HaZore'a

Hazore'a
Hazore'a
Coordinates: 32°38′41″N 35°07′15″E / 32.64472°N 35.12083°E / 32.64472; 35.12083Coordinates: 32°38′41″N 35°07′15″E / 32.64472°N 35.12083°E / 32.64472; 35.12083
District	Northern
Council	Megiddo
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement
Founded	1936
Founded by	Hashomer Hatzair members from Germany
Population (2015)[1]	842
Website	www.hazorea.org.il

HaZore'a (Hebrew: הַזּוֹרֵעַ‎, lit. The Sower) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the west of the Jezreel Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 842.

Geography

HaZore'a is located on the western rim of the valley, surrounded by HaZore'a Forest to the south and west of the kibbutz, Yokneam Moshava to the north, the city of Yokneam to the northwest and the fields and fishponds of the Jezreel Valley to the east. Some of the kibbutz is built upon the hillsides of two neighboring hills, whereas the rest of it extends upon the plain that stretches beneath them. Between those hills and throughout the kibbutz runs Ein Hashofet, a seasonal creek.

History

The kibbutz community was established in 1934 by Werkleute members from Germany. Until the purchased land was ready in 1936 the kibbutz members lived and worked in Hadera.^[2]

During the 1950s it was a center of Hashomer Hatzair attempts to work with the local Arab population.^[3]

Economy

Hazore'a furniture factory

In the 1950s, the carpentry shop established in 1936 was expanded and HaZore'a Furniture Industries became a household name in Israel. Towards the end of the century, when profit margins declined, the factory was closed and the machinery was sold to a company in Amman, Jordan which continues to sell furniture under the Hazore'a brand name.^[4]

HaZore'a industries include a plastics factory ("Plastopil" ), a cowshed, an aquaculture complex ("HaZore'a Aquatics" ), a quality control centre ("Maba" ) and various field crops.

HaZore'a is undergoing a complex process of change from the model of the traditional kibbutz, where everything is equally shared, to a more modern form of settlement. Essentially, HaZore'a still operates as a socialistic society, providing uniform living conditions to kibbutz members. Nevertheless, several changes of individualistic nature have already taken place, such as privatization of services like the dining room and the electricity utility. Another example is official recognition of certain "residency" statuses, which allow some populations to reside in the kibbutz without being part of the economic collective.

HaZore'a is headed by the Secretariat with two officials in charge of social issues. The Community Council of 15 kibbutz members meets once a week to discuss matters needing further attention. The final decisive authority of the kibbutz is the ballot, for which all members are eligible to vote.

Education and culture

Wilfrid Israel Museum

HaZore'a maintains a communal dining hall and an auditorium for cultural and communal activities, such as celebrating Jewish holidays. The kibbutz issues a weekly paper titled "Ba'sha'ar" (English: "At the gate"), which serves as a medium for a variety of material concerning everyday life in the kibbutz.

HaZore'a is home to Plagim Elementary School (established 1991), where children from the kibbutz and five other settlements study 1st to 6th grade. The school belongs to Megiddo Regional Council, and is part of the Israeli state education system.

Another option, open to both Jews and non-Jews, is the volunteering program, offering a less obligating frame for young people to experience kibbutz life. There is also Garin Tzabar and lone soldier programs that reside on the kibbutz.^[5]

HaZore'a is home to the Wilfrid Israel Museum, an archaeology and art museum whose kernel is the Asian art collection of Wilfrid Israel. The museum was designed by Alfred Mansfeld.^[6] Significant Bronze Age archaeological finds, some displayed at Wilfred, have been made on-site at Hazorea.^[7]

References

External links

• HaZore'a - Official Website (Hebrew)
• Wilfrid Israel Museum (Hebrew)
• HaZore'a History, Economy, Culture, and Education (English)