Editing Love Family (section)

== History ==
Paul Erdmann, a former television salesman from California, moved to [[Seattle]] in 1968.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2007-01-13 |title=Catching up with the Love Family |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/catching-up-with-the-love-family/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=HeraldNet.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The Love Family began in October 1968 as a communal household on [[Queen Anne, Seattle|Queen Anne Hill]], Seattle, with their charter being written in 1971.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> Shortly after its founding, Erdmann renamed himself Love Israel; many of his followers adopted the "Israel" surname and biblical or virtue first names.<ref name=":1" />

Within the first ten years, the community expanded to a network of about twelve communal homes and businesses.<ref name=":1" /> As more people arrived and settled in the surrounding neighborhood, Erdmann, as the leader, continued to inherit land and homes (primarily from those who joined) in other, more rural areas of [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[Alaska]], and [[Hawaii]].<ref name=":4" />

In 1972, two members of the family died after ritually breathing [[toluene]] fumes out of a plastic bag.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" />

In 1974, plenty of Love Israel Family members danced and sang on stage at the [[1974 World's Fair|World’s Fair]] in [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]], Washington.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Love Israel Family – WRSP |url=https://wrldrels.org/2017/02/12/love-israel-family/ |access-date=2022-09-22 |language=en}}</ref>

By 1979, the group had about 300 members.<ref name=":5" />

In 1983, a conflict emerged within the family, led by members such as Logic Israel (Brian Allen), one of the principal elders in the family.<ref name=":1" /> This culminated in 1984, when the family returned $1.6 million and 14 Seattle properties to former member Daniel Gruener (Richness Israel) as part of an out-of-court settlement.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{citation |title='Love Family' broke |date=May 20, 1984 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=860&dat=19840530&id=v5hUAAAAIBAJ&pg=6606,6163480&hl=en |publisher=Ellensburg Daily Record |accessdate=2016-02-03}}</ref> Membership dwindled from 500 to 100 as the group was forced to give back assets and money to disenchanted members.<ref name=":1" />

After the conflict, about 40 remaining members moved to properties in Arlington, and around 30 moved to Los Angeles.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":3" /> The Arlington commune supported both a local organic restaurant and an annual festival open to the public called the Garlic Festival, which drew crowds to the property.

In early 2004, the family sold their Arlington properties to the [[Union for Reform Judaism]] due to bankruptcy.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> In 2007, the former Arlington family grounds became Camp Kalsman, a [[Jewish summer camp]].<ref>{{citation |title=Teens spend summer in Love family's footsteps at Camp Kalsman near Arlington |date=August 2, 2008 |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080802/NEWS01/93306755 |publisher=Everettt Herald |accessdate=2011-12-27}}</ref> The remaining members moved to China Bend, a property along the Columbia River, in April 2004, and later to a property in [[Bothell, Washington]].<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

Love Israel died in February 2016, less than a month after it was reported he was diagnosed with cancer.<ref>{{citation |title=Counterculture icon Love Israel near death |date=January 29, 2016 |url=http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2016/01/29/counterculture-icon-love-israel-near-death/79543310/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131210826/http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2016/01/29/counterculture-icon-love-israel-near-death/79543310/ |publisher=King 5 |archive-date=January 31, 2016 |accessdate=2016-01-31 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Daniel Gruener died in 2019.<ref>{{citation |title=Daniel Gruener Obituary |date=April 1, 2019 |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/statesmanexaminer/name/daniel-gruener-obituary?id=15497373 |publisher=StatesmanExaminer.com |accessdate=2022-12-15}}</ref>