Kibbutz volunteers are people who come from all over the world to live and work in a kibbutz in Israel. These volunteers, mostly young people, usually stay at the kibbutz for a short period of time (as a month or all the summer), working in various branches of the kibbutz economy (agriculture, kitchen, gardening and factory). Most volunteers typically come to Israel for a short period of two to three months under a volunteer visa and participate. Volunteers receive food and board, and sometimes pocket money. Some volunteers combine work with studying Hebrew at a kibbutz ulpan. Some kibbutzim organize trips and cultural events for the volunteers.[1]
Austrian kibbutz volunteers at Kibbutz Ein HaShofet working in the apple orchard, summer of 1973
The volunteering phenomenon in the kibbutzim began in the mid-1960s when the young generation of Baby Boomers from western nations became curious about kibbutz life and eager to experience it first-hand, and as a result decided to come to Israel, volunteer in a kibbutz and gain experience of living and working in a collective community. Although up until the Six-Day War the kibbutzim had very few volunteers, after the conclusion of the Six-Day War the world's interest in Israel grew, and in the aftermath large numbers of volunteers arrived. As a result, many kibbutzim began arranging the necessary housing and infrastructure to accommodate this growing phenomenon. During this period there was also an increased interest in Israel among the Diaspora Jewish communities, from which the majority of kibbutz volunteers initially originated.
In the subsequent years kibbutz volunteering gradually increased significantly and was institutionalized. With time the proportion of Jewish kibbutz volunteers gradually decreased while the majority of the volunteers at that point were non-Jews who originated mostly from Western Europe and arrived either in organized groups or as individuals. Initially the kibbutzim were very satisfied with the phenomenon as it brought cheap labor, which minimized the need to hire workers and brought openness to the various cultures of the world. Nevertheless, over time some kibbutzim also became aware of the negative aspects of the phenomenon as it became evident that some individuals among the volunteers used drugs, consumed alcohol, and a growing rate of intermarriages with kibbutz members often involved the migration of some of those members to the country of origin of the volunteers.[2]
During the peak of the kibbutz volunteers phenomenon in the 1970s, around 12,000 volunteers arrived each year,[3] and worked in hundreds of different kibbutzim throughout Israel.
Following an acute economic crisis that many of the kibbutzim in Israel experienced during the 1980s, many kibbutzim began adopting an action-oriented market economy and concluded that basing the economy on the volunteer workforce was not a profitable model. Meanwhile, some kibbutzim gradually began to employ foreign workers from Thailand in the agricultural sector of the kibbutz and Israeli workers in the industrial and services sectors.
Following the intensification of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict during the last decades of the 20th century, and in particular after the Second Intifada started in 2000, many countries ceased to cooperate with the project and as a result there was a significant decrease in the number of the kibbutz volunteers. The decrease hit its lowest point in 2001, when only 100 volunteers arrived in Israel.[4] In recent years, there has been a slight increase in the number of volunteers, and in 2007 approximately 1,500 kibbutz volunteers came to Israel.[4]
In total, 350,000 volunteers from 35 different countries have volunteered in various kibbutzim in Israel since 1967,[5] with most of the volunteers through the years coming from the United Kingdom (circa 50,000), South Africa (circa 40,000), Sweden (circa 25,000), Denmark (circa 20,000), and Germany (circa 15,000).[6]
Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian and star of the television comedy Seinfeld, volunteered at the age of 17 in Kibbutz Sa'ar in 1971.[23]
Sigourney Weaver, American actress who starred in the Alien series, volunteered in a kibbutz for several months at the age of 18 in 1967.[14][24]
Debra Winger, American actress and the star of An Officer and a Gentleman, for many years told interviewers that she volunteered on an kibbutz, sometimes even saying she had trained with the IDF,[25] but in a 2008 interview she said she was merely on a typical youth tour that visited the kibbutz.[26]
Allen, Henry (13 December 1983). "Debra Winger, Coming to Terms". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 June 2016. She tried studying criminology and sociology at Cal State-Northridge, and went to Israel to spend time on a kibbutz, but by 17, she'd moved away from home and she was making it in commercials.
Thomas, Bob (25 December 1983). "Don't Try to 'Type' Debra Winger". The Gainesville Sun. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 June 2016. After high school, she worked on an Israeli kibbutz, trained with the Israeli army and then returned to the United States to study sociology at California State University at Northridge.
"Debra Winger". People. 26 December 1983. Retrieved 24 June 2016. At 16, she ran off to a kibbutz and did her basic training in the Israeli Army.
Klein, Uri (14 July 2006). "On Her Own Terms". Haaretz. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Exaggerated reports about her also concern her biography. For example, at one of the Internet sites devoted to her it is stated that she spent part of her youth on a kibbutz in Israel and even served for several months in the Israel Defense Forces. Winger laughs. Indeed, when she was 17 she spent four months at Kibbutz Beit Zera, but she never enlisted in the IDF. She took part in Gadna (youth cadet) activities, and apparently once told this to someone who told it to someone and it developed into an urban legend, according to which Debra Winger was once a soldier in the IDF.
