The Ravenna Kibbutz

The following is from Leyna's latest post on Jew-ish.com. We love you back, Leyna!

While putting together “Ten Jewish Places to See Before You Die,” I asked for input from a couple of folks, including Jew-ish.com blogger and Ravenna Kibbutz co-founder Joel Rothschild. Joel provided me with an extensive list of Jewy places around the world, complete with links and descriptions of each, some of which I probably never would have run across on my own. At the end of Joel’s list, he added:

And, to pay me back for writing this up for you: The Ravenna Kibbutz! Where we’re looking at adding a third house as soon as we can find one. :)

Well…as neat as the Ravenna Kibbutz is, I can’t in good conscience list it as one of the great Jewish wonders of the world. Sorry, Joel.

But what I can do is use a little blog space to talk why the Kibbutz definitely is one of the great Jewish wonders of Seattle.

When I was first hired as the assistant editor for JTNews and the managing editor for Jew-ish.com in the fall of 2007, I was totally disconnected from the Seattle Jewish community. In fact, aside from myself and one other friend, I was not even aware that there were Jews in Seattle. I’m an agnostic and not really what you’d call a joiner, so organized religion hasn’t held much interest for me since, oh, I’d say around the time of my Bat Mitzvah. When I took the job, I was excited to learn more about Judaism, both locally and elsewhere, but I didn’t really foresee myself becoming involved in the community on a personal level.

By in large, my initial prediction has remained true. Not because there is a lack of great stuff going on for young Jews in this town…in fact, there’s more than I ever could have imagined, especially in light of the relatively small population to which these organizations cater. But, like I said, I’m just not one for team sports, if you get my drift.

With one exception. A couple of times a month, I can be found at the Ravenna Kibbutz Commons. (Not familiar with the details of the Kibbutz? You can read about it here). They first sucked me in with their monthly “Coffeehouse” gatherings – open mic nights where residents and guests play music, read short stories, perform one-act plays, etc. I went once and read some fiction. Everyone laughed at the appropriate places and some even offered kind and constructive comments afterwards. I was hooked. I also dig on Israeli movie nights, off-campus field trips for random sports (bowling, ice skating, etc.) and the occasional holiday bash.

I suppose what keeps me coming back to the Kibbutz is that, instead of feeling like an intentional club for young Jews, it just feels like a house (two now, soon three?) full of people I’m friends with who do cool stuff. This is a little ironic since, if you ask the Kibbutzniks to define their organization, the phrase “intentional community” will be the first across their lips. All the more impressive that the whole thing comes off as such a casual conglomerate. Also, the continued support and enthusiasm that Jew-ish.com has received from the kibbutzniks doesn’t hurt. Three out of our seven current bloggers are kibbutz affiliates.

And I’m not alone in my affections for the place. In the year and half that the Kibbutz has been around, it has acquired an impressive following. Their facebook group boasts almost 170 members and there is a lot of overlap with other organizations. Kibbutz fans literally cross all lines of young Seattle Jewry, from those who are really more Buddhist than Jew to Beth Shalom members to those who have to sleep on the couches if they come for Shabbat dinner because they can’t drive home after sun down. If you don’t know how amazing that is, I’m going to tell you: It’s really amazing.

What brings so many different people from so many different walks of Jewish life? I’m sure one of the Kibbutzniks themselves could offer a more complete sociological theory on the subject, but I’ll suggest two things:

1) The genuine likeability of the Kibbutzniks as people. They’re just really nice folks, but not in a phony “so glad you’re here” way. They are honest and a little goofy and as a result, easy to be around. Re: the feeling of hanging out with friends rather than attending a structured Jewish activity.

2) The lack of a clear religious agenda. The Kibbutz is not tied to a synagogue in any way and, as a result, there is no need for its guests to feel slotted into a particular kind of Judaism. Of course, there is a religious component to the Kibbutz for those who seek it out, but no one cares that, when Friday night rolls around, I’m not at the Shabbat table for dinner. I appreciate that and I assume others must as well.