniks. As one of those, I would really like you to do a vlog examining their experiences. The reasons chevre left are so varied and complex but perhaps there is a common theme.
Thanks Seymour. Since starting to promote my channel, I've been inundated with replies on FB. BTW the FB algorithms want to promote themselves as FB, while my major intention is to promote this You Tube channel. Anything you can do to help me via your social media will be greatly appreciated. This is my own personal shlichut.
Seymour Hi, I'm sure that with your movement background, you can add a lot in the way of explaining why people left kibbutz. Please email me a short message to KibbutzIvri@gmail.com . I will reply with a suggestion of the way in which you can contribute to this channel.
Oh I loved your video, I am a Hungarian (with English surname "English ex husband") and I am a jewish, a 61 years old women. Totally agree with your question "why people not live in kibbutz"....in my dreams when I am too tired after a hard day at the office, at home etc....that kibbutz would be a lovely place to live...I am not that interested to be rich, to have a successfull business, to own houses, cars, expensive cloth etc....yes work for the community yes this is an utopia.... glad to watch your videos and I will definitely follow it. Shalom
Thank you Katalin for your wonderful words. Please subscribe and share with everyone on your social media network - even if they aren't completely fluent in English, the pictures will help explain what is going on.
Wow! This is a dream come true to me, because I was fascinated by the idea of KIBBUTZ but didn't know how to get the information I wanted! Now I found in your video. Thank you very much and God bless you.
Glad you enjoyed it! But what you saw in Episode 1 is just for openers. Even in this society, there are pitdalls. View on and you will start to understand the complexities of livibg in a tightnit democracy.
Shalom Mike and Ann-Maree. You are not the only ones who want to know what happened to your kibbutz, Yiftach - up on the Lebanese border. I want to interview people there. Do you still have any contacts with members there? I would like to contact them and put them up on this channel. Apart from the interview I want to film around the kibbutz and show you how it has grown since you were there 40 years ago.
I enjoyed this video and look forward to watching the rest of your videos on this channel. I volunteered during fall semester in Kibbutz Usha near Kiryat Ata. I'm not Jewish, but I was interested in what it was like to live this lifestyle. I was born and raised in SLC, Utah as a Mormon, a religion that lived a communal structure during the first years of the city's existence. I've since left the church, but have found fellow volunteers on Facebook and have heard about some of the changes in Usha. Your explanations of the old and new kibbutzim have sofened my fears of privization spoiling the lifestyle. I've often wondered if some sort of kibbutz-like system would work in the US. Also, my experience was different from that of others in my group as I was attacked by a local Bedouin man and went through the medical and court procedures in Israel. I could not have possibly endured all that if I hadn't been assisted by the administration of the kibbutz. There are so many social problems that can be aided by the safety of the kibbutz. I would like to talk to you more about this. Thank you for putting together these valuable videos.
Sue please contact me on KibbutzIvri@gmail.com I would like you to share your kibbutz experience in a format that I am currently working on whereby you can tell other viewers yourself.
Just found your channel…i lived in yad mordechai as a volunteer and later as a member…did oulpan and giour…started my family there in a span of 2 decades…i am back in the netherlands for years now and still miss my life there…time has changed also the kibbutz , i guess the ideology broke down after 3 generations…so sad live changed so drasticly…tnx for your effort
Ideology depends on timing and placement. When emotions ran high immediately after the Holocaust, there was more support for Israel and more idealistic motivation on the part of kibbutzniks. Fast forward to modern times with growing materialism and less of a necessity for physical pioneering, kibbutzim have adjusted to changing circumstances. Take a look at a recent episode #9 "Ideology Vs Hormones". You'll see what I mean. Then see Part 2 of this dialogue #10 "Fish 'n Chips".
Jonathan Hi, thanks for your comment. But i don't understand what you mean by the "anarchist foundations". Revolutionary yes, but not anarchy. It was a revolutionary movement in the early days of the Russian revolution as a response to antisemitism and a revolt against Rabbinical led Jewish society. Please explain.
Shalom עברי טסקר .....I was a volunteer at Kibbutz Ein Hamifratz from December 1988 to February 1989, I loved the experience of working and sharing with you, proud of this pioneering work back to the Land of Israel and of many born there as well. way of life and work and community. Congratulations for the video and explanations. Leritraoth.Cleide Souza from São Paulo.
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I've been flooded by people who commented directly to me on other social media. I am trying to direct them to the channel here so that we have an open exchange of opinions and comments. In the 6 days since I officially opened this channel, 85 viewers have subscribed. It is important to note that subscriptions must be PUBLIC, so that You Tube does not consider you a scammer. Algorithms can some times be hard to understand. Cleide I am very happy to hear from you. I hope my future videos will really give you an depth understanding of what life in a kibbutz is really like in 2023.
Thankyou. This is both a Journey of a Lifetime and a Voyage of Discovery for me. I hope it will be also for you. Pls let other people know about this channel by sharing it with your real and digital friends.
Such a wonderful idea! I was very sad to hear about the process of privatisation of kibbutzim. There may have been sound economic reasons, but kibbutz as an expression of socialism worked and it is a shame that there are no longer so many.
Hi, Socialism by itself stopped putting bread on the table in kibbutzim many years ago. Nowadays a fusion of Socialism and Capitalism has saved dozens of kibbutzim from financial collapse and bankruptcy. Nostalgia is great in its place, but we have all changed. The world has changed. I have an ongoing exchange of opinions with an old pal of mine in my first kibbutz. They made the change to differential salaries. They sold their factory and distributed heavy cash bonuses to all members. He says - We are not a kibbutz anymore. I strongly disagree with him. The kibbutz was and always will be what the majority of its members wanted. Kibbutzim are vibrant, healthy communities nowadays. The youngsters have flocked back to kibbutzim.
Thank you. I appreciate your interest. As I said in this first episode, this is a brand new venture for me. I look forward to your comments in future Vlogs.
That's a beautiful Kibbutz , i was a volunteer twice at Kibbutz Yad Hanna near Netanya ( although closer to Tulkarm on the West bank) in the mid 90s . Wonderful memories . I even had a football trial outside Ramat Gan Stadium for a team called Tzafririm Holon during my time there after i was recommended to an agent , i was going to stay and play in some more trial games but ended up coming back to England . Always wonder what might have happened had i stayed on.
Volunteer in 1975 and 1978 in Kibbutz Kfar Hamacabi. I would have liked to be part of the early years , it always seems such a productive, interesting and wonderful enterprise to me. I had a great time as a volunteer , made friends up until today and visited Israel after that many times. The country is still a miracle come true, but the political situation and the developments on the Westbank are very worrying.
I'm very much enjoying your series, Ivri. I was an ulpanist and volunteer on four different kibbutzim from December 1980 through June 1982. Like many, I am saddened by the privatization changes on most kibbutzim, but I understand the necessity. One of the subjects that I hope this series will touch upon: it is my understanding that many businesses were able to renegotiate their debts in order to get out from under the multiplied debts caused by the extreme inflation that Israel suffered in the '80s, but the Netanyahu government of the '90s would not allow the kibbutzim to renegotiate their debts as political punishment. Could you discuss this in a future video?
Aaron I'm very grateful for you raising this point about how kibbutzim negotiated and repaid their debts to the banks during hyperinflation after governmental policies had completely pulled the carpet from under them.. But first let me say that my channel is and will remain a-political. Even though as a kibbutz member and on the face of it viewers can wrongly assume that I am a Socialist, I will not bring politics into this channel. Otherwise the channel will go off at a tangent and will not deal with core issues from the inside. I have already earmarked one business manager of a kibbutz for an interview. I will ask him to describe the business management infrastructure. I hope to raise this very issue that you have highlighted. However, due to overwhelming correspondence since launching the channel this month, I will only be able to meet him (hopefully) at the very earliest in April.
