The first Kibbutz was founded in Israel just over 100 years ago. A radical socialist experiment, it combined communal living and Zionist philosophy with the aim of “making the desert bloom”. Soon there were dozens, and training farms were set up in countries like Australia, to prepare young people for the physical hardship of kibbutz life where - in exchange for outdoor manual labour – volunteers were provided with food, shelter, education and medical care. In the late 60s and 70s many young Australians, Jewish and non-Jewish, went to Israel to join a Kibbutz. Why did they go? How has the experience shaped their lives? And, do Kibbutzim still operate? Compass finds out.
