Kibbutzim Must Learn National Lessons from October 7th Crisis
Translated & summarized from Zman Yisrael by baba
An organizational consultant argues that kibbutzim must learn critical lessons from the October 7th crisis, focusing on security and education. She highlights the need for increased, consistent investment in security as existential infrastructure and a reevaluation of educational content to foster national and liberal Zionist values. The author calls for a fundamental shift in kibbutz operational models, urging them to prioritize social returns over immediate profits and take national leadership in these crucial areas.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Kibbutzim must learn from the October 7th crisis, focusing on security and education.
- Security investment is vital existential infrastructure, often neglected for profit-driven avenues.
- Kibbutz education needs to be re-infused with national, value-based, and cooperative content.
- A proactive, community-wide defense capability is essential, beyond just building safe rooms.
- Kibbutzim should prioritize social returns and national leadership over immediate financial profits.
- A fundamental shift in thinking and resource allocation is required for security and education.
The author, an organizational consultant and group facilitator with over 20 years of experience, argues that communities, like individuals, must learn from crises. She focuses on the kibbutzim, which endured one of their most severe historical crises on October 7th. The shock, cruelty, suffering, abductions, and loss experienced by the kibbutzim necessitate a re-evaluation of lessons learned, beyond immediate rehabilitation efforts.
One critical lesson pertains to security. The author posits that in an era of abundance and technology, financial investments are often directed towards profit-generating avenues, neglecting security, which is viewed as an expense. She emphasizes that kibbutzim, particularly those on the borders, must recognize security investment as a vital existential infrastructure, requiring a deep shift in thinking and resource allocation, potentially from social budgets rather than solely from cooperative societies.
A second crucial lesson concerns education. The author observes a decline in the national, value-based, and cooperative content within kibbutz education systems, leading to a detachment from public and national commitment. The events of October 7th exposed the inadequacy of educational mechanisms in fostering social, national, and public values, including liberal Zionism. The crisis has, paradoxically, led to violent, even racist, sentiments, anger, and a desire for revenge, starkly contrasting with traditional kibbutz educational ideals.
The author calls for a fundamental reevaluation of kibbutz operational models. While building safe rooms is a necessary immediate response, a proactive, community-wide defense capability is essential. This requires sustained, consistent investment in security, potentially necessitating a review of how kibbutz resources are allocated. Similarly, education requires significant investment, not just in supplementary programs but in a fundamental shift of approach. The author suggests infusing informal education with liberal democratic Zionism, humanism, and social engagement, urging kibbutzim to lead nationally in these values, even if they don't offer immediate financial returns. This requires a willingness to allocate a portion of profits towards core issues like security and education, marking a return to national leadership and a fundamental shift in foundational perceptions.
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