Thanks for replying Ivri. I didn't expect for you to get too political, but there are business and accounting intrigues between the subsidized relationship that the kibbutzim enjoyed with previous Labour governments, and the animosity that they endured with Likud, which is, of course, ideologically at odds with the kibbutz movement. An analysis of this complex relationship is at the heart of understanding why the kibbutzim were on the brink of financial failure, and why so many were forced to change when they couldn't get relief from the government.
Not exactly true. There are kibbutzim that are looking for new members. However they have certain stipulations. There are looking for young families. Individual kibbutzim may be looking for certain professionals, such as doctors, caregivers or engineers. Having said that, most kibbutzim have a very limited number of houses for new members. This restriction means they had to priorities applicants vs places available. At the top of the list is returning sons and daughters.
I went through the kibbutz system , from ulpanist and volunteer , all the way to becoming a member on a young kibbutz , which lost its way , and is now a religious commune , to becoming an outside worker living on kibbutzim , one of which was Degania Aleph . In the time from when my " journey " started , kibbutzim changed quite a lot -from the days of each according to his/her needs , each according to his /her capabilities, to a wage based system where literally nothing is free - even the laundry service had to be paid for according to the weight . I do not have any real regrets about my time on kibbutz , because I had some wonderful times ( as well as some wretched ones as well ) , but as the world has changed , so have I , and yes, I still romanticise about the old days , when kibbutz had a level of mysticism about it
I was a kibbutznik on Retamim near Revivim in the Negev , and Retamim became a two tier kibbutz , those who laboured most of the day and those who worked in the offices ( a bit ), I didn't like the way the kibbutz was heading , so I tried to become a member on Revivim and failed , after which , I decided to become a hired worker ( kitchen) while I decided what I wanted from life within the structure of kibbutz as a whole .@@ivritasker
This is a fabulous explanation of your community system. I truly respect the way it is set up. I think it's something that could work all over the world. It sounds stable & grounded based in social justice & fairness. I'd like to learn a lot more about the way your society succeeds in human resources and human rights. Thank you. Blessings from AUSTRALIA AND NZ. Sending all our genuine love ❤️ & unity. You have opened my heart in a new way. It has given me fresh hope for the future of our global village. I will be following you with interest. ❤ LILIROSE
Peta Hi, Thank you. You will definitely get to hear me in future videos. Just subscribe, hit the Bell icon to be informed of when the next episode is uploaded, and of course, tap the thumbs up like button.
In 1990 I volunteered at three kibbutzim, in chronological order Be'eri, Ein Gedi and Ein Gev and 1 Moshav which I forget the name of, these are three very successful Kibbutzim. What was funny is that at every kibbutz, i made friends with various Kibbutzniks and at each new kibbutz I befriended more of the kibbutzniks than the pervious kibbutz. In Be'eri there were a bunch of Israeli's doing their national service that worked on the Kibbutz and I realized how different their "right of passage" from teen to adulthood was compared to mine. In Be'eri because 1990 was the start of the first gulf war there were only 6 other volunteers besides myself so the divide between volunteer vs Kibbutznik was unusually smaller. When I got to Ein Gedi there were a lot more volunteers and the dynamics changed much more dramatically because Ein Gedi is a popular destination so the number of volunteers still in country really all want to stop at the dead sea. That was a pretty magical time seeing the leopards of the falls and the magic of the dead sea. However the best time I had at a Kibbutz was in Ein Gev. Ein gev in 1991 was a a pretty magical time for me, in all three kibbutz I washed dishes, to Israelis I must have the face of a dishwasher I guess, [not sure how i should take that ; )] Again there were few volunteers here so i was able to make friends with both more Israeli's doing their nationals service (or a part of it at least) working on the Kibbutz but I made many friends with the Kibbutzniks. There was Sasha a new Russian immigrant who had a degree in petrochemical engineering, damn Russians can drink lol. Julia and her husband who were from South America they were some of the kindest people I have ever met in the world. With the Israeli's doing their national service I got the nickname Lechem which means bread because native Hebrew speakers have difficulty hearing and saying the combined B, R, E, T sounds. yet they can say and hear B, E, R, T with ease. So when I same my name Brett, they hear Bred. i didn't realize for weeks what lechem meant lol. I made a good friend with a chap named Ofer who gave me a contact with a moshav that i worked in to make so decent cash for a month or two. Ofer and his sister Kinneret were leaving the Kibbutz, I believe the whole family was leaving over a dispute over how the Kibbutz was handling his sister's needs as she was a paraplegic. It was a unique time and situation as scud missiles were being fired into israel at the time and i recall drinking heavily lol. It was stress release and then once the war was over I sent straight edge (no drinking or drugs) for years afterward. The worse event on my trip was a travel pack I had which i used as a decoy ie it looked like i was carrying my wallet, cash, passport in it was actually just an empty wallet, a small note book and my address book (no smart phones back then), but my real cash, wallet and passport was in a body pouch under my shirt, was stolen. I kept about $40 in the decoy and used that cash to buy incidentals during the day, and they decoy worked but it was stolen in Tel Aviv. the result was all the names and addresses of the friends I had in my address book in the decoy was lost. And 30 years ago no one had an online presence and how do I look up Ofer when Ofer is a Latinized version of my friend's name? Now I feel gutted about what happened to Be'eri, I can't imagine a world where Be'eri doesn't return. I have no idea if people i shared food or laughter with are still alive or lost family members.
Thanks for this wonderful reminisence. I suggest you check the name Kibbutz Be'eri in Facebook. Most kibbutzim have their own FB groups. Hopefully you will then be able to linkup with old friends.
First, my deepest condolences for what your people are going through since October 7'th. My heart is heavy continually for your people. Now to your topic. Some describe the kibbutz as 'a piece of God's paradise on Earth'. And I'm thinking yes, they do want Paradise, but why don't they seem to want God? Is there a correlation between the state of kibbutzim and the state of communism/ socialism worldwide? Or maybe the Israeli kibbutz is its own phenomenon? Ps. I have enjoyed virtual tours around different kibbutzes, with @Relaxing Walker as he takes us on walks throughout Israel. Hoping to one day, God willing, come and visit in person. With prayers of peace, from Sweden.
Well done. Audio has to be improved, heard to understand the speech. Kibbutz is not only a place to live or a place to work it is or was a way of life. Call it what you may.....but it's not a Kibbutz today.
Wait till you see what other people say when I interview them. We differ on what the kibbutz is after all the changes and I respect your opinion. Regarding audio sound, I agree with you I need to improve it. I'm looking round for someone now to help me.
Volunteered in Kibbutz Lahav for 3 months from December 2012 to March 2013. I worked at the meat factory and I have never eaten so much pork as when I was there.
I know what you mean. My late wife had a connection with Kibbutz Lahav. We visited there many years ago. I've never seen such big, heavy male members of any kibbutz.
This is terrific, thank you very much. I learned an awful lot just from the first blog. Can you recommend a book in English which has an updated analysis of the kibbutz system? Todah.
