Yeah, I lived in a small kibbutz in Israel when I was a kid. It was amazing, everybody knows everyone and the most cherished memories of my childhood, I made there. (It was called Ayelet Hashahar (sp?), I believe.)

If you enjoy the simple life, I say go for it!

The one thing you really need to know about living on a Kibbutz to is that it is really a TEAM EFFORT everyone has to do their share of helping out…I would suggest inquiring about various Kibbutz’s and asking specific questions on what is required by you ie: amt of hrs…specifics on hrs…what you would be required to do…etc…Other than that like the others have said…if you like the simple life (Living on a farm based community basicly…and living off the land) then you would probably enjoy it …just know it does require people skills, hard work and determination.

I lived on a Kibbutz for a couple of months in the northern part of Israel close to the Lebanon border. It was a fantastic experience but you have to be prepared for getting up at the crack of dawn – by this I mean 5am. Because the midday sun is so hot, the majority of the work in the fields is done in the mornings. In theory, this sounds fine but in practise it became harder and harder. This was mainly due to the fact that all the other foriegners working on the kibbutz got on so well. In the evenings we may get together and have a few drinks and from time to time the few drinks may escalate and before you know it it’s already 2am and you have to be ready to start work at 5am! With self discipline, you’ll have no problems but do bear in mind that although the kibbutz experience is catorgorised under “working holiday”, the emphasis is on the “working”.
That said, I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic time and it’s a good way of finding your feet in a country before exploring its surrounding areas. Good luck.

I did not live on a Kibbutz. I visited a kibbutz. And that was great. But what do you know in a few hours visit?

There are some “kibbutz” tours of Israel. You live on the kibbutz, but the tour is only about two weeks. So you get to know what it is like before you make a summer long or year long commitment.

But spending time in Israel, however you do it, is a must.

hey,
i don’t live on a kibutz, though i wish i could.. u can get more information on
http://www.kibbutz.org.il/eng/welcome.htm

You already have many good answers with good suggestions. I spent ten years in Israel; they were the happiest of my life. However, I did not live on a kibbutz, although I have visited several. Each one is different, and as a foreign volunteer, your experience will be different from mine. Were I in your place, I would want to meet as may Israelis as possible, and not spend all my time with foreign volunteers. This is always your choice, but it may take a bit of an effort to communicate with people speaking a language not your own. All Israelis will speak some English, some better than others. If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Two different views on it: I visited one, and my sister worked on one for a year.

My sister worked on one before the intifada. She loved the hard work, the group effort, the community feeling.
However!

The intifada had an enormous negative impact on tourism, and this has driven many kibbutzim to privatize, so it’s not the same community as it was. The one I visited was almost completely like a small town; the community was close, but there was no group effort, no group meals, nothing really except group day care and a group store.