Cooperation is Possible and Happening

Lessons from Kibbutz Tzuba, Israel

The Kibbutz Kefar Masaryk Heritage Site (2025)

We talk about cooperation often. Some of us even work full-time in the “cooperation space.” But when the conversation turns to our own neighborhoods, it can get awkward. Many people in modern, busy worlds (surrounded by TVs, laptops, and long commutes) barely know their neighbors, let alone work with them in a meaningful way. I’ve often heard, “Well, that kind of thing might work in Africa, but not here.” But then I stumbled into the amazing world of income pooling at Kibbutz Tzuba, and it pulled me back into a place we should remember, because despite and through so much trauma, cooperation has not only been possible, it has endured.

I remember the warmth in Israel as well as many communities bordering Jordan I visited - the way a neighbor’s hand seems always extended, the way stories carry weight at the dinner table. That care is grounded in hard‑learned wisdom and in institutions that turn generosity into durable practice. Since that time, I’ve tried to understand the kibbutz movement; recently a friend living in Kibbutz Tzuba shared their constitution. After translating it from Hebrew and studying it, the evolution of this stewardship structure (from ancient covenants to contemporary bylaws) comes into beautiful focus. Like many communities that endure, it has weathered tests, adapted, and iterated without letting go of its core: mutual responsibility.

Before I get into it, let's briefly review the Kibbutz Movement…

The History of the Kibbutz Movement

The first kibbutz, Degania, was founded in 1910 near the Sea of Galilee by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. These pioneers, inspired by socialist ideals and agrarian Zionism, sought to create a model of communal living that balanced shared property, collective labor, and mutual aid. Over the decades, the movement expanded, absorbing influences from anarchist theory, Marxist collectives, and religious communalism, but always with a Jewish ethical undertone.

Post-1948, kibbutzim became central to Israel’s agricultural and military development. Yet they were never purely utilitarian: they were also experiments in moral economy, testing how a society might root its survival in care, fairness, and shared dignity.

Today, there are roughly 270 active kibbutzim, home to over 120,000 people. Some kibbutzim operate as fully cooperative societies (pooling salaries and jointly owning land) while others have transitioned toward a looser model of community with some shared services and limited income pooling. Kibbutz Tzuba, nestled in the Judean Hills, stands out as one that has adapted its social and economic structure over time to remain a functioning cooperative, demonstrating how evolution and pragmatism have allowed such models to survive.

In a time of rising global inequality and ecological fragility, the kibbutz remains a quietly radical structure - one that invites us to consider how shared stewardship might still be possible.

Governance in Practice (Constitution as Living Infrastructure)

To understand the care and structure inside a kibbutz like Tzuba, we turn to the language of its constitution, a document that goes far beyond legalism. It is an operating system of care - articulating how trust, decision-making, mutual aid, and limits are practiced. These aren’t just policies; they are agreements in the tradition of brit- a covenantal architecture.

1. General Assembly as Highest Authority
   "האסיפה הכללית היא הסמכות העליונה בקיבוץ."
   "The General Assembly (the people) is the highest authority of the kibbutz."

This central structure reaffirms that all major decisions flow from the collective. Members gather regularly to deliberate and approve matters ranging from budgets to member acceptance. The constitution defines the Assembly not only as a forum but as the heart of legitimacy - echoing the ancient Jewish edah (congregation), where decisions arose from participatory dialogue.

2. Broad Ballot for Foundational Changes
   "הצבעות יתקיימו ככלל באסיפה, אך האסיפה רשאית להחליט על הצבעה קלפי רחבה בכל נושא."
   "Votes will generally be held in the Assembly, but the Assembly may decide on a broad ballot in any matter."
   "הנושאים הבאים יובאו לקלפי רחבה תמיד: קבלה ופסילה של חברים, שינוי באורחות חיים, פירוק הקיבוץ, שינוי בהחלטת קלפי קודמת, בחירת בעלי תפקידים מרכזיים."
   "The following topics must always go to a broad ballot: admission and expulsion of members, changes in way of life, dissolution of the kibbutz, changes to previous ballot decisions, election of central role-holders."

The constitution carves out deep democratic thresholds for foundational decisions. For instance, welcoming a new member is not a managerial process .. it’s a sacred one, invoking the community’s right to consent, its responsibility to care, and its need for alignment. This maintains a high-trust boundary around shared life.

