There is a saying in Israel that if you turn off all the lights in the country except for those of the kibbutzim, you will see the outline of the borders of the country.

“It’s not by accident that 100 of the [259] kibbutzim in Israel are located on the borders, because that is the Zionist way, to [protect] the borders. We are Zionists and we believe in the Zionist state,” said Neri Shotan, CEO of the Kibbutz Movement Rehabilitation Fund. “But on Oct. 7, 26 kibbutzim from the south faced attacks… Hundreds of kibbutz members were killed, murdered, abducted to Gaza and raped. For the first time in 110 years of kibbutzim, we faced these attacks practically alone — because the government wasn’t there.”

The day after the Hamas attacks, the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah joined the fray, firing rockets and artillery at northern Israel. Kibbutzim along the border with Lebanon were soon evacuated and for over a year their homes were pummeled by rockets, anti-tank guided missiles, mortar shells and drones. Several soldiers stationed along the border, as well as civilians who remained behind, were killed in these attacks as well. Only recently have residents started returning, with some of the communities still deemed uninhabitable due to the extensive damage caused to them. 

The rehabilitation of these northern kibbutzim — not only through their physical reconstruction but by restoring their inhabitants’ faith in their security — presents significant challenges and costs, according to Shotan, and the only way to face the bumpy road ahead is to take a “leap of faith,” he said, referring to the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name. His mission now is to rebuild those kibbutzim, he said.

While there was an initial surge of donations to this cause from Jewish federations and other sources, as the crisis in Israel has extended to nearly 18 months and some philanthropic partners have begun focusing more on long-term strategic planning, the funding has started slowing down, Shotan said. “What is important to understand is that people are coming back [to the kibbutzim in the north] now. They need our help now. Not a year from now — now. And it’s nothing less than dramatic,” he said. “The Jewish communities showed us that we are not alone, and I think that they will show us again for the next five or 10ten years from now. We are lucky that we are not alone, and it is not taken for granted.”

In response to the devastation of Oct. 7, the Kibbutz Movement established the Kibbutz Rehabilitation Fund to support displaced and affected kibbutzim, including critical emergency funding totaling $35 million. The donations came from both Jewish federations, foundations and funds from abroad and from Israel, including the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, UJA-Federation of New York, Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, Jewish National Fund-USA, American Jewish Committee, Qualcomm Foundation, New Israel Fund and Yad Hanadiv, among others. The fund has provided immediate aid, long-term recovery planning and reconstruction efforts for northern and southern kibbutzim, while coordinating rehabilitation initiatives through an information center.

“We found out that the Jewish communities around the world and also the Israeli society — unlike the government — was with us,” said Shotan, noting that philanthropy had never before been a part of the Kibbutz Movement’s budget, and the need for it created a “crisis of belief” for the movement, which long prided itself on independence and self-reliance. “Jewish communities around the world, especially in North America, were with us hand in hand.”

Philanthropy holds a vital role in this rehabilitation effort, he said, and remains critical to support the rehabilitation of northern kibbutzim.

Israeli authorities have estimated the costs of the property damage in northern Israel to be NIS 9 billion ($2.5 billion). Last year, the Israeli government approved a multiyear NIS 15 billion ($4.11 billion) budget for reconstruction of northern communities. However, just a fraction of this — NIS 2.2 billion ($603 million) — has so far been allocated. In the meantime, those communities already have to begin work in order to bring back their residents and — they hope — attract new ones. 

“I work with the government and I’m trying to persuade the government officers to bring more [funding]. But I am focusing on the rehabilitation of the kibbutzim. So that’s why I am working with philanthropy. I’m looking for partnerships both in Israel and abroad because we understand that this is ongoing,” said Shotan.

He stressed that his philanthropic efforts are not only focused on donations, but also on creating strategic partnerships both within Israel and internationally to address the ongoing needs of the kibbutzim in the fields of mental health, agriculture and initiatives for bereaved families. There is also a growing need for informal education as previously uncommon issues involving drug and alcohol abuse and vandalism among kibbutz youth have become widespread post-Oct. 7. 

“[We] understand the needs of the communities, [we] understand the needs of the educational systems,” said Shotan, a 42-year-old member of Kibbutz Shefayim in central Israel, which has hosted members of Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the south in its hotel since the attacks. “I speak the language. I don’t need anyone to explain to me how to talk like kibbutznik because I’m a kibbutznik. We have a deep systematic understanding of the kibbutz communities so we know how to bring the best solutions in order to foster resilience and long-term sustainability. From the first minute after the Oct.7 terror attack started, we asked the [people from the western Negev and from the northern border], ‘What do you need?’ We didn’t tell them what they needed.”

Shotan said the fund is also working with the moshavim in the area and with the city of Kiryat Shemona in order to strengthen the entire ecosystem he said, with the understanding that strengthening the entire region also strengthens the kibbutzim.

The rehabilitation of northern kibbutzim presents significant challenges and costs, according to the fund. Kibbutz Misgav Am requires 100 million NIS ($27.3 million) for recovery, while Kibbutz Manara sustained damage to 117 out of 157 homes. At Kibbutz Sasa, a single fortified shelter must accommodate around 200 students, and more than 1,000 people are still awaiting psychological support, said Shotan. 

Despite progress, only 13 kibbutzim in the Upper Galilee have returned, along with five in the Western Galilee, he said. Restoring education systems for 19 kibbutzim, excluding construction, is estimated to cost NIS 10 million ($2.7 million), with total costs potentially reaching 40-50 million NIS ($11-13 million), according to estimates by the fund. 

In January, the Israeli government released its plan to encourage people to return home quickly, by offering grants to returnees that are gradually reduced as time goes on, beginning on March 1. Under the plan, adults received in total NIS 25,360 ($7,000) — NIS 15,360 ($4,200) specifically for returning and NIS 10,000 ($2,800) to help cover the costs associated with abandoning their homes for over a year — and children received half that amount, for up to seven children per family. A family of four would have received slightly more than NIS 100,000 ($28,000). The “return” grant is cut in half for those who return from March 8 to April 1, and it will be halved again for those who return in the month of April and be halved again for those who return in May. Those who return in June or later would receive no compensation. 

Shotan said this compensation framework poses significant challenges as essential community systems — education, health and welfare — are unprepared to receive the returning residents.

“It’s a long and very hard road ahead. We will need the support of philanthropy abroad as well as in Israel to get back on our feet because as you see, the government is there, but the government is very weak, unfortunately,” he said. “We need supporting hands. We need people to go in this with us. I couldn’t have understood when we began how long this would take. We have 59 abducted people now still in Gaza, more than half of them are kibbutz members. I couldn’t have dreamed that it would take so long in order to start the rehabilitation of these areas. It’s a crazy journey.”