Kibbutz Resident Application
If you haven't read What is the Ravenna Kibbutz?, please do that first. Glancing over the Moving to the Kibbutz page isn't a bad idea either.
Because our goal is to balance many factors for the best overall configuration, we strongly encourage you to apply for every room and programming contribution level that would work for you. The greater your flexibility, the better your chances of being placed, and the better the community's chances of finding a good balance that we'll all love living with. Bear in mind that opportunity periodically arises to change rooms once you are a resident.
Rent and Discounts. The Ravenna Kibbutz is a co-op, collecting monthly dues from every resident. These dues cover the rental of the Commons facilities we all share, plus the collective's assorted other costs of keeping it all running smoothly. (Mainly, dues cover facilities rent.)
There are two kinds of Kibbutz house: Commons house and community house. A Commons house is a house that, in addition to private rooms, includes Commons facilities that are shared equally by the whole Kibbutz community. A community house is entirely the private domain of its residents, though community-house kibbutzniks are all encouraged to open their living and dining rooms to fellow kibbutzniks and to host public events as often as they like -- and they all do!
Because the Commons house residents' living and dining rooms are part of the shared Commons, the Kibbutz gives those residents the opportunity for monthly dues discounts, in exchange for hosting events or undertaking special community-improvement initiatives. These discounts are known as program grants, and they make the total cost of a room in a Commons house variable from month to month, according to the number of program grants a resident opts to take on. A House Aleph/Beit Kayam resident can save as much as $70/month by electing to host programs; and a House Gimel resident can save as much as $140.
There are several rooms with extra space and amenities, appropriate for couples (who receive priority consideration for these rooms) or for singles wanting a lot of personal space or a personal bathroom or kitchen. Of course, these units are priced higher accordingly.
Beit Kayam/Sustainability House. House Aleph is now a living laboratory for sustainable living practices and eco-Judaism. The four residents work together on projects to make their lives in the house more sustainable. They also offer community education and resources about sustainability, and intersections of sustainability and Jewish/Jew-ish culture, to the community. The beit kayam/House Aleph's outdoor spaces, including the gardens and fire pit, are part of the Commons.
Moishe House. Moishe House is no longer affiliated with the Ravenna Kibbutz, but we still share many goals and qualities in common. If you like Moishe House, you'll probably like the Ravenna Kibbutz!
Utilities and Lease. All utilities combined -- water, sewer, garbage, recycling, gas, electricity, and internet -- average out to about $120 per resident per month, and are higher in the winter and lower in the summer. Each resident's name will individually be on the lease signed with the owner of that resident's house. Community house residents are accountable to their landlords for on-time payment of rent. Commons house residents are accountable to the Kibbutz's bookkeeper.
Is there a "quiet house?" Each house has a distinct character according to the group living there. The residential community sets policies for use of the Commons, including quiet hours and cleanliness standards. Community houses are self-governing and set their own standards. Talk to the residents of a house to get a sense for what it's like, and bear this in mind: All kinds of activities take place in the Commons, including public events and informal hanging out; but there is always some place quiet on the Kibbutz as well, because it's not only one house!
If you have any questions that aren't answered here, please email us (address at the very bottom of this page) and we'll get back to you right away.
And now, the application!
