kibbutz history

Kibbutz History

The Kibbutz Movement started in 1909 in Um Juni, Palestine. Ten men and two women, under the leadership of Joseph Baratz created a society with the purpose of reclaiming the land of their birth and to create a society that is based on communal ownership. This settlement, called Degania, was the very first kvutzah and became the footprint of almost all Kibbutzim in Israel. Degania is considered the “mother of the collectives and the kibbutzim”.

Since then, the Kibbutz movement has grown steadily and has attracted several thousands of followers. Today, there are more than 250 kibbutzim in Israel, each with members ranging from 40 to over 1,000. All kibbutzim belong to one of three separate federations, each with its own sets of ideology. The United Kibbutz Movement, also known is TAKAM, accounts for 60% of the entire kibbutz population. Kibbutz Artzi, founded in 1927 and a Zionist Kibbutz is the second largest (32%) and the rest belong to Kibbutz Dati (a religious kibbutz).

Although in general, the number of people involved in kibbutz only account for 7% of Israel’s entire population, the movement is instrumental in shaping the image of Israel not only among the Israelis, but among foreigners as well.