Approaching its centennial year, the Israeli kibbutz movement – despite crises and changes - is still the largest communitarian movement in the world today. The first kibbutz was founded in 1910; today there are 279 kibbutzim numbering about 115,600 souls, close to 2% of the population. In no other country is there such a high percentage of commune dwellers. Most kibbutzim are rural, multi-generational, at least 50 years old, and range in size between 150 and 600 souls. The largest kibbutz has a total population of 1200.

Unlike communes elsewhere, the kibbutzim have always been an integral part of the country. Members contribute significantly in almost all spheres of life: culture, agriculture, industry, sport, education, defense, immigrant absorption, politics, social work, environment, etc. etc.. Though less influential than in the past, 3 kibbutzniks sit in the 120-member Israeli parliament and one of them, a woman, is a deputy-minister.

Each kibbutz is a socially and economically autonomous unit. However, there are some bonds of cooperation and mutual help between them, both regionally and in the form of two national movements. These coordinate certain activities of their member kibbutzim and provide them with some economic, social, cultural, and other services.

The great majority of kibbutzim belong to Hatnua Hakibbutzit (The Kibbutz Movement, KM), the remaining 16 forming Hakibbutz Hadati (The Religious Kibbutz Movement). The KM was formed in 2000 by the union of the Takam and Hakibbutz Ha-artzi movements. The amalgamation process is still not complete. The KM is pluralistic, including kibbutzim of different organizational setups and various ideological stands. A few kibbutzim can be characterized as religious (from ultra-orthodox to reform), spiritualistic, anarchist, educational or ecological. All are more or less politically leftwing.

Originally, each kibbutz was based on a common purse, with nearly no private property. It was perhaps the most complete example of the maxim, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need". In the classic kibbutz, economic operations are communally owned and run, making it a complete example of worker ownership and management. Work is an important part of the kibbutz way of life and is regarded as a vital means of personal involvement in the life of the community. Most of the older people choose to work a few hours a day. Teamwork is stressed in an atmosphere of informality. Advances in higher educational and professional training have encouraged more members to find satisfying work outside the kibbutz.

Almost all kibbutzim combine both agriculture and industry. The latter provides almost two-thirds of the total kibbutz production and nearly 8% of the country's industrial income. The water-saving kibbutz invention of drip irrigation has been a worldwide boon. Some 15% of the kibbutz adult population still works in agriculture and kibbutzim provide some 35% of the gross added value of Israel's agricultural output.

Over the years, a redistribution of resources, with more money allocated to personal budgets, has taken place in most kibbutzim in order to allow for greater individual choice. Although most needed services are provided by the kibbutz, family life has become increasingly more central. Thus, in recent years, a process of privatization has taken place to varying degrees in most kibbutzim.

Being part and parcel of Israeli society, it should be no surprise that the egoistic, anti-ideological materialism now current in the country has taken its toll on the kibbutzim. Serious economic and demographic problems, the lack of clear objectives and other factors have created in many kibbutzim a lack of confidence in the future of the classic kibbutz way of life. (For analyses of this crisis, see the accompanying websites.) The result is a strong move in the direction of less communal living. In many kibbutzim, the changes now exemplify "From each according to his ability, to each according to his contribution".

Since "kibbutz" is a legal entity in Israel, such major changes require official confirmation. The still-to-be-finalized legal status defines 2 kinds of kibbutzim:

- "Communal Kibbutzim" (Kibbutzim shitufi'im) - in which only minimal changes have been made from the original principles.

- "New-style/Changing Kibbutzim" (Kibbutzim mitchadshim) - in which considerable changes are being/have been made.

Each kibbutz will have to decide to which category it belongs. If a community no longer takes mutual responsibility for its weaker members, it will cease to be a kibbutz. Thus, even the "New-style Kibbutzim" will be at least as economically communal as most intentional communities around the world.

At present, some 30 kibbutzim are organized in the Zerem Shitufi (Communal Stream), opposed to major changes in kibbutz lifestyle, and some 100 belong to the less defined Ma'agal Shitufi (Communal Circle).

The kibbutz has always invested much in education, both in manpower and in finance. Almost all kibbutzim maintain their own children's houses and kinder-gartens, but nowadays, primary and high schools are all regional. Many of these attract outside pupils, because of their less formal atmosphere and educational programmes. Almost all kibbutz sons and daughters finish high school and are encouraged to go on to tertiary education.

Informal education has received a high priority, after-school activities in the various arts being provided in many local or regional centers. The large number of kibbutz educated artists, writers and performers, in many fields of Israeli culture bear witness to their success. Sports are encouraged at all levels, and kibbutzniks excel in various branches. The Israeli educational youth movements get a great deal of support from kibbutzim, both financially and in the form of manpower.

The kibbutz movement has established a number of academic institutions: for teacher training, economics & agriculture and research. It also maintains 2 choirs, a chamber orchestra, a youth orchestra, a modern dance troupe (with an international reputation), a theatre group, an art gallery in Tel Aviv and a major publishing house. Besides these, a number of local art galleries and specialized museums exist on various kibbutzim.

The two kibbutz weekly newspapers and the quarterly Mifne, Forum for Social Change, are issued in Hebrew only. The kibbutz movements also support the English language journal CALL (Communes At Large Letter), issued by the International Communes Desk, which endeavours to reflect the variety of intentional communities around the world.

Associated with the KM is a growing number of urban communes, formed by youth movement "graduates", and dedicated to bettering Israeli society. They are linked to 4 small new kibbutzim, which have made education (in the broadest sense of the word) their major enterprise. Similarly, the 4 urban kibbutzim concentrate on social work and education. Other intentional communities of various kinds also exist in Israel.