Kesher Talk

How long can the Kibbutzim last? Ellis Shuman's new book The Virtual Kibbutz is littered with stories depicting the hopes, dreams and challenges of kibbutz members, residents of Israel's unique society as it evolves towards an uncertain future.

The book raises questions about the kibbutz's future, as Israel's unique, egalitarian, social, democratic experience struggles to adapt to new realities. The kibbutz has changed, but has it lost the utopian innocence of its youth? Is the modern kibbutz still guided by its founders' dreams and beliefs? Is the kibbutz an idea that has lost its way? Or is the kibbutz a society that, despite the changes it is undergoing, will continue to play an important role in the Israeli landscape?

The members of the kibbutz confront the violence of the Intifada, cope with the Internet, and struggle to have more control over their lives

You may want to comb the Kesher Talk archives for a look at how the Kibbutz has changed over the decades, like this one.

posted by William @ 6/10/2003 08:42:57 AM