Israel's kibbutzim have changed, but communal bonds remain resilient

For decades, Israel's kibbutzim and moshavim were more than just places to live; they were cornerstones of the Zionist project. These communities were instrumental in settling land, absorbing immigrants, and establishing a presence in border areas. The enduring image was one of collectivism: shared dining halls, equal wages, and communal farming.

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The ethos of the kibbutz and moshav that you have in your head isn’t there anymore. There’s a completely different ethos.

However, sociologist Dr. Avi Shnider argues that the Israel these institutions served has largely vanished. "The ethos of the kibbutz and moshav that you have in your head isn’t there anymore," Shnider told The Jerusalem Post. "There’s a completely different ethos."

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There is tons of research on kibbutzim, particularly on their establishment, ideological battles, and crises of the 1940s, 1950s, and later decades. Then, in his view, the story largely stopped.

This transformation is the subject of a special issue of Israel Studies Review, guest-edited by Shnider and Prof. Aviad Rubin. The nine papers explore diverse aspects, from solar energy and agricultural labor to immigration, taxation, and the reconstruction of communities devastated on October 7. The central question they pose is: if these foundational pillars of Zionist society have changed so dramatically, what motivates people to continue them, and what remains of their original binding ties?

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For the last 15 years, I found myself a little frustrated.

Shnider noted a gap in research, with much attention focused on the kibbutzim's early history and crises, but less on their contemporary state. "For the last 15 years, I found myself a little frustrated," he said, observing that discussions often relied on outdated imagery from the 1970s and 1980s. The special issue, while not planned before October 7, gained new urgency after the Hamas attacks on Gaza border communities. Suddenly, kibbutzim and moshavim, once perhaps less central to academic agendas, returned to the forefront, revealing the deep-seated resilience of their social bonds and communal identity.

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Kibbutzim and moshavim didn’t have that kind of place in the contemporary agenda of Israel studies before October 7.