Ravenna Kibbutz
Encyclopedia
The Ravenna Kibbutz
is a nondenominational Jewish intentional community
located in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle. Its three rented houses and one apartment are home to 15 resident-organizers, who plan public programs such as Shabbat
dinners and Jewish movie nights. In-house events are always free, though occasionally a donation jar is made available for those who wish to contribute. The Kibbutz's ideology isn't communistic; it's not a true commune
but simply an example of cohousing
. The Pacific Northwest
contains many cohousing communities and a wide variety of Jewish organizations, but thus far the region has no other Jewish cohousing community.
House Aleph
, the original Kibbutz house, is supported in part by the Moishe House
program, which offers financial and other resources to young Jews interested in hosting a certain number of public events per month. Houses Bet
and Gimel are unaffiliated with Moishe House and play host to events like a monthly open-mic nights, film screenings, yoga
classes, storytelling events, meditation
sessions, and more.
Resident-organizers range from secular to Modern Orthodox in their religious views and vary also in their Jewish practices. Several keep kosher, while others do not, and only some are shomer Shabbat
. Nonetheless, all Kibbutz households maintain kosher (dairy) dishes, silverware, and other kitchen implements in addition to treyf plates and utensils that may be used to prepare non-kosher food.
(OSCA) at Oberlin College
. Current resident-organizer Neal Schindler also attended Oberlin and was in OSCA.
The Kibbutz acquired its second house, nicknamed Bet, in January 2009; a third house, Gimel, was added in June 2009, expanding the number of resident-organizers to 16. These include Sergey Feldman, Shaul Goldberg, Dane Kuttler, Carrie Turner, Asya Vaisman, Sebastian Schulman, Zara Friedman, Rachel Stampfer, Jim Thorson, Steven Blum, Deborah Siegel, and Ilana Mantell, an employee of Kavana Cooperative
. In September 2009, the Kibbutz annexed the basement of Bet to add two residents (Turner and Vaisman); two more resident-organizers (Stampfer and her partner) moved into an apartment across the street.
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
is a nondenominational Jewish intentional community
Intentional community
An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to have a much higher degree of teamwork than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, or spiritual vision and often follow an alternative lifestyle. They...
located in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle. Its three rented houses and one apartment are home to 15 resident-organizers, who plan public programs such as Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
dinners and Jewish movie nights. In-house events are always free, though occasionally a donation jar is made available for those who wish to contribute. The Kibbutz's ideology isn't communistic; it's not a true commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
but simply an example of cohousing
Cohousing
A cohousing community is a type of intentional community composed of private homes supplemented by shared facilities. The community is planned, owned and managed by the residents – who also share activities which may include cooking, dining, child care, gardening, and governance of the...
. The Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
contains many cohousing communities and a wide variety of Jewish organizations, but thus far the region has no other Jewish cohousing community.
House Aleph
Aleph
* Aleph or Alef is the first letter of the Semitic abjads descended from Proto-Canaanite, Arabic alphabet, Phoenician alphabet, Hebrew alphabet, Syriac alphabet-People:*Aleph , an Italo disco artist and alias of Dave Rodgers...
, the original Kibbutz house, is supported in part by the Moishe House
Moishe House
Moishe House is a collection of homes throughout the world that serve as hubs for the young adult Jewish community...
program, which offers financial and other resources to young Jews interested in hosting a certain number of public events per month. Houses Bet
Bet (letter)
Bet, Beth, Beh, or Vet is the second letter of many Semitic abjads, including Arabic alphabet , Aramaic, Hebrew , Phoenician and Syriac...
and Gimel are unaffiliated with Moishe House and play host to events like a monthly open-mic nights, film screenings, yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
classes, storytelling events, meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
sessions, and more.
Resident-organizers range from secular to Modern Orthodox in their religious views and vary also in their Jewish practices. Several keep kosher, while others do not, and only some are shomer Shabbat
Shomer Shabbat
A shomer Shabbat or shomer Shabbos is a person who observes the mitzvot associated with Judaism's Shabbat...
. Nonetheless, all Kibbutz households maintain kosher (dairy) dishes, silverware, and other kitchen implements in addition to treyf plates and utensils that may be used to prepare non-kosher food.
History
The Kibbutz was founded in the fall of 2007 by Joel Rothschild, Masha Shtern, and Tamar Libicki; Azura Newman and Lincoln Rose were also original members. The community's first official event was a potluck dinner in October of that year. In founding the Kibbutz, Rothschild hoped to recreate aspects of his positive experience as a member of Kosher Co-op, part of the Oberlin Student Cooperative AssociationOberlin Student Cooperative Association
The Oberlin Student Cooperative Association is a $2.6 million dollar non-profit corporation that feeds 640 and houses 174 Oberlin College students. It is located in the town of Oberlin, Ohio, and is independent from but closely tied to Oberlin College. OSCA is the second-largest student...
(OSCA) at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
. Current resident-organizer Neal Schindler also attended Oberlin and was in OSCA.
The Kibbutz acquired its second house, nicknamed Bet, in January 2009; a third house, Gimel, was added in June 2009, expanding the number of resident-organizers to 16. These include Sergey Feldman, Shaul Goldberg, Dane Kuttler, Carrie Turner, Asya Vaisman, Sebastian Schulman, Zara Friedman, Rachel Stampfer, Jim Thorson, Steven Blum, Deborah Siegel, and Ilana Mantell, an employee of Kavana Cooperative
Kavana Cooperative
The Kavana Cooperative is an independent Jewish community in Seattle, Washington, formed in 2006.Kavana is pluralistic and nondenominational, welcoming people from a diverse range of backgrounds. It is based on a cooperative model, where partners and participants take on the responsibility for...
. In September 2009, the Kibbutz annexed the basement of Bet to add two residents (Turner and Vaisman); two more resident-organizers (Stampfer and her partner) moved into an apartment across the street.
Media coverage
- "Urban Kibbutz Puts Down Roots," The Jewish Daily Forward, June 24, 2009
- "Ravenna Kibbutz a magnet for Jewish newcomers," The Seattle Times, June 20, 2009
- "Communes for the win," Ravenna Nation, May 5, 2009
- "Nice words for the Ravenna Kibbutz," Jew-ish.com, Feb. 24, 2009
- "The little kibbutz that could," Jew-ish.com
Online presence
See also
- Ravenna
- KibbutzKibbutzA kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
- Kavana CooperativeKavana CooperativeThe Kavana Cooperative is an independent Jewish community in Seattle, Washington, formed in 2006.Kavana is pluralistic and nondenominational, welcoming people from a diverse range of backgrounds. It is based on a cooperative model, where partners and participants take on the responsibility for...
- Cooperatives