Herman Hi, As far as I know there is no updated and current analysis of kibbutz facts and figures in English - neither as a hard copy book or video. The ONLY source for this in English is this TH-cam channel. That is why I have adopted this unique approach. There are many one-off videos by individual kibbutzim that show their lifestyles, businesses etc. They are good, but do not show an overview of all kibbutzim. Having said that, I plan to interview the General Secretary of the Kibbutz Movement in Tel Aviv during this year. There are many interesting developments. One of these developments is to build the first new kibbutz in 30 years. The government has already authorized a brand-new development zone near Arad in the north-eastern Negev for a town and a separate kibbutz. However, there is a lot of current material in Hebrew published by the Yad Tabenkin Archives at the Efal Seminar Center in Tel Aviv. I suggest you contact them and request data etc in English. I was there a few months ago helping to unstaple old photos for digitalization. So I know the guys there are very anxious to help. I also suggest you Google Amazon. They may have the latest books about kibbutz. Good luck.
always loved kibbutzim and the idea of kibbutzim since i first heard of them as a child back in '69 or '70... forget the circus I wanted to run away and join a kibbutz
תודה רבה מאוד, אני מאירלנד הצפונית, עבדתי בקיבוץ מסדה בעמק הירדן ב1991, חיים בקיבוץ זה חיים אמיתים, עוד פעם בתי לארץ ב1993 לעבוד בתל אביב ל6 שנים, אני לא יהודי אבל אני רוצה לגור בקיבוץ,,,,, שלום וברכות לך
These remind me a lot of hutterite colonies in the US and Canada that I have visited before. It is the only real socialism I have seen that has worked And it was fascinating The inside of the colony is very socialist if not communist everyone gets paid the same everyone gets taken care of no matter how much you do for the colony and they all have their own specialties usually in agriculture but also other types of businesses like manufacturing and they're very competitive in the capitalist North American economy. It was just fasting to see a group of people that were die hard capitalist at the same time as communist! The key is that it's voluntary to join or leave whereas socialism in a country is not voluntary.
Yes, I agree - fascinating and comparable in many ways to kibbutz. After the war is over, hopefully I will return to my original purpose for creating this Vlog which is looking at how kibbutz functions nowadays. One aspect of this is comparisons with other forms of communal living. Thank you.
As in the US, it's remarkable what you can do when you take other people's land. I worked on a kibbutz in the 1970s when there was still a fantasy of social justice that could be worked out with Palestinians. Now, decades later, the idealism of the kibbutz and Israel itself stands tragically revealed as just another colonial enterprise, prettied up with religious dominionism amd socialist ideology. Authentic socialism would have rejected the authoritarian apartheid and anti-Palestinian racism of the zionism that eventually took over the country. A tragic deformation of Judaism.
@@ivritasker You probably didn't made Polytechnic to bug on it ( Let's say Bauhas and " la charte d'Athênes " not dead since water just need to be pressurized to produce Energy ) and as Crypto seem to be the future of evergetism ; fuel cell's again will make the rest ...
Thank you Sir for information, May I ask you that what is the birth rate of families in kibbutz? Do they have a lot or few children, what is the average?
I don't understand how the kibbutz is any different than the pioneers of America who worked hard and did the best they could on their land. They too had a lot of trouble for their sweat and tears. What is the difference I wonder... am I missing something?
Colonization could only occur if the original founders had come from a motherland. Colonization means setting up a new rwgime as a colony of an established seat of power. Jews had no other country.
@@selchef2 Thank you Selly and keep spreading the word by sharing the link on all your social media. Getting ready to upload the second video about Degania Bet in 6 days time.
Sorry for the late reply. Knowing the language is one of the best ways of integrating into a new society. However, you'll have to stand in line in an every growing queue to get into a kibbutz.
Yes and no. You are right about the kibbutzim that were decimated on October 7. But the spirit of the survivors is strong and those kibbutz communities will be rebuilt. This tragedy has consolidated all 273 kibbutzim like nothing else before. The kibbutzim out of rocket range from Gaza or those not being threatened now from Hizboula in Lebanon have opened their doors to take in 1,000s of evacuees. The true spirit of all kibbutzim of one for all and all for one has re-emerged.
@ivritasker Most of my friends from high school went in the 90s. They loved it and matured fast. Our South African farmers are amazing. The murder of our farmers are brutal and that's why I understand the cruelty of what just happened there. Sending love and prayers for you all. Shalom
Thank you. I learned a lot, but I ask at what price for such a "dream " lifestyle? You live in abundance while others are being summarily evicted to get a Jewish majority in the land. The entire ideological apparatus reminds me of the pied noirs in Algeria some of whom thought they were going back to the land of St. Augustine of Hippo.
Thankyou for your comments here. But I don't talk politics here. Otherwise I would go completely off at a tangent and not focus on my specific niche which takes up a lot of my time anyway. However I value your opinion which deserves an answer. Firstly, I am against evictions. Secondly, we already have a Jewish majority in the State of Israel with 7 million Jewish citizens and 1.8 million Muslim citizens. Thirdly, the comparison with the Pied Noirs is wrong. Algeria was a colony of France, not their homeland. Israel is our homeland and the only Jewish state. The Muslims already have 56 states. Please let's not get into a political discussuon here as we both have too much to say about it. Finally, I will say I believe in Palestinian statehood but not the way it is in what we could call unofficially "Western Palestine" i.e. the Gaza Strip because Hamas booted out,Fatah after we gave it back to them and then started rocketing our civilians. So let's just think hard with no to and forth texting whether a 57th Muslim state is viable in present circumstances with Hamas demanding the destruction of Israel which would require the evictions of millions of Jews.
I volunteered for 3 months and ended up staying in Israel for almost 2 years. Loved the people, the culture, the food and the diversity. One of the defining times of my life. If I was Jewish I’d be living there now.
most people graduate high school or college and figure out what they want to do with their life. they often go to the kibbutz to find themself. i almost did it after high school. wonder what it is like.
👍
@@GGhiba611 Please expand on that. I don’t understand your meaning.
Israel, remarkable country.
Its achievements (and compassion, humanity and generosity) are just without parallel in the world today.
It has a big rôle to play in the future.
Former volunteer at Kibbutz Shefayim and still fully dedicated to my kibbutz family and friends. This video is wonderful and i look forward to more. Gratefully, my volunteer day relationships have grown to include the grandchildren of my contemporaries and new families through marriage. Without a doubt, my kibbutz experience continues today by virture of bonds formed nearly 50 years ago.
Wonderful! Those bonds are lifelong friendships so long as you keep in touch with those people. As they say sometimes "Your oldest friends are your best friends".
Shalom, I was a volunteer from South Africa working on Degania Bet kibbutz in 1988. An experience of a lifetime which has changed my life forever. Israel is such a beautiful country and I love the people. Every young person must experience kibbutz life and one point or the other. It is an experience that money cannot buy. I wish there was an opportunity now for me at the age of 55 to still volunteer at a kibbutz, I will pack my bags in a jiffy. Thank you Ivri
Hi, I left Degania Bet in 1981 for my present kibbutz. I visited DB 3 days ago to make a video with DB members on the Sea of Galilee. Subscribe and keep in the loop.
Thank you for this video, it explains it so well.
God is with you Israel.
Shalom Ivri, I was born and raised on a kibbutz. My parents were among the founders. I wrote a fictional memoir called “Daughter of the Kibbutz” in which I described what growing up on a kibbutz in the 1960 and 70s was like for me. I think after reading my book it is not hard to understand why some second generation kibbutzniks decided to leave this “paradise.” Of course not all kibbutzim are the same, but the similarities are more common than the differences.
Galia Hi,
yours is the type of story that I want to put up on my channel - obviously with a link to your novel. My first episode asked that question: why did a whole generation leave their kibbutz?
Pls contact me on KibbutzIvri@gmail.com I am putting an instruction page together at the moment whereby viewers can consolidate their stories. I will then put their stories up on my channel. Thankyou.