3. Transparency with Privacy Option
   "אסיפות ישודרו בווידאו, למעט אם אחד מבעלי התפקידים המרכזיים מבקש דיון סגור שיתפרסם מראש."
   "Assemblies will be video-streamed unless one of the central role-holders requests a closed session published in advance."

This clause reflects a balance between open governance and dignified privacy. Transparency is the default, reinforcing accountability and shared memory—but there remains room for discretion and protection when the subject requires it.

4. Health Basket: Institutionalized Care
   "סל הבריאות כולל טיפולים רפואיים, תרופות, טיפול שיניים, עזרי שמיעה וראייה, טיפולים אלטרנטיביים, ציוד רפואי."
   "The health basket includes medical treatments, medications, dental care, hearing and vision aids, alternative treatments, and medical equipment."

This is more than a benefit list- it is a structured ethic of care. Health is not a privilege but a responsibility the community holds for each member. Notably, the inclusion of alternative therapies affirms a pluralistic respect for healing.

5. Role Definition, Term Limits, and Reviews
   The constitution defines numerous role-circles (e.g., Land, Education, Finance, Health), each with clearly stated mandates, term limits, and cycles of review. This avoids concentration of power while cultivating continuity and mentorship. Leadership is seen as rotational stewardship, not dominance.

6. Budgeting, Pooled Income, and Equity
   Every member is allocated a personal budget (not a salary) as a share in the commons based on needs, contributions, and life stage. The constitution details:

• Subsidies for childcare and education

• Supplements for elder care

• Equal access to housing and food

These budgets are drawn from a shared fund composed of both internal and external income. A central clause in the constitution affirms:
"כל הכנסת החבר, מעבודתו או מכל מקור אחר, תועבר לקיבוץ."
"All member income, from work or any other source, shall be transferred to the kibbutz."

Thus, even when members engage with the outside economy (earning national currency through external employment) those funds are pooled into the collective treasury. This ensures economic participation is structured to uphold equity, not individual accumulation - tailored to diverse situations, yet rooted in mutual worth.

This is a big deal. Pooling national currency income this way creates a huge multiplier effect for the community, making a lot of care possible.

7. Education as a Communal Mandate
   The kibbutz assumes responsibility for every child's education - including those born to residents or long-term guests. Education covers not just formal schooling but cultural formation, communal integration, and intergenerational transmission. A dedicated education committee and working groups steward these responsibilities, with regular consultation across life stages (nursery, elementary, teens, army age).
   "‏הקיבוץ אחראי לחינוך הילדים מרגע לידתם."
   "The kibbutz is responsible for children's education from the moment of their birth."
   

This clause reveals how Tzuba sees education as a duty of the commons - rooted in care, continuity, and trust in younger generations.

8. Work and Contribution
   Work expectations are flexible but binding. Each member is expected to contribute to the community's sustenance and governance, whether via physical labor, administrative roles, care work, or cultural practices. Importantly, the type of work is adapted to ability, age, and health.
   "‏חובת העבודה מותאמת ליכולות האישיות של החבר ולשלב החיים שבו הוא נמצא."
   "The work obligation is adjusted to each member’s personal abilities and life stage."

This codifies a principle of relational labor ethics - the value lies in presence and participation.

9. Elder Care and End of Life
   Tzuba details care obligations for aging members: housing adaptations, mobility assistance, and financial top-ups. Burial is communal and egalitarian, with a set ceremony template and no private plots.
   "‏חובת הקיבוץ היא לקיים ליווי ותמיכה רפואית, רגשית, וחברתית בשלב הזקנה."
   "The kibbutz’s duty is to provide medical, emotional, and social support in old age."
   

This section anchors the claim that kibbutz care truly extends from cradle to grave! …. a rare systemic ethic today.

10. Resident Members and Non-Members
    Tzuba distinguishes between full members, associate members, residents (e.g. adult children), and guests. These distinctions affect decision rights, budget allocations, and long-term access to housing and care. A formal onboarding and offboarding process governs transitions between statuses.

This legal clarity upholds boundary integrity while supporting inclusivity … offering pathways to belonging, but not diluting shared stewardship.

11. Appeals, Conflict, and Exceptions
    The constitution lays out procedures for appeal, review, and exception-making in cases of special hardship or disagreement. Appeals can be raised to the General Assembly and must be addressed within defined timelines.

