Kibbutzniks also raise livestock, such as cows, chickens, turkey, and even fish. Today many kibbutzim sustain a variety of manufacturing facilities in light industry. Meals are prepared by kibbutz members, most of whom dine in the community dining room. In the early years, children were reared in community nurseries, visiting their parents only once a week. In many kibbutzim today, this system has changed.
Children sleep in the homes of their parents, often enjoying some of their meals together.
It began with just ten men and two women, and the average age was twenty. This organization was founded for the purpose of purchasing land for the Jewish people. Before the land of Palestine had become the State of Israel, JNF purchased thousands of acres of land from absentee Arab owners who regarded it as useless. At first, land acquisition was JNF's chief purpose. Once Israel became a nation, JNF shifted its purpose from acquiring land to developing it.