I volunteered at Hazorea between 93 and 94. I worked in the rafet milking cows. Some of the best times of my life! Thank you for sharing this…✨
Thanx for your comment. Keep updated by subscribing to the Channel and please share it on your social media.
what made it the best times?
I have fond memories of Kibbutz Ginosar where I spent most of 1976.
We worked really hard in the fields but enjoyed the evenings sometimes with a barbecue of fish from the sea of Galilee. Mostly we ate in the dining hall and took turns washing the pots, pans, and dishes. I remember rubbing shoulders with Egal Alon, the foreign minister, with a scrubbing brush in one hand and a dirty pan in the other.
I was working on the fishing boat when news of the Entebbe raid came over the radio and everyone jumped overboard in celebration leaving me alone to turn the boat around. A few of the lads from the kibbutz went on that raid and returned heroes but then went back to work in the fields the next day.
Having served my time in the tough jobs I ended up working at the hotel that had just been started. The job we all coveted as we got occasional tips from the visitors.
Happy Days Indeed
Great memories. I'm sure it was a turning point in your life.
@@GGhiba611I was young and adventurous with much more of the world to see. I have since discovered nowhere is perfect.
@@ivritaskerCertainly and I learnt a lot but then life is full of turning points or at least mine has been
@@stevecoombes4822 You're telling me. Life is full of crossroads. It's only later that you understand the significance of decisions you made.
@@B4UGoClickMeYeah. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but not something to fear.
In the nearly 50 years since I left the Kibbutz, I have had many adventures
and many ups and downs but have always wanted a simple life independent
of others. For the last twenty years I have lived it in a small farming village
in North East Thailand. I seem to have gone full circle and am growing bananas again :)
Volunteered in 2000 on Kibbutz Eilon and I have to say it was the best time of my life… The lifestyle was amazing and I’m afraid Israel stole my heart.
One day I’d love to return and travel Israel again.
Great channel, I look forward to more videos.
Time and tide wait for no man. There's no time like the present. Don't let it slip though your fingers. Just book a flight, bring the family, take a trip down memory lane and see how Kibbutz Eilon is today.
@@ivritasker It’s something myself and the wife are talking about as we are watching your second video. So soon we will be there I’m sure.
Thank you for your comment. If it fits in with your plans, you are welcome to visit me.
October 19, 2023 Shalom Ivri - We were so glad to find your video and hope & pray you are safe and well. We are among many New Zealanders standing with Israel in these turbulent times. Am Israel chai!
Thank you for your prayers and support. Please subscribe and share my videos worldwide. Horrible stories of atrocities are coming to the surface every day on Israeli media. I will do my best to keep everyone on my channel up to date.
I love the idea. Thank you very much for teaching us. I only learned about kibbutz after Hamas a problem now I know what you mean kibbutzim
Shalom . I was in Israel 1984 -1985 . As a volunteer I worked and enjoyed the kibbutz lifestile . At the beutiful vye over Golan heights in kibbutz Kfar Giladi , I picked oranges and worked at the eye factory Gallile Optic . In kibbutz near Netanya ,Kibbutz Givat Brenner I worked in a juice factory and the therd kibbutz near Nazareth , Kibbutz Ginegar , there I was working in the kitchen . Israel is a beautiful country and so many places to visit and see. Jerusalem I have always in my heart . Today I am a christian and praying for Israel and the jewish people . That they will live in peace in their own given land . I love Israel 🇮🇱❤
Dear Heline thank you for your comments and support of Israel during this difficult time. By the way, when you were here in the mid 1980s I was overseas representing Israel as the kibbutz envoy to the Reform Jewish communities in the UK.
They were just workin you huh? Thats some real Isiah 61 stuff
Thank you again Ivri, I'm looking forward to this. I was a volunteer at Kibbutz Urim back in 1990. Fond memories. Such a beautiful country and people. Shalom.
I hope you enjoy future episodes. I interviewed some amazing people during 2022. Pls do me a favor and share my channel with everyone on your social media.
Hi and thankyou. Pls see what I just replied to Richard Thuillier above. I would like to hear from you too by email.
Absolutely fascinating insight into the history of the kibbutz, and the more recent changes. I was so very fortunate to spend a year on Kibbutz (Gesher Haziv on the north coast, and Palmach Tsuba in the Judian Hills) as a volunteer in 1975/6. Like thousands of volunteers, it was a fascinating and wonderful time, where I really discovered what was important in life. My stay informed my onward journey and decisions, influencing who I am, my behaviour, values and morals, and I can't thank the kibbutz movement enough for the experience. I understand the concept of inviting volunteers fell out of favour in the 80's and 90's for a variety of reasons, so it was just a moment in time. I look forward to catching up with your vlogs and more to come. And well done on the edit - can't believe you are new to this, great job.
Dave Hi,
Thank you for your very positive response. Please send me a quick message by email to KibbutzIvri@gmail.com and I will show you how I can put your kibbutz experience up on TH-cam
Fabulous! I can't wait to see all your future videos! For your first video - you did great!
Rich thank you for your compliments. Actually at my age, it's been a Herculean effort to learn all the technology of creating a You Tube channel. During 2022 I interviewed some amazing people coz Kibbutz is all about people. Pls subscribe, give a thumbs up, and share with others on your social media. Already after the first 15 hours of promoting this channel, I've been swamped by responses. To tell you the truth, I anticipated a lot of interest.
Shalom ❤
I never knew how beautiful kibbutz is until this video, its breathtaking.
Loving your blog, I was a volunteer at Kibbutz Tel Yosef, I first went in 1979, I did various jobs at first from Citrus picking, to working in dining room, kitchen etc, but ended up in the chicken houses, looking after chickens for meat, I end up working on the Kibbutz for two years, I loved the way of life, the social side, meeting up in the dining room, or coffee house, the open air cinemas, aiming pool. I loved my work, I made friends with many kibbutniks, and still keep in contact,
I so wanted to stay for ever, to me it was perfect. I did go for many reunions for years after, I think my final visit was in the 90s...
It has changed so much now since the time I was there, no more dining room, kibbutzniks now eat at home. I would love to visit, but I don't want my memories ruined. It was the best time of my life and think about it often.
Don't worry about ruining your memories. I'm sure that Tel Yosef is alive and thriving.
Lorenz Granrath from Germany, was in Deganya Bet as volunteer in 1985, now live in Japan. Great Blog!!!
Lorenz thank you for your comments.
Shalom, I'm currently applying to volunteer in a kibbutz. Most of the documents have been processed and am currently preparing for my interview that would decide whether or I will be able to go as a volunteer. I'm using the time to look into more about the kibbutz and things to look out for as a volunteer. Personally found your video to be one of the most helpful one I've seen. Thank you very much.
Thankyou. I appreciate your feedback. Please subscribe, like and share. And please let your friends know about this channel. Maybe the too would like to visit kibbitz.
If they don't want to volunteer, I also have a guest wing in my house. Write to me on KibbutzIvri@gmail.com and I'll give you details.
@ivritasker can a american come volunteer at the kibbutz
Yes, there are about 15 kibbutzim that still take volunteers. See the previous reply of a person who is undergoing processing. He will give you the info how to apply. @@michaelwayne4568
Fascinating, I didn’t know what a kibbutz was until recently unfortunately. Love and best wishes to all
Garry I'm glad to welcome you here. Please subscribe and share on all your social media.
This is a blessing, to see! God has given you the knowledge and inspiration, to make the desert, bloom like ----- a rose! It's really beautiful@
Thankyou for your inspiring words.