Arfa, Orit (24 April 2008). "Debra Winger Explores Jewish/Arab Day Schools". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Raised in a secular Jewish household in Cleveland, Winger volunteered on a kibbutz in 1972 and has maintained her connection ever since.
^Lopate, Leonard (10 June 2008). "Debra Winger on Life Beyond Hollywood". The Leonard Lopate Show. WNYC. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
^Elmas, Dean Shmuel (24 July 2019). "When Boris Johnson visited Israel as a 20-year-old". Israel Hayom.
External linksedit
First-hand kibbutz volunteering guide by John Carson
Kibbutz Program Center (KPC) official site
Kibbutz Program Center (KPC) USA branch
Kibbutz Volunteers Program Center
January 01, 1970
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Kibbutz volunteers are people who come from all over the world to live and work in a kibbutz in Israel These volunteers mostly young people usually stay at the kibbutz for a short period of time as a month or all the summer working in various branches of the kibbutz economy agriculture kitchen gardening and factory Most volunteers typically come to Israel for a short period of two to three months under a volunteer visa and participate Volunteers receive food and board and sometimes pocket money Some volunteers combine work with studying Hebrew at a kibbutz ulpan Some kibbutzim organize trips and cultural events for the volunteers 1 Austrian kibbutz volunteers at Kibbutz Ein HaShofet working in the apple orchard summer of 1973 Contents 1 History 2 Notable volunteers 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory editThe volunteering phenomenon in the kibbutzim began in the mid 1960s when the young generation of Baby Boomers from western nations became curious about kibbutz life and eager to experience it first hand and as a result decided to come to Israel volunteer in a kibbutz and gain experience of living and working in a collective community Although up until the Six Day War the kibbutzim had very few volunteers after the conclusion of the Six Day War the world s interest in Israel grew and in the aftermath large numbers of volunteers arrived As a result many kibbutzim began arranging the necessary housing and infrastructure to accommodate this growing phenomenon During this period there was also an increased interest in Israel among the Diaspora Jewish communities from which the majority of kibbutz volunteers initially originated In the subsequent years kibbutz volunteering gradually increased significantly and was institutionalized With time the proportion of Jewish kibbutz volunteers gradually decreased while the majority of the volunteers at that point were non Jews who originated mostly from Western Europe and arrived either in organized groups or as individuals Initially the kibbutzim were very satisfied with the phenomenon as it brought cheap labor which minimized the need to hire workers and brought openness to the various cultures of the world Nevertheless over time some kibbutzim also became aware of the negative aspects of the phenomenon as it became evident that some individuals among the volunteers used drugs consumed alcohol and a growing rate of intermarriages with kibbutz members often involved the migration of some of those members to the country of origin of the volunteers 2 During the peak of the kibbutz volunteers phenomenon in the 1970s around 12 000 volunteers arrived each year 3 and worked in hundreds of different kibbutzim throughout Israel Following an acute economic crisis that many of the kibbutzim in Israel experienced during the 1980s many kibbutzim began adopting an action oriented market economy and concluded that basing the economy on the volunteer workforce was not a profitable model Meanwhile some kibbutzim gradually began to employ foreign workers from Thailand in the agricultural sector of the kibbutz and Israeli workers in the industrial and services sectors Following the intensification of the Israeli Palestinian conflict during the last decades of the 20th century and in particular after the Second Intifada started in 2000 many countries ceased to cooperate with the project and as a result there was a significant decrease in the number of the kibbutz volunteers The decrease hit its lowest point in 2001 when only 100 volunteers arrived in Israel 4 In recent years there has been a slight increase in the number of volunteers and in 2007 approximately 1 500 kibbutz volunteers came to Israel 4 In total 350 000 volunteers from 35 different countries have volunteered in various kibbutzim in Israel since 1967 5 with most of the volunteers through the years coming from the United Kingdom circa 50 000 South Africa circa 40 000 Sweden circa 25 000 Denmark circa 20 000 and Germany circa 15 000 6 Notable volunteers editMichele Bachmann American Congresswoman and 2012 U S Presidential candidate spent a summer volunteering at Kibbutz Be eri at the age of 18 in 1974 7 8 Sandra Bernhard American comedian actress author and singer volunteered for a year at Kibbutz Kfar Menachem at the age of 17 in 1972 9 10 Noam Chomsky American professor of linguistics peace activist spent time at Kibbutz HaZore a in 1953 11 Sacha Baron Cohen British comedian best known for the roles of Ali G and Borat volunteered in Rosh HaNikra and Kibbutz Beit HaEmek for a year in the late 1980s as part of the Shnat Habonim Dror 12 13 14 Heinz Fischer Austrian president volunteered at Kibbutz Sarid at the age of 25 in 1963 15 Bob Hoskins British actor