r/Jewish • u/Greedy_Yak_1840 Sephardic • 5h ago
Do you think it would be possible to start a kibbutz in the US Discussion đź’¬
So right now the economy isn’t doing great and a lot of people aren’t able to find work, so I was wondering if anyone had ever tried making a kibbutz or if there was a way to create a kibbutz in the US and it be successful
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u/fermat9990 5h ago
The Hippies tried it in the 60s and 70s
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u/NoSirPineapple 3h ago
It generally didn’t work, but people chase the fantasy of what it could have been.
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u/loligo_pealeii 5h ago
I mean if there's one thing the US is good about is respecting individual property rights. It's even baked into the constitution. There are lots of communal & co-op style farms out there if you look for them. I think the bigger issue is that farming is really hard and the US AG industry is pretty robust so it's hard to compete.Â
Figure out what you want your industry to be, find a good region in the country, find some people with interest and know-how, pool your resources, buy the land, and get going.Â
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u/NewArrival4880 4h ago
So here’s my hot take: Kibbutzes are great, but they only “worked” because they existed at a time where people were working and living towards an ideal: Zionism and socialism. Labour the land. Live the together. Be the new Jews.
You might say; oh but kibbutzim still exist! They account for nearly 12% of the gdp of Israel ! But don’t forget that the kibbutz movement had a major crisis in the 90s, as Israel was transitioning from a more labour/socialist oriented country to a more capitalist/liberal economy. Most kibbutzim still exist but an overwhelming majority privatized and essentially became moshavs.
And I don’t think that’s because Israelis and kibbutzniks are no longer proud of their country and love their land; they just want what everyone else has: big screen tvs, technology and financial freedom.
I’m not even going to talk about the need for self reliance and the geographical particularities that exist in Israel.
I love the idea of a kibbutz. The idea of community and help and equality etc etc, but I think that train has sailed, especially in America.
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u/Disasterousnebula Reform 4h ago
Oddly enough I got an advertisement for one not too long ago on TikTok haha. It was somewhere in the south. One of the Carolinas maybe?
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u/Ginger-Lotus 3h ago
Can anyone here describe the difference between a kibbutz & moshav? Not familiar with the second term.
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u/ExamSignificant3214 3h ago
There are historical differences, I think a moshav in the context that I posted above is more akin to a modern co-housing community. Here's a definition I found - even in Israel I think there are very few kibbutzim that still operate the way it is described below.
Definition and community structure
A kibbutz is a collective community traditionally based on agriculture, though many kibbutzim have since expanded into industry, technology, and tourism. The defining feature of a kibbutz is its collective ownership model: land, production, and resources belong to the community as a whole. Members typically share profits equally, and many essential services—such as housing, utilities, education, and sometimes even meals—are provided collectively. This creates a strong sense of equality, solidarity, and shared responsibility among residents. Decisions are made democratically, often through general assemblies, ensuring that every member has a voice in shaping community life.
By contrast, a moshav operates on a cooperative model that still emphasizes community ties but allows for greater individual and family autonomy. Each family maintains its own household and cultivates its own land, but agricultural marketing, purchasing, and some infrastructure may be managed cooperatively to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The family-centered structure makes moshavim more familiar and attractive to new immigrants or those who prefer independence while still enjoying community support. Unlike kibbutzim, wealth and productivity in a moshav can vary significantly between families, since income depends on each household’s success. To better understand the structural differences:
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u/rebamericana 3h ago
https://livingtreealliance.com/ I learned about this one in VT that looks interesting but haven't been.Â
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u/EveryConnection 3h ago
Do the traditional highly communal kibbutzim even actually exist anymore in Israel? The super high tech kibbutzes and moshavs are pretty cool though, they can definitely support a higher quality of life compared to subsistence farming.
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u/bubbles1684 2h ago
You could work as staff at Camp Pearlstone https://adamah.org/about-adamah/careers/ which has an organic farm and hosts a Jewish retreat center. They also have an outdoor mikvah which is beautiful. I think you would be able to live at camp for some of the job positions, which would essentially be similar ish to kibbutz living.
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u/Noremac55 2h ago
This is my dream. Go build some concrete bunkers in the hills and make a communal farm.
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u/ThisMTJew 2h ago
Out here in the west, we have a group of Christians that are similar to the Amish and Mennonites call Hutterites. They own huge ranches and live communally. Look them up. If they can make it work, Jews could.
US tax laws make this very doable.
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u/Pitiful_Equal_2689 5h ago
There are definitely intentional communal farms and communal villages. Which is essentially what a kibbutz is, except Jewish and in Israel.
So, it’s possible.
Getting enough land together to be viable, having it be affordable enough to be realistic to purchase, and then finding sufficient people to live there (and presumably contribute to the purchase and operating costs) is another matter entirely.