Page 3 - C.A.L.L. #22 - Fall 2003

From the Secretary’s Desk
Dear Reader,

“Summer time and the communities are jumping” - with activity: numerous camps
at ZEGG and Tamera and a spate of community gatherings of various kinds: at
The Farm, in Boulder (Co-housing), two(!) at Twin Oaks and the Bruderhof’s
Woodcrest Collective 2003, (see page 21).

General interest in the communal scene around the world is reflected in a number
of relevant books that have recently been published:
- Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Eco-villages and Intentional Communities, by Communities
magazine editor, Diana Christian (see page 6).
- Another Kind of Space: Creating ecological dwellings and environments, by Alan Dearling with Graham
Meltzer
- No Heavenly Delusion? A Comparative Study of 3 Communal Movements, by Michael Tyldesley (see page 4).
- In Hebrew the four-booklet series Communal Living Around the World, by Desk member Eliyahu Regev
(Tzetze) has just been successfully completed.

Despite the tense situation, “community tourists” have kept coming. Old friends Martin and Burgel Johnson
of Maple Ridge Bruderhof, plus younger member Reuel Clement, are here as I write these lines…. Sandra
Francis, of an urban family in Philadelphia, came to Israel, among other reasons, to look for a suitable
research project…. But once again, the German Catholic Integrierte Gemeinde takes pride of place with its
steady stream of members, based on their centre near Jerusalem. The founder of Bet Shalmon,
theologian/journalist Dr Rudolf Pesch, and his wife Ingeborg have returned home, after 2 years sterling
service, leaving Manfred and Christine Gross to carry on their good work…. Which brings me to the Urfeld
Circle, that unique Israeli kibbutz/German IG circle, which continues to meet regularly. This summer a whole
contingent visited the IG communities in Germany.

These days, major communal interest in Israel centres on the urban kibbutzim and the newer communes of
the youth movement “graduates”. They featured prominently in 2 conferences: that of the Communal Stream
of kibbutzim and that on Research of the Kibbutz.…. Nearly a hundred members (plus children) attended the
2nd annual gathering of the Circle of Communal Groups, in which many of these communes and 3 urban
kibbutzim, are loosely associated (See page 8).

Plans are underway to establish two new intentional communities, both to be bi-cultural (Hebrew and
Arabic). We who belong to any form of communal living know how problematic living in even a mono-
cultural community can be. Well-established Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam (= Oasis of Peace, in Hebrew and
Arabic) isn’t finding things easy in the present situation. We certainly wish both ventures well and will assist
them if we can.

For good or for bad, changes in kibbutzim are continuing to take place. Some recent data, as well as a sound
analysis for the reasons behind the crisis, are to be found in our updated website, www.communa.org.il ....
Since the term “kibbutz” has legal status in Israel, a government committee has been studying how these
changes can be officially recognized. The next issue of C.A.L.L. will look at this complex situation.

Please note changes in our office at Yad Tabenkin, including a new phone number, (972) 3 534 4458,
extension 4, and a new e-mail address ruthsy-t@bezeqint.net . The latter - deservedly - honours our smiling
and on-the-ball secretary, Ruth Sobol.

Dear reader, do let us - and the rest of the world - know what’s happening with your commune, co-housing,
co-op or other kind of intentional community. What you are doing and thinking, as well as your latest
problems – if any!

Your faithful and ever hopeful Secretary,
Sol Etzioni, Kibbutz Tzora, DN Shimshon, Israel, 99803.
solrene@tzora.co.il

PS. The hard-pressed Kibbutz Movement was not able to slightly increase our modest budget. So, a small
donation from YOU, instead of a subscription to CALL, will be very welcome.

3