Israel reinvents kibbutz by embracing of new industries

Israel reinvents kibbutz by embracing of new industries

Entrepreneurs are repurposing the Israeli kibbutz into hubs for creative and hi-tech industries, after decades of decline in the rural communities once considered models of socialism.

Founded on ideals of communal living and agriculture, the kibbutzim -- whose residents often shared work, accommodation and possessions -- were crucial to Israeli society in the 20th century.

Today, standing in a former metal factory in Hanita, a kibbutz in Israel's north, Yuval Vakrat is surrounded by shops, an art gallery and a distillery.

"We can still see a bit of oil on the walls," said the 43-year-old, who returned to his birthplace a few years ago, selling toys and wooden objects he crafts in the former factory.

"Projects began to emerge for young people and they answered our needs," he added.

Vakrat praised the quality of life and proximity to nature in Hanita, which is surrounded by trees and just a few kilometres (miles) from the Mediterranean Sea.

"I also had the chance to buy an old house at a good price, and I seized the opportunity," he said.

Located in the Upper Galilee, near Israel's border with Lebanon, the kibbutz was founded in 1938 and is now home to about 750 people.

Across Israel, there are about 270