Love Israel

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Love Israel is the leader of hippie commune commonly known as the Love Family. It was a spiritual intentional community that was considered a cult by it critics. It had its beginnings on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. In latter years its center was on its 260 acre ranch in the foothills Cascade Mountains near Arlington, Washington. The group is currently located in Bothell, Washington.

The Love Family practiced a combination of Christianity, Judiasm, Eastern Philosophy and New Age ideals.

The community was known by several names, such as the Love Family, The Church of Jesus Christ at Armageddon and the Love Israel Family.

[edit] History

Love Israel, originally known as Paul Erdman founded the Love Family in 1969 in a house on Armour street on Queen Anne Hill, Seattle. It began with under 10 people and grew to over 350 members at its major downsizing in the summer of 1983. It now has about 30 people.

For many years its main center was on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle near 6th and McGraw. There they once owned 13 homes, a natural food store named The Village Store, and a 24/7/365 free restaurant, drop in center and free hostel name The Front Door Inn, a woodworking shop and an art showroom. The Love Family's assets shifted over the years; they had a homestead once at the head of Kachemak Bay outside Homer, Alaska, several properties in Eastern Washington. The Eastern Washington properties included vineyards, a former do-it-your-self cannery, a horse ranch and winery. They also owned a large house for a short time in the early 80's outside Hilo, Hawaii. Frequently assets were sold once the family no longer needed them and the money would be spent elsewhere or reinvested.

People joining the community were usually given new names. Generally a Hebrew name (Eleazar, Abviathar, etc.) was chosen to distance one from their past until there was some recognition of the virtue that person represented in the community, such as Love Israel, Patience Israel, Charity Israel, and Serious Israel. It new members followed the early Christian church as described in Acts to "leave their old earthly identities behind."

At their height they had some regional influence, becoming part of the Church Council of Greater Seattle, and was Seattle's resident hippie commune. Brian Allen, the son of noted skeptic Steve Allen was involved with them and was known as Logic Israel. He left in an exodus with the bulk of the members following a series of incidents where faithful members left when Love Israel refused to change his behavior. A petition was written in 1983 and signed by 29 of prominent members, asking for a change. Love Israel tore up the letter.

In the early '80's, Love Israel's authority was rocked by allegations of drugs, financial and sexual improprieties of their leader. No formal charges were actually pursued against Love Israel himself, but from that point on there was a steady flow of members withdrawing. In 1984 there was an attempt to get Love Israel to share the authority with other community leaders. He refused, and 90% of the community exited. Many accusations ensued and that petition refused marked the beginning of the end of the original form of the group. A remnant of devotees remained. Some are in Bothell near Love Israel's daughter's home, while others are homesteading in the NE part of the state on his land north of Kettle Falls.

After the settlement of a suit to return property to those who had contributed years earlier, the remnant moved to their one remaining property outside of Arlington, Washington. It was heavily mortgaged and after struggling for several years eventually they sank into unavoidable debt.

After bankruptcy, the property was purchased by a Jewish organization, the Union for Reform Judaism, in late 2003 and named Camp Kalsman. [1] [2]

Love Israel retained 50 acres along the Columbia River in EW Washington, where there is a small cabin. He currently lives in Bothell, where some of the remaining members reside. There are a couple of houses in the neighborhood belonging to the group.

[edit] External links

• Love Israel Family Official Website
• Bringing The Vision Down To Earth by Serious Israel
• Community as Crucible: The Love Israel Family by Serious Israel