Degania

   Israel's first kibbutz. In 1909, a group of Russian immigrants (see ALIYA) built a cooperative worker's settlement located at the exit of the Jordan River from Lake Kinneret (see SEA OF GALILEE) on a site that commanded the approach to the Galilee and Haifa, on land purchased by the Jewish National Fund. Degania was established as a completely integrated communal settlement, where its members lived and worked together. Part of the original land was given to another group of settlers who founded Degania Bet in 1919. Subsequently, the original settlement became known as De-gania Aleph, and Degania served as a prototype for all subsequent communal settlements. The kibbutz is the birthplace of Moshe Dayan. In February 2007, its members decided to undergo a process of privatization that will include the establishment of differential salaries for kibbutz members.