One option for volunteering in Israel is volunteering in a kibbutz. A kibbutz (Hebrew: קיבוץ; plural: קיבוצים kibbutzim) is (or was) a rural socialist community. There are over 250 kibbutzim around Israel.
Understand
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Kibbutzim started out as a Zionist way of making the socialist dream become a reality in the still-stateless Land of Israel in the early 20th century. Nothing was owned by the kibbutz members - everything belonged to the kibbutz, even the children. Since then, many kibbutzim stopped relying on agriculture as their main economic base, and many have been privatized.
Since the 1960s, volunteers from all over the world (back then, mostly Baby-Boomers) have started coming to volunteer in the unique kibbutzim. Volunteers usually stay for a few months on a volunteer visa, and work in agriculture, kitchen, gardening and factory for food and board, plus some pocket money. In many kibbutzim, it is also possible to study Hebrew during the stay.
Although the peak of the kibbutz volunteering phenomenon has long since passed, thousands still come every year - mostly (but not only) from the United Kingdom, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
List of kibbutzim
[edit]The following is a list of kibbutzim by region, from north to south. Since the landscape is very different across Israel, the region has an impact on the experience:
- Ortal
- El Rom
- Afik
- Geshur
- Kfar Haruv
- Mevo Hama
- Metzar
- Merom Golan
- Natur
- Ein Zivan
Jordan River Valley
[edit]- Afikim
- Alumot
- Ashdot Ya'akov Meuhad
- Ashdot Ya'akov Ihud
- Beit Zera
- Degania Alef
- Degania Bet
- Ein Gev
- Ginosar
- Hokuk
- Kvutzat Kinneret
- Masada
- Ma'agan
- Ravid
- Sha'ar HaGolan
- Tel Katzir
Upper Galilee
[edit]- Ami'ad
- Amir
- Ayelet HaShahar
- Bar'am
- Dan
- Dafna
- Gadot
- Gonen
- HaGoshrim
- Hulata
- Kadarim
- Kfar Blum
- Kfar Giladi
- Kfar HaNassi
- Kfar Szold
- Lehavot HaBashan
- Mahanayim
- Malkia
- Manara
- Ma'ayan Barukh
- Misgav Am
- Neot Mordechai
- Parod
- Sasa
- Sde Nehemia
- Shamir
- Snir
- Tzivon
- Yiftah
- Yir'on
Lower Galilee
[edit]- Beit Keshet
- Beit Rimon
- Eshbal
- Yahad
- Kishor
- Lavi
- Lotem
- Moran
- Pelekh
- Tuval
- Ein HaNatziv
- Gesher
- Hamadia
- Kfar Rupin
- Ma'ale Gilboa
- Maoz Haim
- Meirav
- Mesilot
- Neve Eitan
- Neve Ur
- Nir David
- Reshafim
- Sde Eliyahu
- Sde Nahum
- Shluhot
- Tirat Zvi
Gilboa Range
[edit]- Beit Alfa
- Beit HaShita
- Ein Harod (Ihud)
- Ein Harod (Meuhad)
- Heftziba
- Tel Yosef
- Yizre'el
- Alonim
- Dovrat
- Ein Dor
- Gazit
- Geva
- Gevat
- Ginegar
- Givat Oz
- Hanaton
- Harduf
- HaSolelim
- Hazorea
- Kfar HaHoresh
- Megiddo
- Merhavia
- Mishmar HaEmek
- Mizra
- Ramat David
- Sarid
- Yifat
- Adamit
- Afek
- Beit HaEmek
- Eilon
- Ein HaMifratz
- Evron
- Ga'aton
- Gesher HaZiv
- Hanita
- Kabri
- Kfar Masaryk
- Lohamey HaGeta'ot
- Matzuba
- Rosh Haniqra
- Sa'ar
- Shomrat
- Yehiam
- Yas'ur
- Beit Oren
- Dalia
- Ein Carmel
- Ein HaShofet
- Gal'ed
- HaHotrim
- Kfar HaMaccabi
- Ma'agan Michael
- Ma'ayan Tzvi
- Nahsholim
- Neve Yam
- Ramat HaShofet
- Ramot Menashe
- Ramat Yohanan
- Sdot Yam
- Sha'ar HaAmakim
- Usha
- Yagur
Northern Sharon
[edit]- Barkai
- Ein Shemer
- Gan Shmuel
- Kfar Glikson
- Lahavot Haviva
- Magal
- Ma'anit
- Metzer
- Mishmarot
- Regavim
Southern Sharon
[edit]- Bahan
- Ein HaHoresh
- Einat
- Eyal
- Ga'ash
- Givat Haim (Ihud)
- Givat Haim (Meuhad)
- Givat HaShlosha
- Glil Yam
- HaMa'apil
- HaOgen
- Horashim
- Ma'abarot
- Mishmar HaSharon
- Nahshonim
- Nir Eliyahu
- Ramat HaKovesh
- Shefayim
- Tel Yitzhak
- Yad Hana
- Yakum
Central-Southern Coastal Plain
[edit]- Be'erot Yitzhak
- Gezer
- Givat Brenner
- Hafetz Haim
- Hulda
- Kvutzat Shiller
- Kvutzat Yavne
- Na'an
- Netzer Sereni
- Palmachim
- Sha'alvim
Southern Coastal Plain
[edit]- Gevaram
- Hatzor
- Karmia
- Nitzanim
- Yad Mordechai
- Zikim
- Harel
- Kiryat Anavim
- Ma'ale HaHamisha
- Nahshon
- Netiv HaLamed-Heh
- Ramat Rachel
- Tzora
- Tzova
Northern Negev
[edit]- Alumim
- Be'eri
- Beit Kama
- Beit Nir
- Beit Guvrin
- Bror Hayil
- Dorot
- Dvir
- Ein Gedi
- Ein HaShlosha
- Ein Tzurim
- Erez
- Gal On
- Gat
- Gavem
- Gvulot
- Hatzerim
- Holit
- Kerem Shalom
- Kfar Aza
- Kfar Menachem
- Kissufim
- Kramim
- Lahav
- Magen
- Mashabei Sadeh
- Mefalsim
- Mishmar HaNegev
- Nahal Oz
- Negba
- Nir Am
- Nir Oz
- Nir Yitzhak
- Nirim
- Or HaNer
- Re'im
- Retamim
- Revadim
- Revivim
- Ruhama
- Sa'ad
- Sde Boker
- Sde Yoav
- Shoval
- Sufa
- Tlalim
- Tze'elim
- Urim
Southern Negev
[edit]- Eilot
- Elifaz
- Grofit
- Ketura
- Lotan
- Neot Semadar
- Neve Harif
- Samar
- Yahel
- Yotvata