Kibbutz volunteering

One option for volunteering in Israel is volunteering in a kibbutz. A kibbutz (Hebrew: קיבוץ; plural: קיבוצים kibbutzim) is (or was) a rural socialist community. There are over 250 kibbutzim around Israel.

Understand

Kibbutzim started out as a Zionist way of making the socialist dream become a reality in the still-stateless Land of Israel in the early 20th century. Nothing was owned by the kibbutz members - everything belonged to the kibbutz, even the children. Since then, many kibbutzim stopped relying on agriculture as their main economic base, and many have been privatized.

Since the 1960s, volunteers from all over the world (back then, mostly Baby-Boomers) have started coming to volunteer in the unique kibbutzim. Volunteers usually stay for a few months on a volunteer visa, and work in agriculture, kitchen, gardening and factory for food and board, plus some pocket money. In many kibbutzim, it is also possible to study Hebrew during the stay.

Although the peak of the kibbutz volunteering phenomenon has long since passed, thousands still come every year - mostly (but not only) from the United Kingdom, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

List of kibbutzim

The following is a list of kibbutzim by region, from north to south. Since the landscape is very different across Israel, the region has an impact on the experience:

Golan Heights

Ortal
El Rom
Afik
Geshur
Kfar Haruv
Mevo Hama
Metzar
Merom Golan
Natur
Ein Zivan

Galilee

Jordan River Valley

Afikim
Alumot
Ashdot Ya'akov Meuhad
Ashdot Ya'akov Ihud
Beit Zera
Degania Alef
Degania Bet
Ein Gev
Ginosar
Hokuk
Kvutzat Kinneret
Masada
Ma'agan
Ravid
Sha'ar HaGolan
Tel Katzir

Upper Galilee

Ami'ad
Amir
Ayelet HaShahar
Bar'am
Dan
Dafna
Gadot
Gonen
HaGoshrim
Hulata
Kadarim
Kfar Blum
Kfar Giladi
Kfar HaNassi
Kfar Szold
Lehavot HaBashan
Mahanayim
Malkia
Manara
Ma'ayan Barukh
Misgav Am
Neot Mordechai
Parod
Sasa
Sde Nehemia
Shamir
Snir
Tzivon
Yiftah
Yir'on

Lower Galilee

Beit Keshet
Beit Rimon
Eshbal
Yahad
Kishor
Lavi
Lotem
Moran
Pelekh
Tuval

Beth Shean Valley

Ein HaNatziv
Gesher
Hamadia
Kfar Rupin
Ma'ale Gilboa
Maoz Haim
Meirav
Mesilot
Neve Eitan
Neve Ur
Nir David
Reshafim
Sde Eliyahu
Sde Nahum
Shluhot
Tirat Zvi

Gilboa Range

Beit Alfa
Beit HaShita
Ein Harod (Ihud)
Ein Harod (Meuhad)
Heftziba
Tel Yosef
Yizre'el

Jezreel Valley

Alonim
Dovrat
Ein Dor
Gazit
Geva
Gevat
Ginegar
Givat Oz
Hanaton
Harduf
HaSolelim
Hazorea
Kfar HaHoresh
Megiddo
Merhavia
Mishmar HaEmek
Mizra
Ramat David
Sarid
Yifat

Western Galilee

Adamit
Afek
Beit HaEmek
Eilon
Ein HaMifratz
Evron
Ga'aton
Gesher HaZiv
Hanita
Kabri
Kfar Masaryk
Lohamey HaGeta'ot
Matzuba
Rosh Haniqra
Sa'ar
Shomrat
Yehiam
Yas'ur

Carmel Range

Beit Oren
Dalia
Ein Carmel
Ein HaShofet
Gal'ed
HaHotrim
Kfar HaMaccabi
Ma'agan Michael
Ma'ayan Tzvi
Nahsholim
Neve Yam
Ramat HaShofet
Ramot Menashe
Ramat Yohanan
Sdot Yam
Sha'ar HaAmakim
Usha
Yagur

Coastal Plain

Northern Sharon

Barkai
Ein Shemer
Gan Shmuel
Kfar Glikson
Lahavot Haviva
Magal
Ma'anit
Metzer
Mishmarot
Regavim

Southern Sharon

Bahan
Ein HaHoresh
Einat
Eyal
Ga'ash
Givat Haim (Ihud)
Givat Haim (Meuhad)
Givat HaShlosha
Glil Yam
HaMa'apil
HaOgen
Horashim
Ma'abarot
Mishmar HaSharon
Nahshonim
Nir Eliyahu
Ramat HaKovesh
Shefayim
Tel Yitzhak
Yad Hana
Yakum

Central-Southern Coastal Plain

Be'erot Yitzhak
Gezer
Givat Brenner
Hafetz Haim
Hulda
Kvutzat Shiller
Kvutzat Yavne
Na'an
Netzer Sereni
Palmachim
Sha'alvim

Southern Coastal Plain

Gevaram
Hatzor
Karmia
Nitzanim
Yad Mordechai
Zikim

Shfela and Jerusalem Mountains

Harel
Kiryat Anavim
Ma'ale HaHamisha
Nahshon
Netiv HaLamed-Heh
Ramat Rachel
Tzora
Tzova

Negev

Northern Negev

Alumim
Be'eri
Beit Kama
Beit Nir
Beit Guvrin
Bror Hayil
Dorot
Dvir
Ein Gedi
Ein HaShlosha
Ein Tzurim
Erez
Gal On
Gat
Gavem
Gvulot
Hatzerim
Holit
Kerem Shalom
Kfar Aza
Kfar Menachem
Kissufim
Kramim
Lahav
Magen
Mashabei Sadeh
Mefalsim
Mishmar HaNegev
Nahal Oz
Negba
Nir Am
Nir Oz
Nir Yitzhak
Nirim
Or HaNer
Re'im
Retamim
Revadim
Revivim
Ruhama
Sa'ad
Sde Boker
Sde Yoav
Shoval
Sufa
Tlalim
Tze'elim
Urim

Southern Negev

Eilot
Elifaz
Grofit
Ketura
Lotan
Neot Semadar
Neve Harif
Samar
Yahel
Yotvata

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