Values and Beliefs

Kibbutz Yizre'el belongs to the communal stream of the Kibbutz Movement. In a public opinion poll held in the year 2004, over 80% of Kibbutz Yizre'el members rejected the idea of converting to a differential salary system, and preferred to uphold the principles of equality, cooperation and mutual assistance which characterize the traditional kibbutz.

Kibbutz Yizre'el has always been a liberal kibbutz and has shown an independent spirit regarding developments and changes in our life-style. When the kibbutz members felt the need to be flexible, the General Meeting reflected this attitude. Never-the-less we have not blindly followed the fashion of total privatization that took over the kibbutz movement during the 1990s.

Kibbutz Yizre'el does not rest upon its laurels but attempts to adjust its life-style according to its needs and to the changing environment, while relating to the members' desires, and adhering to an accountable democratic process.

In the process of forming a corporation, we separated the businesses from the community for more efficient management, in order to protect the community.

A professional auditor who is not a kibbutz member reviews the financial and managerial procedures and reports his findings to the General Meeting.

The businesses are overseen by a number of Boards of Directors. A majority of the members of the board are professional people who are not members of Kibbutz Yizre'el.

Approximately 20% of the kibbutz members work in their professions outside the kibbutz and their salaries go directly into the kibbutz.

*      Shares from our factory, Maytronics have been floated on the TASE, Tel Aviv stock market.

*      We have invested in a pension fund for each one of the kibbutz members, in order to ensure his or her future.

*      Kibbutz members are permitted to own private cars.

On the other hand:

The communal dining room has not been privatized. We serve three meals a day, seven days a week. The dining room is bustling with activity, particularly on Friday nights, Shabbat meals and on the festivals.

1.      The kibbutz members participate in a roster duty system where-by they serve each other.

2.      Our kibbutz members and their families celebrate the Jewish festivals together in community events.

3.      The fields of health, education, culture and housing have not been privatized at all.

4.      In order to ensure demographic growth, we have begun a perennial campaign to encourage an intake of new potential members.

5.      Mutual assistance has remained the pivotal point of our society.

We believe that the above steps will guarantee our continual existence and will ensure our future.