Hi. I'm answering stepfordtart's question here, because I assume she is not the only one wondering.

A moshav is a communal community - yeah, okay, I can't seem to come up with better words - somewhat like a kibbutz. The ideology is similar, that all work on moshav land for the good of the moshav, and decisions are made communally regarding the use of land and resources, and dealing with difficulties. The difference from a kibbutz is that each family has it's own house (instead of dormitories, and a children's house). The children live with the parents, and while there may be a communal kitchen, all the houses have a fully functioning kitchen.

These days, there is little difference between many kibbutzim (which are no longer truly kibbutzim) and moshavim. And far too many of both kibbutzim and moshavim have run into financial difficulties, been unable to sustain the community (all the kids moving out, unable to attract new people), or have just lost the will to stay as they were planned. So many, probably most, of the communities which call themselves 'kibbutz' or 'moshav' simply aren't any longer. They are loosely connected communities of individual families, most of whom work in 'regular' jobs off of the kibbutz or moshav, and the agricultural land has been sold or leased for apartments or rental homes.

The moshav we went to visit (and that I really believe today may well turn out to be our place), is still a 'real' moshav. A functioning agricultural community with commonly owned agricultural land that is worked in many cases by moshav residents.

Sorry if this is too much of an explanation for a simple question. I'm like that.

:: Yesterdays : Tomorrows ::

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