Nestled in the hills, Degania, the first "kevutza" sits quietly amongst the trees, disturbed only by the daily activity of kibbutz life, and small groups of tourists.  Though it’s not on the ‘beaten trek’ of the tourist’s path, the kibbutz has seen all of the changes of Israel and its land since 1909 when it was first established by settlers. In 1920, the first organized kevutza, Degania Bet was formed and over time the land and system was transformed from a kevutza to a kibbutz and then in 2007 it was privatized. The kibbutz system in Israel has changed throughout its history but one thing remains the same: the people who live in these communal villages each have a part in the history of Israel.

On Degania Alef where great men and women like Moshe Dyane and the poet Rachel were born or raised, Gil Haran, a tour guide from IsraelExperts lives with his family. Gil has lived 14 years on the kibbutz where his wife grew up. They live with their three children in a private house and have seen major changes in kibbutz life since they established themselves on the kibbutz.

"The world around us changed. The reasons for what the kibbutz used to be do not exist anymore," Gil said. "On the other hand," Gil continued, "we didn’t want to loose the core ideology of the way of life of Degania which is the responsibility of the individual to the community and the responsibility of the community to the individual."

Residents now work and earn their own salary, but the community collects communal taxes like the Safety Net to help those less fortunate and keep the gaps between the rich and poor in the community smaller than in general Israeli society.

While Gil works with us at IsraelExperts, his wife works on the Kibbutz in education where all three children went to school. "We live in the same houses, and our kids attend the same schools," Gill said. "When you walk the pathways of the kibbutz you do not see the change on the surface. We live in the same environment as before the privatization of the kibbutz." The difference is all behind the scenes.

For further articles about changes in the Kibbutz  movement from from recent newspapers:

The kibbutz collapse

After 100 years, the kibbutz movement has completely changed

written by IsraelExperts.

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