The first Jewish kibbutz was established in 1909 a short distance from here. It was started with money from the National Jewish Fund on land purchased from the Ottomans. Early kibbutzim were a utopian combination of socialism and Zionism. Each member was given a job, a place to live, and three meals a day. Each member had one vote on running the kibbutz and 51 percent ruled. Today, many kibbutzim have been privatized with major changes to the communal lifestyle.

One major change has been that farming has been supplanted by other economic endeavors. Kibbutz Kfar Haruv, where we stayed, is one of the kibbutzim that has changed its economic development. Farming, however, is still a part of their operation.

The first photo is an orchard that we passed on the way from the highway into the kibbutz. I’m not sure what trees.

This kibbutz has a dairy in the back of the photo, grows their own hay, and has solar panels as well.

The third photo is the tourist cabins. The Sea of Galilee is right behind these cabins, and they overlook it.

Tourists must eat. The old dining commons for the kibbutz is now the dining hall for kibbutz members or guests. It’s not a very good photo as the sun was near setting and very bright, but you get the idea.

The last photo shows a good example of this kibbutz branching out economically. They designed and manufactured the water relief valve you see in the last photo. It’s the black and red piece on top. They sell these all over the world. They produce the design, and manufacture and sell them.