The Kibbutz Between Dialogue and Dilemma

The history of Israel’s kibbutzim is characterised by a series of dilemmas: equality versus efficiency, inclusion versus exclusion, and idealism versus survival. While communities around the world are searching for alternatives to individualistic capitalism, the kibbutz offers something rare: the story of ordinary people building a just society over many generations. Kibbutz insider Muki Tsur and sociologist Sibylle Heilbrunn don’t just write about community life, they practice it on paper. Through an open, unresolved, and often uncomfortable dialogue, they engage in a joint thought process devoted to the kibbutzim’s conflicts and dialogues, thus reflecting the kibbutz ethos.