Editor's Notes: Kibbutzim are showing Israelis how to bridge the religious divide

Leaders of Israel's secular and religious kibbutz movements have announced a significant step toward unity, establishing a "shared home" that aims to bridge the divide between the two streams of kibbutz life. This initiative, revealed at the 11th Kibbutz Leadership Conference, is seen as a crucial move to foster togetherness in a nation often marked by division.

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We do not have the privilege of refusing to work together, even when we disagree.

Lior Simcha, secretary-general of the Kibbutz Movement, and Sara Avron, head of the Religious Kibbutz Movement, have publicly backed the plan. They emphasize that this is not a merger, but a "bayit meshutaf" or shared home, where each side maintains its identity while working together. This approach acknowledges the need for collaboration even amid disagreements.

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It is a bayit meshutaf, a shared home, built so that each side keeps its own face.

The initiative is spearheaded by Omer Geva, a member of Kibbutz Ein Shemer, who left a career in high-tech to pursue social impact. Geva was motivated by the fragility of dialogue and shared activities, which he observed dissolving quickly in the wake of political polarization. He sought a more enduring framework for unity, finding it in the resilience of the kibbutz movements.

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Geva views the kibbutz movement as a source of idealists who have contributed significantly to Israel through military service, public service, and quiet community building. He argues that what has survived the privatization of kibbutzim is not socialist ideology, but a strong sense of community and, for religious kibbutzim, tradition. This shared foundation is what makes the current unity effort distinct from previous, less successful attempts at dialogue.

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The political space is rewarded by polarization and division.