I was a volunteer on Kibbutz Yotvata in 93 for a year, the amazing dairy producer in the Negev desert. Such great experiences and memories😉
Highly informative video
I have fond memories of the time I visited you in the kibbutz as a little boy.
your voice and your accent really reminds me of Saba Yaakov and that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling ❤️
I remember you and somewhere deep in my drawers I have a black and white photo of you jumping into the swimming pool. Please subscribe to the channel and share it with everyone on your social media platforms.
Your Saba Yaakov who was my Uncle Yaakov was such a great guy. I miss him a lot.
You and your family are invited to visit me in my present kibbutz, Givat Chaim Meuchad. Where do you live?
I was a volunteer back in the early 80's on Kibbutz Beit HaShita.
It was October when I arrived from England , and my first job was in the fish ponds .
It was so hot during the day , we started at 4 am until midday , when the sun was too strong to work in .
I remember the pickle factory too . We volunteers sat with the Kibbutzniks on the conveyor line , sorting out the olives. We had radio headphones to listen to whilst working , as the job soon got monotonous. I remember hearing the news that John Lennon had been murdered in America 😮
Syria was threatening Israel at the time on the Golan Heights border .
Though tensions were high for a while , I never felt in danger there on the Kibbutz or when travelling around Israel.
I wish i could return to Israel and end my days on a kibbutz.
Even now , during this time of war between Israel and Hamas terrorists.
God bless Israel and may the IDF finish Hamas off for good 👍🙏
✝️🆓🇬🇧
Happy memories, even of getting up at 4.00 a.m.
Volunteer on Nirim (three times ) in the mid 80s. This is possibly the most interesting video that I have ever watched on TH-cam. Thank you so much.
I really appreciate your comment. It motivates me to continue adding episodes as a man on a mission. Thankyou.
@@ivritasker It was that good that I started watching it again, I also sent a link to my friend who is still on Nirim. Im very much looking forward to the next episode.Thanks again.
Fascinating! I learned so much more from this video than from a friend who actually lived on a kibbutz for a brief period!
I presume that your friend was a volunteer (short time working visitor). As such, your friend would only have seen a limited section of kibbutz life. One has to become a member for a few years to understand how the system works . Please subscribe and learn more - especially what is happening in kibbutzim now during our war with Hamas.
Thankyou,very interesting. Look forward to seeing more. Best wishes.
Many thanks! Make sure that you subscribe so that you are notified by TH-cam when I upload new episodes.
@@ivritasker Yes,I have done so. 👍🙏
I was a volunteer on kibbutz Rosh Hanikra '75/76; by far the most memorable time of my life. Good luck on this channel
Thanks. I'm looking at ways and means of how I can get memories like yours up on my You Tube channel. Contact by my email here and we can talk things over.
I hope you’re still around. It’s so sad what has happened there. America supports Israel.🇺🇸🇳🇮
Sheila thank you for your support.
Great content Ivri. I had an amazing experience in Israel. I was there for one year, September 83’ to September 84’. at 22 yrs old.I ended up on Kibbutz Kinneret and worked bananas and dates for 5 months.
Lots of memories and stories attached to my year in Israel.
I look forward to checking in on your channel.
🙏🏴🙏
Ian thanks for your feedback. I'm checking out how to interview former volunteers and uploading the video to this channel. Interested? Email to kibbutzIvri@gmail.com
Just to say standing with you in prayer in Isreal loving you and blessing you Lord have mercy on all in uk and expose all lies of the enemy. Your land is beautiful and hope to visit one day to help heal and restore. God knows our hearts cry. Shalom.❤
Great video from an ex kibbutz Matzuva volunteer. I may of left but my heart stayed in isreal. Since 2007 i visited Matzuva about 30 times,my friends are my isreali family. Thanks
Thanks for sharing! Yes indeed - you have really connected with your kibbutz. Please share on all your social media both with those who understand English abroad and in Israel. Thankyou
You are an exceptionally charming host and I loved your video! I spent a year doing an ulpan on kibbutz Ma'ayan Tzvi and then Ramat David and loved the experience. I made lifelong friendships, in fact I just came back from visiting a kibbutz friend / brother in South Africa and another in Greece. Don't worry so much about the technical stuff, what's truly important is the content and yours is excellent. Be well and I look forward to the next one.
Thank you for the compliments. Jokingly I can say that flattery will get you nowhere. But seriously - your feedback is very important and essential for me. It empowers me to tell the story of all kibbutzim.
And BTW I was the national coordinator of Kibbutz Ulpanim in the 1970s. So perhaps we met when I talked to Ulpan classes.
Please share - onward and upwards: All for one and one for all. That's what kibbutz and community is all about.
I lived on kibbutz Kfar Blum in the late 70's. The best experience of my life and it changed me forever.
Many of my viewers have expressed the same sentiment of a life changing experience. Please share with others. Thankyou.
Great stuff, Ivri.
Please don't worry about the technical aspects of production. Like everything in life, that will develop and improve exponentially.
You referred at the start to ex-kibbutzniks. As one of those, I would really like you to do a vlog examining their experiences. The reasons chevre left are so varied and complex but perhaps there is a common theme.
Thanks Seymour. Since starting to promote my channel, I've been inundated with replies on FB. BTW the FB algorithms want to promote themselves as FB, while my major intention is to promote this You Tube channel. Anything you can do to help me via your social media will be greatly appreciated. This is my own personal shlichut.
Seymour Hi,
I'm sure that with your movement background, you can add a lot in the way of explaining why people left kibbutz. Please email me a short message to KibbutzIvri@gmail.com . I will reply with a suggestion of the way in which you can contribute to this channel.
Oh I loved your video, I am a Hungarian (with English surname "English ex husband") and I am a jewish, a 61 years old women. Totally agree with your question "why people not live in kibbutz"....in my dreams when I am too tired after a hard day at the office, at home etc....that kibbutz would be a lovely place to live...I am not that interested to be rich, to have a successfull business, to own houses, cars, expensive cloth etc....yes work for the community yes this is an utopia.... glad to watch your videos and I will definitely follow it. Shalom
Thank you Katalin for your wonderful words. Please subscribe and share with everyone on your social media network - even if they aren't completely fluent in English, the pictures will help explain what is going on.
Koszonom Szepen 😂
Wow! This is a dream come true to me, because I was fascinated by the idea of KIBBUTZ but didn't know how to get the information I wanted! Now I found in your video. Thank you very much and God bless you.
Glad you enjoyed it! But what you saw in Episode 1 is just for openers. Even in this society, there are pitdalls. View on and you will start to understand the complexities of livibg in a tightnit democracy.
I wish I could live in a kibbutz, it looks so peaceful
Most interesting Ivri!
Kibutz Yiftah volunteer 1982-83. Alway interested in what’s happened to ‘my’ Kibutz in the years since. Toda
Shalom Mike and Ann-Maree. You are not the only ones who want to know what happened to your kibbutz, Yiftach - up on the Lebanese border. I want to interview people there. Do you still have any contacts with members there? I would like to contact them and put them up on this channel. Apart from the interview I want to film around the kibbutz and show you how it has grown since you were there 40 years ago.
I enjoyed this video and look forward to watching the rest of your videos on this channel. I volunteered during fall semester in Kibbutz Usha near Kiryat Ata. I'm not Jewish, but I was interested in what it was like to live this lifestyle. I was born and raised in SLC, Utah as a Mormon, a religion that lived a communal structure during the first years of the city's existence. I've since left the church, but have found fellow volunteers on Facebook and have heard about some of the changes in Usha. Your explanations of the old and new kibbutzim have sofened my fears of privization spoiling the lifestyle. I've often wondered if some sort of kibbutz-like system would work in the US. Also, my experience was different from that of others in my group as I was attacked by a local Bedouin man and went through the medical and court procedures in Israel. I could not have possibly endured all that if I hadn't been assisted by the administration of the kibbutz. There are so many social problems that can be aided by the safety of the kibbutz. I would like to talk to you more about this. Thank you for putting together these valuable videos.
