A kvutza, kvutzah, kevutza or kevutzah ( "group") is a form of

cooperative settlement A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democra ...

that was founded in the

Second Aliyah The Second Aliyah () was an aliyah (Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel) that took place between 1904 and 1914, during which approximately 35,000 Jews, mostly from Russia, with some from Yemen, immigrated into Ottoman Palestine. The Sec ...

and developed in the

Third Aliyah The Third Aliyah () refers to the third wave, or aliyah, of modern Jewish immigration to Palestine (region), Palestine from Europe. This wave lasted from 1919, just after the end of World War I, until 1923, at the start of an economic crisis in P ...

, its principles are based on the existence of a

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...

, communal, small and intimate group. The settlers of the group lived in full cooperation (a common fund for expenses and income, without private property) and without external control (warehouses etc).

Ideology

The "Kvutzas" were influenced by the

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

and

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

principles and thoughts. This influence caused a surge of settlements, built on

community ownership Community-owned assets or organizations are those that are owned and controlled through some representative mechanisms that allow a community to influence their operation or use and to enjoy the benefits arising. Benefits of ownership in infrastru ...

and

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. later, most of the Kvutza's turned into

Kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...

's.

History

First there were ''kvutzot'' (plural of kvutza) in the sense of groups of young people with similar ideals living and working together; and after 1909 and for many years to follow, in the sense of

collective settlement An intentional community is a voluntary residential community designed to foster a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork. Such communities typically promote shared values or beliefs, or pursue a common vision, which may be politica ...

s created by such groups. The kvutza collective settlement was distinguished from the ''

kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...

'' settlement in that it intended to remain small and mainly agricultural, whereas the larger kibbutzim were intended to expand with agriculture, industry and other productive pursuits. Later, as the distinction disappeared, most kvutzot were renamed kibbutzim. Notable example:

Degania Alef Degania Alef (, ) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. The Jewish communal settlement ('' kvutza'') was founded in 1910, making it the earliest Labor Zionist farming commune in the Land of Israel. Its status as "the mother of all kibbutzim" is some ...

. There are various plurals in English: several ''kvutza'' may be called ''kvutzas'', ''kvutzot'' or ''kvutzoth''

References

Culture of Israel Intentional communities in Israel Agricultural labor Agriculture in Israel Cooperatives in Israel Hebrew words and phrases Rural community development Socialism Types of populated places Words and phrases in Modern Hebrew

Ideology

History

References

Further reading