It is not easy to answer this question in English, and it is even more difficult to answer it in Hebrew. As is well known, in the national kibbutz the word “commune” refers to the clothing warehouse, and in youth movement circles it refers to a number of counselors who live together temporarily.
Ibn Shushan’s dictionary defines the word “commune” as “a group of people living a life of full sharing of their property and work.” In the kibbutz lexicon, Prof. Yaakov Oved, an international expert in the study of the history of the communes, defined a commune as follows: “An autonomous community whose members have agreed by free choice to live in partnership in accordance with the principle of ‘from each according to his ability and to each according to his needs'”.

Even in the big world, it is not easy to accurately define the term. The origin of the word is in Latin
communis. (=common) There is basically no consensus about the definition of the concept.

In his instructive book Shared Visions, Dr. Bill Metcalfe (Dr. Bill Metcalf),
ICSA, the International Organization for the Study of Communes, stated as follows: “With regard to members of a commune, the group immigrates
In its importance on the nuclear family unit. It usually has a joint fund and residences
collective, and determine as a group decisions, both general and personal.” According to this extreme definition,
Even the classic kibbutz is not a commune!

Later, he explained: “In my opinion, the term ‘commune’ should be reserved for the more extreme forms
and the dramas of a cooperative life, those in which there is a high degree of commitment to the community…. I think you can
To achieve a high degree of commitment to the community in one of two ways (and in the ‘purest case’ of both):
Economic and social. Of course, there is hardly any group that reaches the edge all the way from these dimensions.”
(Note: the classic kibbutz came far in the economic continuum but did not go far in the social continuum.)

Bill clarifies: “There are groups that qualify for the title of ‘commune’, where there is not much sharing in the material sphere
But there is much more sharing in them in the social sphere. Here, in the ideal case, the family and the commune almost
One of them. I mean communes such as Oneida, ZEGG, Twin Oaks, Commonground, etc.
On the other hand, there are other groups that call themselves ‘communes’ even though they are actually groups of friends
Relatives.”

Note: How can such groups be denied the name “commune” in the absence of a clear “official” definition of
Term? Is it so important to take them out? Perhaps the best solution is to set up a “commune”
as “a community that defines itself as a ‘commune'”. What do you think? You can write to our forum.

Nowadays many communes do not use the word “commune” and prefer the term intentional community
(Congregation). The aversion to the term “commune” stems from the connection with the word “communism” and connotations
Negatives from the unbridled communes of the Hippies and/or from the violence in the communes of Manson and Jonesville.

What is Intentional Community?
It is a name that was adopted in the United States about twenty years ago, to be a substitute for the term “commune”. Word
intentional = intentional, intentional indicates that this is a very inclusive concept, and so in reality.
Thus, any community with a specific purpose can be included in this definition. Also a monastery is a husband
A defined purpose and may call itself (if desired) by the title of Intentional Community.
It is recommended to read information (in English) about designated communities by clickinghere

What is the difference between a commune and a sharing community?
“Sharing community” is a term that tries to include communities where members are less shared
than the one in the commune. In the absence of agreed-upon definitions, the boundary between the different types of communities is not clear.

How many sharing/mission communities are there in the world?
The new edition of Communities Directory contains 729 designated communities, more than 600 in the North
America and more than 100 in the rest of the world. However, editors are familiar with many similar communities that are not
agree to advertise themselves. According to experts, the real number of zoning communities in the world
The western one alone is over 3000. For more detail you can contact the number of cooperative communities abroad.

What types of communes/constituencies are there in the world?
They can be divided into these types:
– Religiosity – Anarchist
– Authoritarianism – Egalitarian
– Spiritualistic – therapeutical
– “Green” (ecologically-minded) – seclusion
And

It should be emphasized that some of the communities belong to some of the above types. In the first booklet of the series
“Sharing communities in the world” you will find a different and certainly no less useful list – of the types of communes.

Does charismatic leadership take for a collaborative community to succeed?
Quite a few cooperative communities have been established around a charismatic personality. Notable examples are:
Padanaram and Findhorn, and cooperative movements such as the Bruderhof
and the Intergrierte Gemeinde. Without a doubt, this situation united the members around
Philosophy of the leader or leader and strengthened the community. (We are familiar with a similar phenomenon of leadership
charismatic in the kibbutz movement). Most often, problems arose when the main character passed away.
Experience shows cases of disintegration of the community and other cases of successful adaptation to reality
New. At the same time, there are many examples of cooperative communities that have been established and continued to exist
Good luck without charismatic leadership.

