Kibbutz: in the Twilight Zone
Scattered between the Red Sea and the Golan Heights, hundreds of unique and nearly uniform villages were once the foundation of Israels economy. Known as kibbutzim, they are collective farms where members lead a communal life based on a socialist system. Existing long before Israel became an independent state, kibbutzim were once significant contributors to the countrys economy. However, several kibbutzim are starting to show signs of being in tatters. After existing for close to a century, they are feeling the impact of the countrys capitalist-based economy. An increasing number of youths also prefer the freedom of working outside the community. Here is a report by TEMPO reporter Leanika Tanjung who visited Israel last month.
June 10, 2003
HUNDREDS of such residential areas are scattered all over Israel. Laid out in the form of nearly uniform buildings, they line up in rows on the edge of the Red Sea that is located on the south of Israel, up until the Golan Heights in the north. These are places known as kibbutz—`community' in Hebrew—in which a group of Israeli Jews reside and lead a unique communal life. Unlike the capitalist country they are located in, members of
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