ORGANISATION AND DECISION-TAKING

http://www.solhaam.org/articles/kibbut.html

All are equal regardless of the work done and all share equally in the work to be done, the available services and the democratic management of the kibbutz.

Decisions are made jointly by the General Assembly of all kibbutz members. The General Assembly decides policy and allocates responsibilities (work) to individual members by electing managers and assigning work.

One member could, for example, be given responsibility for work scheduling and for allocating work to individual members. Such work in larger kibbutzim could also be handled by committees whose members are also elected by the General Assembly, the chairperson often doing this work full time.

Members occupy their role for a limited period, say one or two years, often full time in larger kibbutzim, and jobs (roles) are rotated.

The functions covered in such ways are the usual ones found in any enterprise or community and can vary from kibbutz to kibbutz. Finance, transport, health, short-term and long-term planning, social and cultural activities, communal dining, laundry, creche facilities, and so on.


Decision-taking by the General Assembly can involve heated argument, infighting between factions and marshalling of support. Suppose money is limited, a tractor has to be bought and only one child can be sent to study at university, both fees and maintenance being required. One child out of two and your child is one of the two. Such problems can prove very divisive within such a close community