From Kibbutz to Perth: Nachshon Goltz on the lasting trauma of a lost childhood

In October 2024, Israeli author Yael Neeman published Were You Good or Were You Bad?, a book that delves into the history and profound effects of communal child-rearing in kibbutzim.

Neeman’s starting point was a pivotal Haaretz article by Vered Levy Barzilai entitled, The Accusation: A Cruel Experiment on Thousands of Children. The article featured an interview with Nachshon (Sean) Goltz, who was born and raised in Kibbutz Ruhama, and described kibbutz communal child-rearing as a “cruel psychological experiment”.

“This may evolve into a class action that will shake generations of kibbutz members," read the opening line of the Haaretz article, which was first published in December 2000.

"But even if not, this is a serious public indictment: Nachshon Goltz, born in Kibbutz Ruhama, is planning on suing the kibbutz movement for committing a psychological experiment on thousands of children with disastrous results – they became emotionally crippled, without a family or a home, lacking identity, and sometimes victims of sexual abuse.

"Anyone growing up in Israel knows Goltz is not speaking only for himself.”

These allegations led to a claim against the Israeli state, which had allowed the kibbutzim to become the legal guardian of children instead of their own parents, contradicting guardianship laws.

But the legal action was dismissed by a judge who was concerned about broader implications — particularly the precedent that could see every boarding school child sue the state. Nevertheless, the Haaretz article and the lawsuit made a significant public impact.