Does a collaborative community have to be religious to be successful?
There are many successful cooperative communities that are not religious and even self-defining
Anti-religiosity. At the same time, there is no doubt that a common religious belief is capable of strengthening the community.
Notable examples are the communities of the Hutterites, the Bruderhof
and the Intergrierte Gemeinde.
Similarly, adherence to a non-religious philosophy or a supreme purpose unites many cooperative communities.
In the kibbutz movement, loyalty to Zionism once played the same role, “green” communities (eco-villages),
Such as Findhorn, and therapeutic communities, such as Camphill communities, are examples
of successful non-religious cooperative communities.

What is the connection between a kibbutz and a commune?
Both the classical kibbutz and the commune in the rest of the world have a common basic principle: “From each according to
his ability and each according to his needs.” But there are some significant differences between these two forms of
Coexistence.
From the beginning of Degania to the present, the kibbutzim have seen themselves as an integral part of the liberation movement
the nationalism of the Jewish people, and major branches of the Zionist enterprise emerged from the kibbutz movements.
This phenomenon has no precedent among other communes in the world. None of them see themselves
As part of the state stream. Most communes – maybe all of them – want to fix the world – or by
A personal example or by a corrected activity in a defined domain. But none of them have representatives in the parties
nationwide politics, and none of them proudly contributes to the defense and development of the homeland.

It is possible that the other differences between a kibbutz and a commune are somewhat due to the aforementioned fundamental difference.
The kibbutzim are relatively large – the smallest kibbutz is the average size of the communes in the rest
World. Also, almost all kibbutzim are multi-generational, another factor that acts against the intimacy of
Most of the communes in the world. In this, many communes are more similar to Bethania and the kibbutzim/groups in the beginning
Their way than to the kibbutz we know.

Since when are communes present?/ When did the idea of the commune begin?
Some scholars claim that the first communes were founded by Buddha faithful in the 6th century
BC in India. Others begin the history of the communes with the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who lived
in the south of Italy in that century. He established a vegetarian and mystical commune that advocated, among other things, equality
Species.

The People of Israel also have an honorable place in the early history of the communes. Some researchers find
In the words of the prophets Amos and Ezekiel swallows of utopian communalism. From the 2nd century BC lived
The Issyrians in cooperative communities in the Judean Desert. The existence of these communes was an example of the first Christians
who lived a life of fellowship, according to the New Testament, Acts 2:5-44. For more detail you can contact us
To landmarks in the history of the life of sharing.

Why do you think of Hippies when you hear the word “commune”?
In the 1960s, in the midst of the wave of resistance to institutionalized society, the “Flower Children” (Hippies) were established.
About 2,000 rural communes and about 200 urban communes, in demand for a way of life
Alternative. The existence of the Hippies communes spread throughout the world. Lack of hygiene, sexual permissiveness
And the use of drugs, which were common among them, created a stigma towards communes, which remains to this day
This. Few hippies have survived and their character today is very different from its original character.

What is the connection between commune and communism?
The similarity between the two words caused quite a bit of confusion between the beings and even animosity towards the communes. Suitable
It should be noted that from the beginning, the Communist parties (and still oppose) in principle opposed the idea of
Voluntary cooperative life. They saw the communes as an escape from reality, as utopias and harmful, since
And they distract from the real solution of the ills of society. As a practical example of total opposition
That is, the Russian Communist Party eliminated the thousands of communes that arose in the wake of the revolution.
In Israel, too, the Communist Party has always fought against the kibbutz movement. (Yad Hannah was a case
A kibbutz exception whose members left Mapam and moved to the Maki)

Without a doubt, the origin of the words “commune” and “communism” is common: the Latin word,
communis which means “common”. Moreover, the basic principle of most communes,
‘From each according to his ability and to each according to his needs’, formulated by Karl Marx as a theoretical definition
of communism. But the fact is that no communist regime has tried to establish a communist society
Complete according to this principle. Both the kolkhozes in Russia and the communes in China were very different from the communes
in the rest of the world. They lacked the essential factor: the desire of people to live together in fellowship.
In both cases, the government and/or the party established them and held the members in power.

How big is a commune/congregation?
There are communities of less than 10 adults that have several hundred members. Several kibbutzim
Even bigger. The largest kibbutz (Ma’agan Michael) has 626 members and a permanent population of 1254 people.

Are the majority of the members of communes/designated communities young people?
Despite popular belief, a study reveals that the average age of community members is over 40.
Most of the members are not young people who run away from society but serious people with life experience, who are looking for
A different way of life. The new Communities Directory release has an article about a phenomenon
New in the U.S. and in a number of other countries: the establishment of cooperative communities is intended for those aged 50 and over.

The article came from thewww.communa.org.il website
International Table of Communes