The Virtual Kibbutz is a collection of fun stories about the serious challenges faced by the kibbutz, an Israeli communal living "experiment" that has survived for almost a century, so far. The book explores how Israel's 250+ socialist kibbutzim can continue to survive in Israel's increasingly high-tech, capitalist economy.
Book Description
Israel has undergone tremendous change since it was founded in 1948. The kibbutz, a unique Israeli institution based on common ownership of the means of production and consumption and equal representation, has had to evolve.Author Ellis Shuman, editor in chief of the online daily news magazine Israel Insider, was a founding member of Kibbutz Yahel near Eilat and lives today on a moshav in the Judean hills. His deep personal experience with communal living enabled him to capture the hopes and dreams as well as the challenges and frustrations faced by today's kibbutz members.
The stories cover varied aspects of kibbutz life - from becoming emotionally attached to a cow to suffering from inter-generational conflicts to experiencing personal loss from war to being challenging by the rise of the Internet.
While the stories entertain, they also provoke the reader to think seriously about the uncertain future the kibbutz faces.
Book Recommendation
I recommend the book to anyone who has spent time on a kibbutz, anyone interested in learning more about the unique society of the kibbutz, or anyone who enjoys reading about Israel in general. I found the stories fun and thought-provoking, as each story touches on the modern day kibbutz's struggles to adapt to changing realities of the country and world around it. Are the kibbutz's days numbered or will the kibbutz continue to play an important role in the Israeli landscape?