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Do you think it would be fun to live in a neighborhood with all your friends and their families? What if there was a swimming pool and some animals too? And when you were fifteen years old you got to move out of your parents' house and live with friends your age? Well, those are some of the things that happen on a Kibbutz in Israel. "Kibbutz" sounds like a funny name, and the people that live there are called "Kibbutzniks." Even funnier, huh? And they do seem to enjoy this special lifestyle.

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Living on a Kibbutz is like being in a city that has been shrunk down to only a block long. They have a doctor and dentist, a dining hall, schools up through high school, housing for young single people, houses for married people and for families, and a retirement home.

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They also have a zoo of animals that help out on their farm. You could spend your whole life on the Kibbutz and always be taken care of.

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On the Kibbutz, everyone shares. If someone has a job outside of the Kibbutz they still give their paycheck to the community. "How do they survive?" you might ask. By pooling their resources, the whole community supports itself. The people on the Kibbutz (the Kibbutzniks) have meetings to decide how the money should be used.

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But what about the fun stuff - like living with your friends? That does sound fun! When Kibbutzniks turn fifteen, they move to a separate house with other friends their age. They still see their parents every day and eat dinner with them at night.

Not a bad place to grow up, eh?

Abeja