Ravenna Kibbutz in the NICA Fall Gathering Report
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The following excerpts from NICA's Fall Gathering Report for Fall 2009 summarize Neal's presentation of the Ravenna Kibbutz to the Northwest Intentional Communities Association:
Community Report: Ravenna Kibbutz
- Now have 3 houses and an apartment with 15 resident organizers
- Structure of community includes residential component and open meetings/programs
- Each house maintains a garden and hope to have chickens
- Article in Seattle Times real estate section in June (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2009361430_ravennakibbu...)
- 300 members in FaceBook group
- Wide range of ages, from 18 to 37, as well as level of formal and informal religious observation
Panel Presentation: Ravenna Kibbutz
- Try to genuinely value the views of every person
- Common commitment to Jewish identity
- Diversity in ages despite relatively small community
- Various levels of religious observance
- Several languages, including Russian, Urdu
- Friday night Shabbat as central community event, mixing formal and informal rituals
- Participation in faith communities, art, music
- “Thank God and the unions for the weekends”
- Celebrating and creating traditions with a sense of daily gratitude as “co-homemakers”
- Experience of cooking with others as part of celebrations, that also may include live music, folk dancing, singing