Sue please contact me on KibbutzIvri@gmail.com I would like you to share your kibbutz experience in a format that I am currently working on whereby you can tell other viewers yourself.
Just found your channel…i lived in yad mordechai as a volunteer and later as a member…did oulpan and giour…started my family there in a span of 2 decades…i am back in the netherlands for years now and still miss my life there…time has changed also the kibbutz , i guess the ideology broke down after 3 generations…so sad live changed so drasticly…tnx for your effort
Ideology depends on timing and placement. When emotions ran high immediately after the Holocaust, there was more support for Israel and more idealistic motivation on the part of kibbutzniks.
Fast forward to modern times with growing materialism and less of a necessity for physical pioneering, kibbutzim have adjusted to changing circumstances.
Take a look at a recent episode #9 "Ideology Vs Hormones". You'll see what I mean. Then see Part 2 of this dialogue #10 "Fish 'n Chips".
Finally somebody is really analyzing the Kibbuts movement. Please speak of the anarchist foundations of the movement.
Jonathan Hi, thanks for your comment. But i don't understand what you mean by the "anarchist foundations". Revolutionary yes, but not anarchy. It was a revolutionary movement in the early days of the Russian revolution as a response to antisemitism and a revolt against Rabbinical led Jewish society. Please explain.
Greetings!
I was in Ulpan/Volunteers at Kibbutz Beit Alfa in the 1970s..
I loved living there.
I think about Beit Alfa every day.
Shalom
Shalom עברי טסקר .....I was a volunteer at Kibbutz Ein Hamifratz from December 1988 to February 1989, I loved the experience of working and sharing with you, proud of this pioneering work back to the Land of Israel and of many born there as well. way of life and work and community. Congratulations for the video and explanations. Leritraoth.Cleide Souza from São Paulo.
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I've been flooded by people who commented directly to me on other social media. I am trying to direct them to the channel here so that we have an open exchange of opinions and comments.
In the 6 days since I officially opened this channel, 85 viewers have subscribed. It is important to note that subscriptions must be PUBLIC, so that You Tube does not consider you a scammer. Algorithms can some times be hard to understand.
Cleide I am very happy to hear from you. I hope my future videos will really give you an depth understanding of what life in a kibbutz is really like in 2023.
Good job, Ivri. Will follow your path with interest
Thankyou. This is both a Journey of a Lifetime and a Voyage of Discovery for me. I hope it will be also for you. Pls let other people know about this channel by sharing it with your real and digital friends.
Such a wonderful idea! I was very sad to hear about the process of privatisation of kibbutzim. There may have been sound economic reasons, but kibbutz as an expression of socialism worked and it is a shame that there are no longer so many.
Hi, Socialism by itself stopped putting bread on the table in kibbutzim many years ago. Nowadays a fusion of Socialism and Capitalism has saved dozens of kibbutzim from financial collapse and bankruptcy. Nostalgia is great in its place, but we have all changed. The world has changed.
I have an ongoing exchange of opinions with an old pal of mine in my first kibbutz. They made the change to differential salaries. They sold their factory and distributed heavy cash bonuses to all members. He says - We are not a kibbutz anymore. I strongly disagree with him. The kibbutz was and always will be what the majority of its members wanted. Kibbutzim are vibrant, healthy communities nowadays. The youngsters have flocked back to kibbutzim.
This is lovely. I hope you are well and safe. thanx.
Thank you. Yes, I am fine. But the situation is volatile while Hamas is rocketing the south of Israel.
Beautiful place Sir.
God Almighty is Good with Israel. He gave them a land that flow with milk and honey.
Well done, excellent quality and interesting.
Thank you. I appreciate your interest. As I said in this first episode, this is a brand new venture for me. I look forward to your comments in future Vlogs.
That's a beautiful Kibbutz , i was a volunteer twice at Kibbutz Yad Hanna near Netanya ( although closer to Tulkarm on the West bank) in the mid 90s . Wonderful memories . I even had a football trial outside Ramat Gan Stadium for a team called Tzafririm Holon during my time there after i was recommended to an agent , i was going to stay and play in some more trial games but ended up coming back to England . Always wonder what might have happened had i stayed on.
Lovely pictures and interesting video!
Thankyou.
Volunteer in 1975 and 1978 in Kibbutz Kfar Hamacabi. I would have liked to be part of the early years , it always seems such a productive, interesting and wonderful enterprise to me. I had a great time as a volunteer , made friends up until today and visited Israel after that many times. The country is still a miracle come true, but the political situation and the developments on the Westbank are very worrying.
It is interesting to hear of your volunteering experience. Yes, we kibbutzniks are very concerned about the way the country is veering to the right.
I'm very much enjoying your series, Ivri. I was an ulpanist and volunteer on four different kibbutzim from December 1980 through June 1982. Like many, I am saddened by the privatization changes on most kibbutzim, but I understand the necessity. One of the subjects that I hope this series will touch upon: it is my understanding that many businesses were able to renegotiate their debts in order to get out from under the multiplied debts caused by the extreme inflation that Israel suffered in the '80s, but the Netanyahu government of the '90s would not allow the kibbutzim to renegotiate their debts as political punishment. Could you discuss this in a future video?
Aaron I'm very grateful for you raising this point about how kibbutzim negotiated and repaid their debts to the banks during hyperinflation after governmental policies had completely pulled the carpet from under them..
But first let me say that my channel is and will remain a-political. Even though as a kibbutz member and on the face of it viewers can wrongly assume that I am a Socialist, I will not bring politics into this channel. Otherwise the channel will go off at a tangent and will not deal with core issues from the inside.
I have already earmarked one business manager of a kibbutz for an interview. I will ask him to describe the business management infrastructure. I hope to raise this very issue that you have highlighted.
However, due to overwhelming correspondence since launching the channel this month, I will only be able to meet him (hopefully) at the very earliest in April.
Thanks for replying Ivri. I didn't expect for you to get too political, but there are business and accounting intrigues between the subsidized relationship that the kibbutzim enjoyed with previous Labour governments, and the animosity that they endured with Likud, which is, of course, ideologically at odds with the kibbutz movement. An analysis of this complex relationship is at the heart of understanding why the kibbutzim were on the brink of financial failure, and why so many were forced to change when they couldn't get relief from the government.
Thank you for the video. I made Aliyah three years ago but unfortunately I couldn´t find a Kibbutz. They all told me they don´t take new members.
Not exactly true. There are kibbutzim that are looking for new members. However they have certain stipulations. There are looking for young families. Individual kibbutzim may be looking for certain professionals, such as doctors, caregivers or engineers.
Having said that, most kibbutzim have a very limited number of houses for new members. This restriction means they had to priorities applicants vs places available. At the top of the list is returning sons and daughters.
I went through the kibbutz system , from ulpanist and volunteer , all the way to becoming a member on a young kibbutz , which lost its way , and is now a religious commune , to becoming an outside worker living on kibbutzim , one of which was Degania Aleph .
In the time from when my " journey " started , kibbutzim changed quite a lot -from the days of each according to his/her needs , each according to his /her capabilities, to a wage based system where literally nothing is free - even the laundry service had to be paid for according to the weight .
