The Community and Products
Final Project
Writing and Rhetoric
Josh Lester
The KIBBUTZIM
Solution
TO WHOM IT IS CONCERNED…
December 15, 2008
To: The Kibbutzim Industries Association and The Kibbutzim Research Institute –Hafia
Dear Kibbutzim Stakeholders,
I have decided to address the debate of the introduction and installation of capitalism in the Kibbutzim method. The following entails my Kibbutz research and my projective solution to the escalating debate on what the values and future of the Kibbutzim will be. My research covers the communal, integrated and socialist method that made the Kibbutzim so intrinsically unique. In order to better judge the efficiency of communal living I have analyzed the residential point of view and the hierarchy of professions. For the research on integration I also used the resident’s point of view and the support system Kibbutzim provides. Finally I have examined several socialist and capitalist ideals in order to judge how capitalism can properly benefit the Kibbutzim community.
I have used my research to design, create and propose my own Kibbutz. I have picked a product for my Kibbutz to sell and manage and I have created an integration method, to help the development of my community. Furthermore I will design the literal look and architecture of the housing, agriculture and crafts work facilities. This design will elaborate the relationship of socialist ideals that have been changed with the international prominence of capitalism and will provide a reasonable solution with support from historical Kibbutzim statistics.
For proposal purposes, the following proposal will have the mindset that this Kibbutz already exists and is successful. This of course begs the idea that my proposal would be successful, but it will emphasize the potential of Kibbutzim. The Kibbutz will not be in Israel but in Boulder County, Colorado again to exemplify socialism in a capitalism environment. This is a fabricated business and community.
The Shapiro Kibbutz
Marketing Plan, Communal Technique and Structure Design
In order for our Kibbutzim community to thrive we must strive for perfection. The Shapiro Kibbutz organization involves the production of musical instruments, a music school and tutoring and entertainment by our own professional orchestras. We specialize in everything musical including research and musical philosophy.
Table of Contents
A Social Structure 1
Socialism and Capitalism 8
Communal Living 10
Integration and Support 11-12
The Community and products 2
Musicology 13
Instruments 13-14
Orchestras 14-15
Living Conditions and Professions 15
The Shapiro Kibbutz 17
statistics 3
Profit and Gain 18
Residents Population 20
A Social Structure
The Kibbutzim Problem: The Kibbutzim started as doctrinaire and system of communes of farmers and soldiers who wanted to save their country through hard work. Through unconformity, they based the economy on a principle of share and share alike. The mid 1980s had the Kibbutzim becoming wasteful and inefficient, reforms took place to regain the former profits of the Kibbutzim. (Kerfner 2008) The Kibbutzim’s most discussed problem is the increase of capitalism into this supposed socialist set of communities. People look to these communes for support, and its perceived that an increase of capitalism will change the priorities and fabric of the Kibbutzim.
Socialism and Capitalism
Socialism:
Kibbutzim were never ideally a completely socialist community. It was a tool in order to help rescue the sliding economic state if Israel. (Gilman 2008) Furthermore, if the Kibbutzim was originally a completely socialist ideal, the major contributor to their change in ideals comes from their transition from agriculture production to heavy industry, boutiques, amusement parks and guest housing. Kibbutzim have become capitalist in many respects, but with the addition of different salaries the ideals of Kibbutzim have changed, but not entirely for the worst. (Kerfner 2008)
Socialism and Capitalism are two political paradigms to govern a certain population and body of land. Socialism, one of the founding ideals in the Kibbutzim method is a sharing wealth between the entire community and the community works together for a singular purpose, personal happiness is community happiness and vice versa; the Socialist ideal that will be within our Kibbutz in our pay roles. We are a musical production and education Kibbutz. All instrumental production workers receive the same exact overtime salaries, however, education professionals receive more because of their involved jobs. Also, salaries are not received unless a resident works overtime, a resident works for his living facility and other provided factors such as a vehicle, food, entertainment/recreation and all living necessities. We have instilled Socialism into the business factor of our Kibbutz. The residents sign a yearly contract that allows them to work and live within the community, and this contract is revocable by both the resident and Shapiro Kibbutz, however, if the resident wished to come back to community his contract would have to be re-reviewed and approved.
Capitalism:
Capitalism has been integrated into the Kibbutz, because of the ever-competitive market and in order to supply those who put more craftwork and professionalism into their work are rewarded with more by the Kibbutz. The musical instrument designers have larger living housing and as well as personal vehicles for transportation rather than the free buss transportation. Our biggest capitalist factor is how you can advance through the Kibbutzim. If a resident feels he can perform in any of the orchestras he is welcome to attend our music school. Furthermore, a resident is completely allowed to attend school outside the Kibbutz; in order to help residents with schooling programs we allow overtime and as well as loans with no interest. A resident to receive a diploma and advance him or herself in the community will receive the necessary accommodations. Residents who works hard are rewarded which has become our biggest “capitalist” factor, a ideal that heightens the productivity and efficiency of our community.
Communal Living, Integration and Support
Communal Living:
Those who have lived within the Kibbutz have not considered themselves socialist groups; the socialist ideals are not forced upon citizens of Israel. The Kibbutz is widely considered a method of stabilizing the less fortunate. At Kibbutz Ein Gedi, a Kibbutz in gardening production that over looks the Dead Sea, Yonki Ayalon, 72, says that she believes those are raised or have began to live in Kibbutz are a “little bit better” than those living on the outside. Her daughter, Meirav, 44, shrugs that off, saying, "Mother, we're no better and no worse than anybody else.” Often enough, residents of kibbutz judge themselves as better than those living outside the Kibbutzim. (Kerfner 2008)
Living within a Kibbutz is much different experience than that of regular neighborhood or gated community. Our community is much more secluded because staying within the community is easy with all the living, education and recreation facilities. Communal living such as this means you are much more obligated to your neighbor. All resident are asked to complete one hundred hours of community service in the Kibbutz a year but they are not forced too.
