Hatzor (Kibbutz)
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| Hatzor | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1936 (permanent settlement 1946) |
| Founded by | Hashomer Hatzair |
| Region | Coastal plain |
| Industries | Manufacturing , Agriculture |
| Affiliation | HaKibbutz Haartzi |
| Website | http://www.hatzor.org.il/ (Hebrew) |
Hatzor (Ḥaẓor, Hebrew: חצור) is a kibbutz in the Coastal plain of Israel, located near Ashdod. It is named after a location in ancient Judah. The kibbutz is officially called Hatzor Ashdod, to distinguish it from the Upper Galilee town Hazor HaGelilit.
[edit] History
The kibbutz was founded in 1936 by a group of Hashomer Hatzair youth movement from Palestine. They resided in Mishmar HaEmek for one year, and then moved to Rishon LeZion. They eventually stayed there for nine years, because suitable land for settlement was hard to find in those days, under the restrictions on Jewish settlements outlined in the White Paper of 1939 by the British Mandate of Palestine. During this time, Bulgarian and North American Hashomer Hatzair youth groups joined the founding group.
In 1943, a small group of kibbutz members founded a settlement called Mitzpe Gvulot (In Hebrew: Mitzpe - lookout, Gvulot - borders)[1] , which along with 2 similar settlements, Mitzpe Revivim and Mitzpe Beit Eshel, were the first Jewish settlements in the Negev. But the remote location was not considered to be suitable for permanent settlement for a large kibbutz with over 100 members and several dozens of children, so they kept looking for another place to settle. In 1946, they finally got their wish, and on June 17 settled in the current location, which was then a barren hill with an abandoned quarry on one side, surrounded by four Arab villages and a Royal Air Force base (now Hatzor Airbase of the Israeli Air Force).
During the Israeli War of Independence, from the end of May to October 1948, the kibbutz was near the front line of the Egyptian Army, which has reached as far as Ashdod, and was repeatedly bombarded by artillery fire. The children, as well as livestock, were evacuated to safer places until the Egyptians withdrew, while the remaining members lived in trenches. The kibbutz publication, which is called Al HaTel (In Hebrew: On the hill), was renamed to Under the hill in those days... Also during the war, the Arab villages were abandoned and their residents became refugees in Gaza Strip. Their land was confiscated by the state of Israel and most of it was leased to the kibbutz.
In the 1950s, another group of Hashomer Hatzair from France also joined the kibbutz.
By the 1970s, the number of kibbutz members has reached around 300, and the total population around 600, and these figures are about the same these days.
Like other kibbutzim founded by Hashomer Hatzair members, it was affiliated to Hakibbutz Haartzi movement.
[edit] External links
- Official website (Hebrew)
