For much of Israel’s history, kibbutzim and moshavim were foundational institutions in the Zionist project, playing critical roles in land settlement, immigrant absorption, agriculture, border defense, and community building. These collective and cooperative agricultural settlements have long been emblematic of Israeli society, linked to ideals such as communal dining, equal wages, and cooperative farming. However, sociologist Dr. Avi Shnider of the College of Management Academic Studies in Rishon Lezion argues that the traditional image of these communities no longer reflects their current realities.
A special issue of the Israel Studies Review, guest-edited by Shnider and University of Haifa professor Aviad Rubin, explores the contemporary transformations and challenges faced by kibbutzim and moshavim. The nine papers in the issue address a wide range of topics, from solar energy integration in desert agriculture and Latin American immigration histories to the spatial and social reconstruction of communities affected by the events of October 7, 2023.
October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a devastating attack on border communities near Gaza, brought renewed attention to kibbutzim and moshavim, many of which were directly impacted by violence, abductions, and evacuations. This tragic event revived a national focus on these settlements, not as idyllic remnants of Israel’s past but as sites of sacrifice, resilience, and ongoing struggle.
Shnider emphasizes that while the old cooperative structures have largely been dismantled or privatized—communal dining halls have disappeared, equal wages have given way to individualized salaries, and many residents now work outside their agricultural communities—the social fabric and sense of community persist. He suggests analyzing kibbutzim and moshavim through three dimensions: organization, spatial layout, and community bonds. Even as formal collectivist frameworks fade, people continue to maintain social ties and mutual support that sustain these communities as distinct rural spaces.
The distinctions between kibbutz and moshav, once sharply drawn along social, cultural, and political lines, have also blurred. Increasingly, both types of settlements have adopted elements of each other’s organizational models, undermining the traditional divide. Moreover, the populations of these settlements have become more diverse over time. A study within the issue traces a century of Latin American Jewish immigration to kibbutzim, highlighting the complexity of the communities today—a far cry from the old secular, Ashkenazi, left-wing stereotype.
Economic shifts have also redefined life in these settlements. For example, a study of Arava agriculture shows how solar energy production has become a significant supplement to farming income, offering new economic stability amid the unpredictable agricultural markets.
Despite changes and challenges, kibbutzim and moshavim demonstrated notable resilience following October 7. Their communal frameworks enabled rapid organization of evacuations, aid, and communal responses. However, the trauma of violence remains intertwined with the physical spaces, as roads, homes, and communal areas carry the weight of memory and loss. This raises complex questions about reconstruction: whether to restore damaged kibbutzim to their former physical layouts or to adapt spaces to meet the needs of transformed communities.
For Shnider, the focus has shifted from attempts to revive the kibbutz model of the past to understanding why, despite economic privatization, demographic shifts, and ideological decline, these communities have retained enough cohesion to endure. He notes that Israeli society remains deeply divided, and while solidarity surged briefly after October 7, long-standing social and political fractures persist.
Ultimately, the evolving story of kibbutzim and moshavim illustrates a transformation rather than a decline—a persistence of communal life in altered forms. The question now is who will carry forward these legacies in a dramatically different Israel, and how they will redefine them for the future.