This analysis of the life and times of the Israeli kibbutz (the Hebrew word for group) is by an outstanding authority on the emotional development of children, the founder of the University of Chicago Orthogenic School. It is a warm and sympathetic explication of a method of child-rearing that may have worldwide implications.
At "Atid" (a fictitious name for the kibbutz where he was based during the spring of 1964), Bettelheim studied kibbutzniks and their children. His concern about child-rearing methods included the hope that kibbutz life might be the answer to some of our devastating problems in this area. He found no neglected children in the kibbutz, their physical care was exemplary.
A kibbutz is a relatively small agricultural settlement, varying in size from less than 100 to a maximum size of 2,000 inhabitants. Each community forms a single unit: economic, political, and social. All property belongs to