What is a kibbutz and how many people live on the kibbutzim?
The kibbutz was established as a communal pioneer settlement based upon the principle of equality: that all members have equal rights and that all work has equal value. Members within the traditional kibbutz framework were expected to work to their ability and each would be given whatever he or she needed. The first kibbutz, Degania, was founded in 1909 by ten men and two women, right across from where the River Jordan exits from the Sea of Galilee. Opposite the kibbutz today lies the site where millions of Christian pilgrims renew baptismal vows.
