From Iton Habonim Volume 1 Edition 5, March 2008

Revolutions in Kvutsat Yovel

Habonim Dror's first kvutsa, Kvutsat Yovel, has recently begun a massive series of transformations, which are hugely impacting on every aspect of our existence!
On the superficial level, our numbers have doubled to twelve people – a year and a half ago we were only six olim from Habonim Dror, which had been a stable number for a couple of years already. The first big change was in July 2006 when Kinneret Grant-Rosenhead, daughter to Emma and myself, was our first new arrival. Kinneret is the first sabra in our kvutsa, after all these years of being only olim, and more significantly she is the first child in our kvutsa. Next, in August 2007, Emily Bock (a former HDOZ Rosh Chinuch) began a process of joining Kvutsat Yovel. This raised some eyebrows, since Emily is a few years younger than the rest of us, and had in the past been a chanicha of Yovelnikim. Then, within days of Emily beginning her process with Yovel, four sabra Israelis – three adults and a baby girl – also approached us about beginning a process of joining us.
The range and depth of the changes which have resulted from all of these new additions is still hard for us to comprehend ourselves, but I will try to give a taste of their significance:

1. Gender balance: Kvutsat Yovel included five males and one female before these changes began. We are now six males and six females. Ok, so the baby girls maybe don't really count as women yet, but nevertheless the presence of Inbal, Talia and Emily, as well as Emma, makes a big, positive difference to our dynamics, which are now much better balanced.
2. Native Sabras: All six Yovelnikim were olim, and we now also include five native sabra Israelis. Again, perhaps Gil and Kinneret don't count in terms of their age, and we are still a majority of olim, but this is not just a matter of numbers. We now live our kvutsa lives in Hebrew, including erev kvutsa, kvutsa mealtimes, birthdays and chaggim, etc. It's not only the language though – our kvutsa culture in general is now far more 'kibbutznik', since Lotem is originally from Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra, Inbal from Kibbutz Bet Ha'Emek, and Talia from Kibbutz Be'eri. Yovel is no longer Anglo.
3. Family life: Yovel was previously primarily singles. There are now three members with girlfriends / boyfriends in other kvutsot, as well as two married couples within Yovel. Not only do we have two married couples in the kvutsa, but also two little girls. Adapting to family life has affected many basic aspects of kvutsa life, including our communal timetable, use of space, and prioritisation in general. This week our kvutsa celebrated Gil's first birthday, as well as one year of parenthood for Lotem and Inbal. Kinneret is already over one and a half years old. In the past, many people in the movement around the world have asked us about the viability of kvutsa life when we have families with children. In the past we were only able to answer theoretically, whereas now we can also answer from some experience. Having families with children takes up a lot of time and energy, just like it does in the 'normal' capitalist world. In our kibbutz of kvutsot, which includes fourteen children already (with more on the way), it is a major communal priority, rather than only an individual or parental responsibility, which makes it much more manageable.
4. Movement: To use a Harry Potter analogy, Yovel was previously a 'pureblood' Habonim Dror kvutsa, whereas now we are 'mudbloods'. Inbal, Lotem and Talia all grew up in Hanoar Ha'Oved Va'Lomed (Habonim's historical sister movement in Israel), but their section – Kvutsot Ha'Bechira – split off and is now part of Machanot Ha'Olim (Dror's historical sister movement in Israel). Kvutsat Yovel recently decided to take full membership within our Israeli kibbutz of kvutsot, which effectively makes us members of the Tnuat Bogrim of Machanot Ha'Olim. This is both a massive breakthrough in our klita, and also a confusing and difficult reality for us. Many movement olim experience having dual nationality, and Yovelnikim have experienced being Israelis who also hold British, American, Canadian and Australian passports. We are used to having such 'dual citizenship', but the deeper level to that legal reality is our somewhat schizophrenic cultural reality – we will each always be partially Israelis and partially Anglos. Personally, I will probably always feel like an Englishman in Israel, and like an Israeli in England. Being members of two Tnuot Bogrim is an even bigger challenge, and some people even say it will prove impossible for us. As with our aliyah, it results in differences of identity, culture and language, but it also demands a complicated juggling act of priorities, commitments and responsibilities. Kvutsat Yovel has decided to take on this groundbreaking challenge, and we believe that it will also prove to be a pioneering step for future Habonim Dror kvutsot, who will also build their socialist Zionist lives together with our Israeli partner movements, rather than remaining within a bubble of Habonim Dror olim.

These transformative topics (gender balance; sabra – olim dynamics; families and children; and klita into an Israeli partner movement) could each stimulate a doctoral thesis, and I have only given a brief introduction to them here. For Kvutsat Yovel, these are some of the current developments and dilemmas in our ongoing attempts to build our lives, and our society in Israel, according to the values and visions of Habonim Dror.