Kibbutz Hannaton: Living and Working Pluralism

By Raanan Korinow
Binghamton University

The Kibbutz movement in Israel has seen many changes in the last few years. When kibbutzim were founded, most in the first half of the 20^th century, children lived separately from their parents, all would eat communal meals and every worker, no matter the skill, was paid the same salary. Nobody owned anything; all was the property of the kibbutz. Agriculture was the primary industry and people flocked to the kibbutz to build the land of Israel from the ground up. Originally founded on a blend of socialist and Zionist idealism, kibbutzim are now facing the challenge of adapting to a modern capitalist society. Some are shutting down, but most are becoming what is known as a קיבוץ מתחדש. These re-chartered kibbutzim remain tight communities, but families live together, own their own property and are responsible for finding their own jobs. The kibbutzim offers public spaces and unemployment benefits, should the need arise.

One unique kibbutz is Kibbutz Hannaton, located in northern Israel. Founded in 1983 by the Masorti (Conservative) Movement, Hannaton has recently seen new families come and rebuild the Kibbutz. I spoke with Rabbi Yoav Ende, a rabbi at the kibbutz and Director of the Educational and Spiritual Center located within the kibbutz. We talked about the challenges that the Masorti Movement faces in Israel. In the political arena, Rabbi Ende noted that "pluralism is pushed aside" because for most Israelis, one either identifies as religious or not. Furthermore, Israelis often perceive the Masorti Movement as "a movement from the Diaspora."

Hannaton, because it is a kibbutz, has the opportunity to represent the Masorti Movement in a uniquely Israeli way. It integrates Conservative Judaism with Israeli society. "We believe that when dealing with religion, you have to grasp the ground," says Ende. The kibbutz has an educational and spiritual center that encapsulates Jewish text and working with the adamah (Earth). "We are living and working in a holistic society," Ende describes.

Like many renewed kibbutzim, Hannaton has no primary industry. All of the members find their own jobs. There are lawyers, educators, social workers and people in the computer industry. Many work at the Educational and Spiritual Center, which hosts groups from USY, Ramah, schools, elderly groups and rabbinical students. The center is a combination Beit Midrash and retreat center. Topics discussed in the center include defining Zionism, Jewish identity and Israel-Diaspora relations.

I asked Rabbi Ende what he envisions the kibbutz to be in the long term. In 10 years, he hopes for 100 families living in Hannaton. He dreams of a field school in the Galilee where students study Mishnah in its context. He wants Hannaton to be part of any debate on religion in Israel; and, by extension, the Masorti Movement to have a voice in Israeli politics. Right now there is no one place in Israel for Conservative and Masorti Jews to live, but Hannaton looks to be the pioneer of progressive Jewish life.

The kibbutz has an egalitarian synagogue, but has members who are Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. Rabbi Ende elaborates that, "We don't ask people to be Conservative, because we're building a place with pluralism." Kibbutz leaders want Hannaton to be a model for Israeli society; people with a diversity of religious observance living in harmony.

Raanan Korinow is from Haverhill, Massachusetts and is a sophomore computer science major at Binghamton University.

[Posted 4/13/10]