Urban kibbutz
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An urban kibbutz (Hebrew: קיבוץ עירוני, Kibbutz Ironi) is a form of kibbutz which is located within an existing city. There are currently just over 100 in Israel, totalling around 2,000 members.[1]
Although there were attempts to form urban kibbutzim in the early 20th century, their success was limited and most failed.[2] The idea was revived in the 1970s when they were established as co-operative communities by former kibbutz members and Nahal graduates. They were created as a way of retaining the kibbutz lifestyle whilst moving into mainstream society,[1] but more recently have been seen as a way of combatting social problems; in Haifa the city council asked members of the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed youth group to form an urban kibbutz in the Hadar neighbourhood in order to work with at-risk children.[3]
Some standard kibbutzim such as Mesilot began as urban kibbutzim, whilst the urban kibbutz in Gedera was the first Ethiopian kibbutz in the country.[4]
[edit] List of urban kibbutzim
- Beit Yisrael in Jerusalem
- Migvan in Sderot
- Reshit in Jerusalem
- Shomrei HaShalom, a Black Hebrew kibbutz in Dimona
- Tamuz in Beit Shemesh
[edit] References
- ^ a b What is an urban kibbutz? Haaretz
- ^ An Urban Kibbutz in Jerusalem The Jewish Advocate, 7 March 2008
- ^ Urban kibbutz youth steer at-risk teens away from life of crime Haaretz, 27 December 2006
- ^ First kibbutz for Ethiopian immigrants opens in Gedera Haaretz, 23 January 2008