All residents must follow particular rules within the Kibbutz. Including a 12am curfew on weekdays and a 3am curfew on weekend nights. Any violence, arson or graffiti is absolutely not tolerated and depending on the severity of the violation can result in eviction from the Kibbutz. We tolerate when a resident is sickly or ill and unable to work, however, a lack in hours, quality of work or any amount of complaints can and will result in fines, confiscation of buss pass or eviction from the Kibbutz. Of course, all these violations would be put under review and only a continuous set of violations will result in a harsher punishment.
Integration:
Kibbutzim try to inform potential residents the ideal of freedom is very much instilled in the Kibbutz. Often enough, people get the feeling of communism or serving a jail sentence when thrown into some circumstances in the Kibbutz. Residents just starting off are usually put in small rooms and are given a controlled and fixed salary; most rooms are small and are identical to many others in the community. However, the Kibbutz promotes that you are just starting a new life and that it takes a while to come accustomed too. They also, promote specialized jobs to earn differentiated salaries.
(Mansfeild 2006.)
Of course living in these new conditions and these rules and regulations is a lot for a newcomer to deal with, this is why we have several steps to integrating into the Kibbutz. When integrating, a resident first must apply for his or her job within the Kibbutz and once approved he or she will be shown his or her living area. We give the resident two to three weeks in order get used to the area and housing. Also residents have weekly meetings in which the resident is introduced to his new neighbors. As well having them complete at least 20 hours of community service with other volunteers. Once the resident begins to work and carry out his or her duties we begin to have monthly check ups on their condition and well being up to a year unless the resident asks for more monthly check ups due to any ailments. Any problems with the integration in the Kibbutz, we ask the resident to please report in order for us to help.
Support:
The Kibbutz provides a strong religious and mental backdrop and strengthening system for its residents. The synagogues within the Kibbutz provide automatic companionship and a variety of advisors. The community style living usually creates unsatisfied but passionate and caring individuals; aspiring to help within the commune. (Rosner 2006)
Support comes in two different fashions. The first is our religious support; our Kibbutz is a conservative and reconstructionist Jewish organization. Our synagogue’s provide religious and personal council to all residents. Residents are not obligated to attend any religious ceremonies but we encourage them to do so and remind them they are always allowed despite their religious practices. Our other support system is having three psychiatrists who live in the community and assess, for free, any and all problems of the residents. We do not signify any mental problems as qualifications for evictions.
The Community and Products
The Kibbutzim Solution: The Kibbutzim solution is an ultimatum, integrate capitalism or let your community fail. In order to see a solution we have to observe history and the history of the Kibbutzim is all one we would need. Kibbutzim was primarily accepted and worked because its run like business and people are not forced to take part. Socialism usually does not succeed on a large scale, but usually does succeed on a smaller scale. Kibbutzim needs to advertise and propose such as this to show people that they can prosper in this system and that hard work is rewarded. Capitalism always works on a large scale because it allows people and in this case communities to stretch their financial branches further. The Kibbutzim has to integrate some capitalism into their system but keep it predominantly socialist, but have the community work as a capitalist organization in the larger market.
Musicology, Instruments and Orchestras
Musicology:
The Shapiro Kibbutz be a strong advocate of music and the education of musical learning. We have been perfecting our music curriculum. We have three fields to this curriculum; we have the historical context field which itself in the narrow context is taught through its evolution in Western Society and we have a broad context that includes all the manifestations of music in all cultures. In our historical context field we also include the intermediate sense, which includes all relevant humanities and range of musical forms, styles, genres and traditions.
We have a school of musical philosophy that studies the fundamental questions with music. The main area involves the metaphysics and aesthetics through development in hundreds of countries. The last field is the instrumental teaching of music. Our teachers and tutors have an involved relationship with their students and strive to teach the raw fundamentals in order for our students to be able to pick up any instrument and have a sense of how it works. We have a strong structure to our system that uses both schooling and production that allows for both profit gain and a respect and credibility among constituents.
Instruments:
We produce a variety of instruments; however, we specialize in two specific areas. We specialize in the creation of high quality guitars and brass wind instruments. We also have explored the creation of bell instruments.
Our guitar production involves the work of our craftsmen residents. Our four main guitar designers have their own specialized art rooms. They are constantly working on different versions and designs of guitars. Our guitar construction takes place on our production level; however, because guitar has our biggest retail productions, those residents constructing them live just about 500 feet away in apartment housing. Not confined to a factory line, each resident constructs the designed guitars in his or her working areas; also good portion of the workers attend our Music Education programs.
Our brass wind instruments are a much less hands on production. We use molds and casts to produce the parts and individual worker-residents place all the parts together. However, this does not affect our quality instrumental works as each molded piece is examined to make sure the product has absolutely no faults. We take pride in our production and now sell our instruments all over the world and throughout the United States.
Orchestras:
We have four different orchestras that perform in several different cities in the United States and around the world. We have a student orchestra that performs in halls, synagogues and competitions and have won numerous awards. Our student orchestras include a generalized orchestra with over 30 different instruments, a guitar orchestra accompanied by drums that performs classical rock and Gas and we have a experimental orchestra that consists over 20 different bells. They play primarily during the High Holidays and general holiday season. While many are student residents we also have high school students that use our facilities to be tutored.