I do not have any real regrets about my time on kibbutz , because I had some wonderful times ( as well as some wretched ones as well ) , but as the world has changed , so have I , and yes, I still romanticise about the old days , when kibbutz had a level of mysticism about it
I presume you no longer live in a kibbutz. Am I right? If so, and if it is not too personal a question, could I ask you why you left?
I was a kibbutznik on Retamim near Revivim in the Negev , and Retamim became a two tier kibbutz , those who laboured most of the day and those who worked in the offices ( a bit ), I didn't like the way the kibbutz was heading , so I tried to become a member on Revivim and failed , after which , I decided to become a hired worker ( kitchen) while I decided what I wanted from life within the structure of kibbutz as a whole .@@ivritasker
This is a fabulous explanation of your community system. I truly respect the way it is set up. I think it's something that could work all over the world. It sounds stable & grounded based in social justice & fairness. I'd like to learn a lot more about the way your society succeeds in human resources and human rights. Thank you. Blessings from AUSTRALIA AND NZ. Sending all our genuine love ❤️ & unity. You have opened my heart in a new way. It has given me fresh hope for the future of our global village. I will be following you with interest. ❤ LILIROSE
Beautiful scenery. I hope we get to hear what you are saying in your videos.
Peta Hi,
Thank you. You will definitely get to hear me in future videos. Just subscribe, hit the Bell icon to be informed of when the next episode is uploaded, and of course, tap the thumbs up like button.
I enjoyed this very much. Thank you for sharing. ❤
Thankyou. Much appreciated. Please subscribe and share.
I was in Shefayim in the nineties. It changed my life for the better.
How?
I really miss this kibbuz as i have a good memories here. Hope to go back to visit there one day.
Thank you. Let me remind you that the guy in the cowsheds is Assaf. Keep on viewing this channel because I will upload the next episode today.
@@ivritasker he still looks good and fit. ❤❤❤
I wish I can go there and experience it myself. ❤ from Indonesia.
You did a great job I enjoyed watching thank you!
In 1990 I volunteered at three kibbutzim, in chronological order Be'eri, Ein Gedi and Ein Gev and 1 Moshav which I forget the name of, these are three very successful Kibbutzim. What was funny is that at every kibbutz, i made friends with various Kibbutzniks and at each new kibbutz I befriended more of the kibbutzniks than the pervious kibbutz. In Be'eri there were a bunch of Israeli's doing their national service that worked on the Kibbutz and I realized how different their "right of passage" from teen to adulthood was compared to mine. In Be'eri because 1990 was the start of the first gulf war there were only 6 other volunteers besides myself so the divide between volunteer vs Kibbutznik was unusually smaller.
When I got to Ein Gedi there were a lot more volunteers and the dynamics changed much more dramatically because Ein Gedi is a popular destination so the number of volunteers still in country really all want to stop at the dead sea. That was a pretty magical time seeing the leopards of the falls and the magic of the dead sea. However the best time I had at a Kibbutz was in Ein Gev.
Ein gev in 1991 was a a pretty magical time for me, in all three kibbutz I washed dishes, to Israelis I must have the face of a dishwasher I guess, [not sure how i should take that ; )] Again there were few volunteers here so i was able to make friends with both more Israeli's doing their nationals service (or a part of it at least) working on the Kibbutz but I made many friends with the Kibbutzniks. There was Sasha a new Russian immigrant who had a degree in petrochemical engineering, damn Russians can drink lol. Julia and her husband who were from South America they were some of the kindest people I have ever met in the world. With the Israeli's doing their national service I got the nickname Lechem which means bread because native Hebrew speakers have difficulty hearing and saying the combined B, R, E, T sounds. yet they can say and hear B, E, R, T with ease. So when I same my name Brett, they hear Bred. i didn't realize for weeks what lechem meant lol. I made a good friend with a chap named Ofer who gave me a contact with a moshav that i worked in to make so decent cash for a month or two. Ofer and his sister Kinneret were leaving the Kibbutz, I believe the whole family was leaving over a dispute over how the Kibbutz was handling his sister's needs as she was a paraplegic.
It was a unique time and situation as scud missiles were being fired into israel at the time and i recall drinking heavily lol. It was stress release and then once the war was over I sent straight edge (no drinking or drugs) for years afterward. The worse event on my trip was a travel pack I had which i used as a decoy ie it looked like i was carrying my wallet, cash, passport in it was actually just an empty wallet, a small note book and my address book (no smart phones back then), but my real cash, wallet and passport was in a body pouch under my shirt, was stolen. I kept about $40 in the decoy and used that cash to buy incidentals during the day, and they decoy worked but it was stolen in Tel Aviv. the result was all the names and addresses of the friends I had in my address book in the decoy was lost. And 30 years ago no one had an online presence and how do I look up Ofer when Ofer is a Latinized version of my friend's name?
Now I feel gutted about what happened to Be'eri, I can't imagine a world where Be'eri doesn't return. I have no idea if people i shared food or laughter with are still alive or lost family members.
Thanks for this wonderful reminisence. I suggest you check the name Kibbutz Be'eri in Facebook. Most kibbutzim have their own FB groups. Hopefully you will then be able to linkup with old friends.
Hi again Ivri, just finished watching it. Fantastic stuff. Look forward to chatting next week. Yoni
Yes, me too . We have a lot to talk over. I really appreciate your professional criticism. Thanks and again best regards to your mum and dad.
First, my deepest condolences for what your people are going through since October 7'th.
My heart is heavy continually for your people.
Now to your topic.
Some describe the kibbutz as 'a piece of God's paradise on Earth'.
And I'm thinking yes, they do want Paradise, but why don't they seem to want God?
Is there a correlation between the state of kibbutzim and the state of communism/ socialism worldwide? Or maybe the Israeli kibbutz is its own phenomenon?
Ps. I have enjoyed virtual tours around different kibbutzes, with @Relaxing Walker as he takes us on walks throughout Israel.
Hoping to one day, God willing, come and visit in person.
With prayers of peace, from Sweden.
Well done. Audio has to be improved, heard to understand the speech. Kibbutz is not only a place to live or a place to work it is or was a way of life. Call it what you may.....but it's not a Kibbutz today.
Wait till you see what other people say when I interview them. We differ on what the kibbutz is after all the changes and I respect your opinion.
Regarding audio sound, I agree with you I need to improve it. I'm looking round for someone now to help me.
Great job! Shalom! I enjoyed this.
Thankyou. Please share with others. We have to get the truth out there.
Good job, dear friend!
Hope #2 with a very special star guest will appear soon!
I hope so too! Step 3 is to get him to sign a Hollywood contract.
Volunteered in Kibbutz Lahav for 3 months from December 2012 to March 2013. I worked at the meat factory and I have never eaten so much pork as when I was there.
I know what you mean. My late wife had a connection with Kibbutz Lahav. We visited there many years ago. I've never seen such big, heavy male members of any kibbutz.
This is terrific, thank you very much. I learned an awful lot just from the first blog. Can you recommend a book in English which has an updated analysis of the kibbutz system? Todah.
Herman Hi,
As far as I know there is no updated and current analysis of kibbutz facts and figures in English - neither as a hard copy book or video. The ONLY source for this in English is this TH-cam channel. That is why I have adopted this unique approach. There are many one-off videos by individual kibbutzim that show their lifestyles, businesses etc. They are good, but do not show an overview of all kibbutzim.
Having said that, I plan to interview the General Secretary of the Kibbutz Movement in Tel Aviv during this year. There are many interesting developments. One of these developments is to build the first new kibbutz in 30 years. The government has already authorized a brand-new development zone near Arad in the north-eastern Negev for a town and a separate kibbutz.