Trust isn’t just enforced through rules - it is maintained through mechanisms of listening, redress, and adaptive care.

Torah and Talmud (Ancient Roots of Mutual Care)

The Tzuba Constitution (though modern in structure) draws deeply from ancient Jewish traditions of communal responsibility, covenantal living, and relational economics rooted in the Torah, Mishnah, and broader rabbinic thought. These ancient sources form the spiritual and ethical substrate of kibbutz life, including the communal orientation expressed in the Tzuba document.

1. Brit (Covenant): The Foundational Trust

• The Torah repeatedly emphasizes brit - a binding covenant not only between God and Israel, but among the people themselves (e.g., Deut. 29:9–14).

• In the kibbutz context, this translates into:

  • Shared agreements (rules) made in community, for the community.

  • A living memory of promises and mutual obligations, just like the commitment pool protocol.

Tzuba's ongoing assembly-based decision-making is a secularized continuation of brit theology.

2. Shmitta and Jubilee: Limits on Extraction

• The Shmitta year (Lev. 25:1–7) and Yovel (Jubilee, Lev. 25:8–55) laws mandate periodic release of land, forgiveness of debts, and rest for people and the land.

• These are radically anti-extractive policies designed to:

  • Prevent accumulation of wealth

  • Ensure long-term ecological and social balance

Tzuba’s constitution reflects this ethos through:

• No private land ownership

• Rotating roles

• Ecological stewardship rules

• Periodic review and updates to maintain balance

These are limitation and rebalancing protocols from ancient Israelite regenerative law.

3. Maaser and Tzedakah: Redistribution as a Norm

• Maaser (tithing) and tzedakah (righteous giving) are not voluntary - they are obligatory redistribution mechanisms in Jewish law.

• Resources must flow to support the poor, landless, widows, and strangers (Deut. 14:28–29).

Tzuba institutionalizes this through:

• Community budgeting

• Health, education, and housing subsidies

• Shared obligations across all members

The kibbutz model encodes tzedakah into its operating logic, removing the distinction between donor and recipient.

4. Arevut: Mutual Responsibility

"Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh" — “All of Israel are responsible for one another” (Talmud, Shevuot 39a)

This principle lies at the heart of Tzuba’s:

• Collective labor structure

• Shared risk and care (e.g. for elders, dependents, sick)

• Expectation that each member contributes to the whole

This is the spiritual core of a commitment pool. Every member is held in a web of care, and trust flows are tracked relationally.

5. Beit Din and Communal Deliberation

Jewish law evolved through deliberative assemblies -the Beit Din (house of judgment) and later communal councils. These were participatory systems with oral deliberation, rotating leadership, and ethical grounding.

Tzuba continues this:

• With rotating committees

• Open assembly votes

• Clear procedures for appeals and reevaluation

The governance culture of Tzuba mirrors the halakhic culture of peer-guided ethical navigation.

Mapping to Commitment Pooling Protocol

The Tzuba constitution reflects a polycentric governance model that organically utilizes the key functions of the Commitment Pooling Protocol (even if it doesn't always name them explicitly) this frame has been useful for me in identifying commoning mechanisms. Here's how the four core functions of Curation, Valuation, Limitation, and Exchange show up in practice:

1. Curation — What is welcomed into the commons

Tzuba curates commitments through:

• Consensus decision-making in General Assemblies: All new proposals (e.g. infrastructure, projects, residency) must go through transparent communal review.

• Role circles with mandates: Circles like Land, Finance, and Care act as stewards, curating ongoing needs and actions.

• Cultural and ecological alignment checks: Activities must align with regenerative, relational values (e.g. ecology, care, ancestral wisdom).

• Income pooling as economic curation: The kibbutz constitution states that all income earned by members—from employment or external sources—is transferred into the communal account.
  
  "כל הכנסת החבר, מעבודתו או מכל מקור אחר, תועבר לקיבוץ."
  "All member income, from work or any other source, shall be transferred to the kibbutz."
  

This means that financial inflows from the broader economy are curated just like labor and trust - scrutinized for alignment and contribution to collective well-being. This mechanism protects against fragmentation and privatization of economic power within the commons.

Just as in a commitment pool, only certain kinds of contributions (promises, labor, behavior, or income) are accepted - and they are curated for alignment with the shared vision.

