airborne Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 (edited) Neot Semadar is one place I had to check out, so I volunteered to work there for 1 week. The kibbutz is some weird mix of socialist / hippies stressing the individuals creativity etc. It wasn't too clear to me what they are talking about but I do know that some of their beliefs come from krishnamatu or somthing. What surprised me was that everyone on the kibbutz earned the same, and that their was one kibbutz bank account. Money is allocated according to need, which is organized through a committee. This idea scares me but they seem to be fine with it. Here's what I know/ Think: - For them to run for 18 years something must be up. - Not everything is everyones, I dont think you can walk into someone house and just take their property - so its not communist/socialist in that sense - People are allowed their own bank accounts outside of the kibbutz and many of them apparently have money outside from inheritance etc. - Cars are shared/ pooled - They have weird rituals during the mourning which include 15minutes of silence and drinking tea, and no talking at lunch and dinner - They talk about being at peace by not having any goals or desires in life, that's why they come there. to escape the rushed rat race. No purpose. Yet they talk about their visions for the kibbutz which I see as a contradiction. - I was working from 6am-8am. 9am-1pm. 4pm-7:30pm. 9pm-10pm. Apparently they work alot less during other months, some people worked alot more than me. - There appears to be lots of volunteers, coming in groups and as individuals. Me - I came with a group of 15. So surely this is something which has helped them - free labor in exchange for people seeing their weird life style. - In terms of lifestyle it really isnt that bad, the environment is amazing and beautiful. - they have a massive art/funky castle in the middle of the kibbutz. According to the kibbutznicks it was funded by government money and not the business they have. - Their business is in selling expensive organic fruit. I was always trying to look for the weak spot. How does this place still run? Now all my socialist friends use this as some ultimate example of new socialism. http://www.neot-semadar.com/ http://www.newfarm.org/international/israel/nov/index.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neot_Smadar http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/E...Friendly+27.htm Edited June 25, 2007 by airborne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 (edited) You say they worked a lot, you mentioned how you worked from 6am to 10pm with a breaks, including a long one in the afternoon. What work did they do? As for "how does it still run"? I think that as long as the members buy into the place and are happy to live at the lower life-style offered, such a place can run. I wonder if they think, in principle that they are doing evil by using those shared cars rather than bullock carts that they craft themselves. Edited June 25, 2007 by softwareNerd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborne Posted June 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 It was very basic labor. Fruit picking, cleaning dishes, kitchen work, food processing and sorting, agriculture. Even jobs involving machines/tractors were fairly simple and looked like anyone could be trained to do them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Machines! tractors! These guys seem to be hypocrites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidV Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 According to Wikipedia, "Olive oil is produced in a cold press set up with assistance from ICA and Israel's Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2001." So they work 63 hours per week (I assume they take the Sabbath off), receive tons of free labor, and still rely on government funding?! When I was 16, I spent a summer in Israel at a number of kibbutzim. It was not an unpleasant experience, but I was a tourist and got to go home afterwards. I don't think it's nearly as pleasant to spend your entire life in a shabby, non-air conditioned dorm, eat cafeteria food, and have to for permission to visit your kids in the nursery. By contrast, in capitalist America, I work 40 hours per week doing something I love, drive my fancy new car, eat whatever I want, and selfishly pursue my own values in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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