and the star of Who Framed Roger Rabbit volunteered at Kibbutz Zikim at the age of 25 in 1967 16 Simon Le Bon lead singer of Duran Duran volunteered in Kibbutz Gvulot in 1978 The band s first album included a track called Tel Aviv 14 17 Annie Leibovitz American portrait photographer volunteered at Kibbutz Amir at the age of 20 in 1969 18 Helen Mirren British actress who starred in The Queen volunteered in a Kibbutz for six months after the Six Day War 19 Oliver Sacks British neurologist spent the summer of 1955 in Ein HaShofet 20 Bernie Sanders American senator from Vermont volunteered at Kibbutz Sha ar HaAmakim in 1963 21 22 Jerry Seinfeld American comedian and star of the television comedy Seinfeld volunteered at the age of 17 in Kibbutz Sa ar in 1971 23 Sigourney Weaver American actress who starred in the Alien series volunteered in a kibbutz for several months at the age of 18 in 1967 14 24 Debra Winger American actress and the star of An Officer and a Gentleman for many years told interviewers that she volunteered on an kibbutz sometimes even saying she had trained with the IDF 25 but in a 2008 interview she said she was merely on a typical youth tour that visited the kibbutz 26 Boris Johnson the former Mayor of London and British Prime Minister spent the summer of 1984 volunteering at Kibbutz Kfar HaNassi in Northern Israel 27 See also editAgroecology Birthright Israel International volunteering Working holiday visa Youth villageReferences edit In the footsteps of Dylan and Seinfeld Kibbutz volunteering היה הייתה התנדבות בקיבוצים חוגגים 40 שנות מתנדבות שבדיות וואלה חדשות a b המתנדבים בקיבוץ עין השלושה נחושים להישאר Ynet 15 January 2008 Zionism 2 0 Kibbutz volunteer work lives on in the 21st century Haaretz ידיעות הקיבוץ קטעי עובדה בגיליון מיוחד לרגל 100 שנות קיבוץ גיליון מספר 1237 מתאריך 29 September 2010 Michele Bachmann on Israel and considering herself Jewish TC Jewfolk Focus U S A Israel News Haaretz Israeli News source Sandra Bernhard Has a Real Attitude Problem and Fans Like It That Way People com הייתי בשוק כשביבי נבחר וואלה תרבות Samuels David 12 November 2010 Q amp A Noam Chomsky Tablet Retrieved 2 December 2015 What do two Britons living in a small Israeli kibbutz have to do with a death in Dubai Middle East World The Independent תרבות קולנוע nrg סשה ברון כהן מתרומם עם ברונו a b c Israel re brands kibbutzim to lure eco aware generation The Observer Cashman Greer Fay 15 December 2008 Austrian president vows to bring up Schalit case with Assad The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 10 December 2017 He just keeps bobbing upIsrael News Haaretz Israeli News source Kibbutz Movement planning reunion for thousands of foreign volunteers Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel News Annie Leibovitz Biography bookrags Retrieved 19 July 2007 Helen Mirren recounts kibbutz life YNet 9 July 2011 Brent Frances 1 September 2015 Book Review On the Move Moment Retrieved 9 February 2016 Mark Leibovich 21 January 2007 The Socialist Senator The New York Times Magazine Retrieved 26 January 2015 Inside the Kibbutz Where Bernie Sanders Lived and Learned Socialism 5 February 2016 American Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld in Israel to promote new movie Haaretz Daily Newspaper Israel News Sigourney Weaver Biography Yahoo Movies Allen Henry 13 December 1983 Debra Winger Coming to Terms The Washington Post Retrieved 24 June 2016 She tried studying criminology and sociology at Cal State Northridge and went to Israel to spend time on a kibbutz but by 17 she d moved away from home and she was making it in commercials Thomas Bob 25 December 1983 Don t Try to Type Debra Winger The Gainesville Sun Associated Press Retrieved 24 June 2016 After high school she worked on an Israeli kibbutz trained with the Israeli army and then returned to the United States to study sociology at California State University at Northridge Debra Winger People 26 December 1983 Retrieved 24 June 2016 At 16 she ran off to a kibbutz and did her basic training in the Israeli Army Klein Uri 14 July 2006 On Her Own Terms Haaretz Retrieved 24 June 2016 Exaggerated reports about her also concern her biography For example at one of the Internet sites devoted to her it is stated that she spent part of her youth on a kibbutz in Israel and even served for several months in the Israel Defense Forces Winger laughs Indeed when she was 17 she spent four months at Kibbutz Beit Zera but she never enlisted in the IDF She took part in Gadna youth cadet activities and apparently once told this to someone who told it to someone and it developed into an urban legend according to which Debra Winger was once a soldier in the IDF Arfa Orit 24 April 2008 Debra Winger Explores Jewish Arab Day Schools The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles Retrieved 24 June 2016 Raised in a secular Jewish household in Cleveland Winger volunteered on a kibbutz in 1972 and has maintained her connection ever since Lopate Leonard 10 June 2008 Debra Winger on Life Beyond Hollywood The Leonard Lopate Show WNYC Retrieved 24 June 2016 Elmas Dean Shmuel 24 July 2019 When Boris Johnson visited Israel as a 20 year old Israel Hayom External links editFirst hand kibbutz volunteering guide by John Carson Kibbutz Program Center KPC official site Kibbutz Program Center KPC USA branch Kibbutz Volunteers Program Center Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kibbutz volunteer amp oldid 1208279603, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