2. Valuation — Recognizing what counts as meaningful contribution

Tzuba recognizes value through:

• Time-based labor sharing: Communal labor (kitchen, gardens, construction) is expected and respected.

• Cultural and care work: Storytelling, hosting, mediation, emotional labor, and ceremony are all treated as legitimate, valued contributions.

• Residency and stewardship agreements: Your presence must bring ongoing value to the commons.

• Budget allocation based on life stage and need: Rather than wages, members receive budgets based on situational needs, such as childcare, education, elder care, and health.

Importantly, national currency is used, but never as a signal of personal worth. Instead, it's metabolized through collective budgeting, where meaning is relational, not transactional. The kibbutz values presence, contribution, and trust over market productivity.

This is consistent with the protocol’s ethos: value is set by reciprocal usefulness and shared responsibility.

3. Limitation - Protecting commons and setting boundaries

Tzuba enforces limitation by:

• Avoiding exploitative behavior: While Tzuba may rent shared spaces (e.g. for offices or events), such decisions are made collectively and in service of the commons (not for speculative gain). Land use remains stewarded through communal oversight rather than private accumulation.

• Requiring consent for all land-use or construction changes.

• Maintaining role boundaries: Circles have defined scopes; no one person or group can dominate.

• Enforcing ecological limits: Any activity must support regeneration (not depletion) of land and community.

• Pooling income under collective control: Individual accumulation is constrained by requiring all earnings to be shared—placing a ceiling on wealth extraction from the commons.

These structures work like credit limits in a commitment pool—preserving trust and ecological capacity, while ensuring no single node overwhelms the system.

4. Exchange - Swapping contributions and fulfilling needs

Exchange at Tzuba happens via:

• Rotational labor and task allocation: People regularly shift roles and share responsibilities.

• Informal value flows: Skills, time, tools, and space are shared based on need, trust, and relational reciprocity.

• Community initiatives: When resources are pooled (e.g. for infrastructure or events), they are redistributed based on consensus budgeting.

• Shared use of pooled currency: National currency is used externally but spent internally based on communal decisions—flowing through caregiving, construction, health, and education.

The protocol’s notion of “swap” as a trust flow is visible here. No one “buys” from the pool – they contribute, and draw according to shared rhythm and need.

In this sense, money is not excluded - but it is re-socialized. It becomes a shared instrument, not a private claim.

Everyday Life

Imagine a young couple applying to join the kibbutz. Their application is reviewed by a committee, and if accepted as candidates, they enter a two-year trial period without voting rights. This mutual probation gives both the individual and the community time to build trust. Only after this period does the General Assembly vote on full membership. If confirmed, they then receive personal budgets, childcare stipends, and access to the health basket. Their contributions (be it teaching, agriculture, or tech) are matched not by wage competition, but by trust and community need.

Or consider an elder needing surgery in Jerusalem. Their travel and recovery are organized with help from peers and covered in the budget. Post-op care may include both standard and alternative therapies—recognized and supported.

These are not utopias -they are rituals of care embedded in policy.

The arch of Tzuba still stands in the Judean Hills.

Tzuba as a Living Promise

There is a tension often felt in liberal societies: Should intentional communities have the right to choose who joins them? Is cultural alignment a valid criterion, or a form of exclusion? Does land stewardship give communities moral claim over access, or should land decisions always fall under state authority? These questions remain open … and perhaps they should. For communities like Tzuba, the answer lies in dialogue, consent, and a living covenant between people and place.

In a region often wounded by division, the kibbutz remains a promise: that shared commitment can outlast ideology and hatred, and that a community can live out care from cradle to grave.

From the Torah’s vision of field corners left for others to farm, to Tzuba’s clear guidelines for pooled incomes, health, work, and mourning, the beauty is not just in intention, but in structure.

Kibbutzim offer a glimpse of a world where responsibility is woven and prosperity emerges from tending, not taking.

…. perhaps that is the quiet invitation: to stop assuming cooperation belongs somewhere else or to someone else, and to begin weaving it (right where we are) with the people we already live among.

Across Kenya, Bali, Oaxaca, and Appalachia, this same seed logic lives in ayllu, waqf, mweria, and sacred commons. It is a new and very old normal. The Kibbutz doesn’t stand alone, it sings in a chorus of care structures worldwide and gives me hope.