Ethiopia, have arrived to make their homes in Israel. Throughout the years, groups, families and individuals have chosen to come from all parts of the free world, in greater or lesser numbers, to take part in building the country. With a population which has increased more than seven-fold since 1948, and with people still coming from all over the world bringing varied languages, traditions, educational standards, and social outlooks, Israel continues to seek ways to meet the challenge of developing a modern, democratic society. In a certain sense, Israel is not unlike the United States of America, in that it is a land which is comprised of many people from varied backgrounds. It is both urban and rural where some 89.9% of the land is made up of cities and the remaining rural area is comprised of villages, Kibbutzim, and Moshavim. Moshav or Kibbutz comprises about 10% of the population in rural areas and agricultural settlements. The Kibbutz is a social and economic unit (property and means of conduction are communally owned) in which decisions are made by the General Assembly of its members. Meals, prepared in a central kitchen, are served in a communal dining hall. Clothing and linens are washed, mended and distributed by a central laundry; and children grow up together in organized frameworks. Members work in various sections of the Kibbutz economy, while dining hall, kitchen and other duties are filled on a rotation basis. The Moshav is an agricultural village in which each family maintains its own farm and household. Originally, cooperation extended to purchasing, marketing and the provision of community services; today Moshav farmers have chosen to be more independent economically. The culture of Israel is thriving, however. It is as reach and diverse as is its history, and this is reflected in the arts, theatre, music, literature, etc. To a large part, this is an effect of Zionism "ingathering of the exiles," and had contributed m...