However, there is a lot of current material in Hebrew published by the Yad Tabenkin Archives at the Efal Seminar Center in Tel Aviv. I suggest you contact them and request data etc in English. I was there a few months ago helping to unstaple old photos for digitalization. So I know the guys there are very anxious to help.
I also suggest you Google Amazon. They may have the latest books about kibbutz.
Good luck.
@@ivritasker thanks very much. Best wishes.
Fantastic, thank you.
We know what it is, it's an outpost used for Colonization
It almost looks like the garden of Eden. How beautiful.
Many thanks ... I guess you're from around Manchester way, it looks like Paradise
I'm from Liverpool. But spent my last 4 years in Manchester in exile before coming to live in Israel in 1970.
12:48 makes sense…. Very well produced…you’re well spoken…that looked like a wealthy kibbutz…I just subscribed. 🇮🇱🇺🇸
always loved kibbutzim and the idea of kibbutzim since i first heard of them as a child back in '69 or '70... forget the circus I wanted to run away and join a kibbutz
Yes, I agree kibbutz is a great way of life. But I must add that before we made the changes, sometimes it was like a three-ring circus.
תודה רבה מאוד, אני מאירלנד הצפונית, עבדתי בקיבוץ מסדה בעמק הירדן ב1991, חיים בקיבוץ זה חיים אמיתים, עוד פעם בתי לארץ ב1993 לעבוד בתל אביב ל6 שנים, אני לא יהודי אבל אני רוצה לגור בקיבוץ,,,,, שלום וברכות לך
These remind me a lot of hutterite colonies in the US and Canada that I have visited before. It is the only real socialism I have seen that has worked And it was fascinating The inside of the colony is very socialist if not communist everyone gets paid the same everyone gets taken care of no matter how much you do for the colony and they all have their own specialties usually in agriculture but also other types of businesses like manufacturing and they're very competitive in the capitalist North American economy. It was just fasting to see a group of people that were die hard capitalist at the same time as communist! The key is that it's voluntary to join or leave whereas socialism in a country is not voluntary.
Yes, I agree - fascinating and comparable in many ways to kibbutz. After the war is over, hopefully I will return to my original purpose for creating this Vlog which is looking at how kibbutz functions nowadays. One aspect of this is comparisons with other forms of communal living. Thank you.
Hi, good evening sir. I learn more from your video, I like kibuzs life. Thank you.
Thank you. Please subscribe, like and share.
As in the US, it's remarkable what you can do when you take other people's land. I worked on a kibbutz in the 1970s when there was still a fantasy of social justice that could be worked out with Palestinians. Now, decades later, the idealism of the kibbutz and Israel itself stands tragically revealed as just another colonial enterprise, prettied up with religious dominionism amd socialist ideology. Authentic socialism would have rejected the authoritarian apartheid and anti-Palestinian racism of the zionism that eventually took over the country. A tragic deformation of Judaism.
Oh! I love your kibutz
Thankyou.
Hope you, your family ang all community are ok. 🙏 For all
With a small modular reactor it will turn it more again ... ( and geothermy for spa and pyrolise ) fuel cell making the rest ...
???
@@ivritasker You probably didn't made Polytechnic to bug on it ( Let's say Bauhas and " la charte d'Athênes " not dead since water just need to be pressurized to produce Energy ) and as Crypto seem to be the future of evergetism ; fuel cell's again will make the rest ...
Thank you Sir for information, May I ask you that what is the birth rate of families in kibbutz? Do they have a lot or few children, what is the average?
My unofficial reply is an average family with 3 children..
What is it, a village, gated community?
It's a community in a village setting.
Very interesting.
❤Little Village
I don't understand how the kibbutz is any different than the pioneers of America who worked hard and did the best they could on their land. They too had a lot of trouble for their sweat and tears. What is the difference I wonder... am I missing something?
Yes, your are missing something. The American pioneers were individuals or families. The kibbutz pioneers were groups with a common aim
@@ivritasker common aim .... to colonize? i see nothing different.
Colonization could only occur if the original founders had come from a motherland. Colonization means setting up a new rwgime as a colony of an established seat of power. Jews had no other country.
@@ivritasker😢 true
High on the hog? He doesn't eat pork.
I didn’t know Speilberg was a schouse
Oh Yeah Selwyn. My boy is doing very well for himself after I showed him the ropes.
@@ivritasker Best of Luck Keep up the Good Work
@@selchef2 Thank you Selly and keep spreading the word by sharing the link on all your social media. Getting ready to upload the second video about Degania Bet in 6 days time.
My husband and I are very interested in living the Kibbutz lifestyle. We are not Jewish but are willing to learn Hebrew.
irrelevant
Sorry for the late reply. Knowing the language is one of the best ways of integrating into a new society. However, you'll have to stand in line in an every growing queue to get into a kibbutz.
can goyim live there?
If they're Israeli citizens yes, usually there's a few Christians in every village.
Where can freeloaders go now if they ain’t got 150k how can I join
I don't understand your comment. Pls explain.
@@ivritasker I was just joking about freeloaders .it was mentioned in the film about freeloaders
After Oct 7 Kibuttz it’s not the same anymore because of Hamas evil
Yes and no. You are right about the kibbutzim that were decimated on October 7. But the spirit of the survivors is strong and those kibbutz communities will be rebuilt.
This tragedy has consolidated all 273 kibbutzim like nothing else before. The kibbutzim out of rocket range from Gaza or those not being threatened now from Hizboula in Lebanon have opened their doors to take in 1,000s of evacuees. The true spirit of all kibbutzim of one for all and all for one has re-emerged.
20:36 so it's basically what america used to be
Beautiful!❤🇮🇱🙏
Thankyou
I hope wen this whole situation is resolved that there won’t be anymore need for watchtowers in their yards. You should not have to live this way.
Thankyou for your understanding and support.
Day to day life in Israel is far better and far safer than most people in the Palestinian areas and neighboring Arab countries.
Invite the South African Farmers over. They being wiped out here😢
We have many foeign students from 3rd World countries in kibbutzim learning modern, hi-tech farming.
@ivritasker Most of my friends from high school went in the 90s. They loved it and matured fast. Our South African farmers are amazing. The murder of our farmers are brutal and that's why I understand the cruelty of what just happened there. Sending love and prayers for you all. Shalom
Thank you. I learned a lot, but I ask at what price for such a "dream " lifestyle? You live in abundance while others are being summarily evicted to get a Jewish majority in the land. The entire ideological apparatus reminds me of the pied noirs in Algeria some of whom thought they were going back to the land of St. Augustine of Hippo.
Thankyou for your comments here. But I don't talk politics here. Otherwise I would go completely off at a tangent and not focus on my specific niche which takes up a lot of my time anyway.
However I value your opinion which deserves an answer. Firstly, I am against evictions.
Secondly, we already have a Jewish majority in the State of Israel with 7 million Jewish citizens and 1.8 million Muslim citizens.
Thirdly, the comparison with the Pied Noirs is wrong. Algeria was a colony of France, not their homeland. Israel is our homeland and the only Jewish state. The Muslims already have 56 states.
Please let's not get into a political discussuon here as we both have too much to say about it.
Finally, I will say I believe in Palestinian statehood but not the way it is in what we could call unofficially "Western Palestine" i.e. the Gaza Strip because Hamas booted out,Fatah after we gave it back to them and then started rocketing our civilians.
So let's just think hard with no to and forth texting whether a 57th Muslim state is viable in present circumstances with Hamas demanding the destruction of Israel which would require the evictions of millions of Jews.
Dovrat