A Commune Grows in Brooklyn
February 8th, 2008Written by Josh Nathan-Kazis (published in New Voices Magazine)
Israel’s Urban Kibbutz Movement Has Arrived in New York. Will It Survive?
To start a kibbutz in New York City is to face a multitude of small challenges.
Imagine, for instance, trying to explain to a banker at Bank of America that you want to open a joint checking account with five other people. This was the situation that Jamie Beran and five fellow alumni of the Zionist youth movement Habonim Dror found themselves in this summer, as they worked together to set up one of the first of a new breed of urban kibbutzim in the United States. The banker, says Beran, “could not comprehend why we wanted to do this,” insisting that there were rules limiting the number of people on a single checking account. There weren’t, and before long the newly minted kibbutzniks were issued a stack of Ben & Jerry-themed checks with all six of their names at the top. Read the rest of this entry »
STATE OF THE MOVEMENT
February 6th, 2008From Yotam Marom:
Dear Hadracha, Mamshichim, Bogrim, Alumni, Board Members, Parents, Partners, and People Who Wish They Weren’t On This Mass Email List,
This year marks the 85th anniversary of Hashomer Hatzair North America, and the 95 th anniversary of Hashomer Hatzair in the world. Considering that, and considering what has been going on in the movement lately – an intense process of redefining our ideology and refreshing our actualization – it seems about time to give an update. It might even be considered a sort of State of the Movement letter, at least as I see it (you can write one too…). Please forward this to kvutzot, bogrim, parents, Board members, other World Movement shomrim, partners in other movements, and anyone else who might be interested. Read the rest of this entry »