THE Hebrew word kibbutz means 'togetherness', and it refers to a special kind of community life found in Israel which young people from around the world are keen to experience as volunteers.
Life on a kibbutz is close, can sometimes be tedious, and it involves hard work. But this is only one aspect of an experience that outsiders find fascinating - and valuable.
Shannon Hammond, 19, of Canada heard about the kibbutz from friends, and decided she wanted to live on one.
'I was assigned to work in the dairy to milk the cows,' Shannon said. 'I enjoyed it very much.' Back home in Canada, Shannon helps out in her father's business, so kibbutz life was a very different experience for her.
Bianca van Seventer of Holland arrived on the Kibbutz Zikim, in southern Israel, in August, when afternoon temperatures can go up to 40 degrees Celsius.
'I was planting avocado trees in the daytime. It was very hot and sweaty,' the 21-year-old told Young Post.