Maabarot
Encyclopedia
Ma'abarot is a kibbutz
in Israel
. Founded in 1932, today it has a population of approximately 850 people, and is under the jurisdiction of Hefer Valley Regional Council
.
federation and is located in the Sharon Plain, near the old road from Petah Tikva
to Haifa
. It was founded by graduates of the left-wing Hashomer Hatzair
Zionist
youth movement in Romania
who organized themselves as a settlement group, and immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1924.
Upon their arrival in Palestine, the group had to wait several years until land for settlement was made available, and they worked as hired laborers in the meanwhile. In 1932, a large stretch of land the Wadi Hawarith/Hefer Valley area was acquired by the Jewish National Fund
of which a small part was given to the settlement group, ten members of which established an initial presence on the land, constructing housing and farm buildings, and making a start in land amelioration, while the rest of the group continued its communal life in Hadera
until they, too, moved to the site of Ma'abarot. Over the following years, the kibbutz membership was augmented by additional Hashomer Hatzair groups, from Bulgaria
, Hungary
, Germany
(of which most members where Russia
n), and Chile
.
, and other branches include subtropical orchard
, fish-breeding ponds and a dairy barn. The kibbutz also operates two pharmaceutical
factories:
In addition, Ma'abarot runs a state of the art spray drying plant, which dehydrates foods of every variety. Foremost among these is "MATERNA", an infant formula
which is the leading baby-formula in Israel, and the only product of its kind which is wholly manufactured in Israel.
. In 1955 the well-known French cellist
Paul Tortelier
, impressed by the ideals of the kibbutzim, settled and worked here for a year, with his family. He then composed an "Israeli Symphony", based on his experiences in living at the kibbutz.
s from prehistoric settlements have been found on the grounds of the kibbutz .
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Founded in 1932, today it has a population of approximately 850 people, and is under the jurisdiction of Hefer Valley Regional Council
Hefer Valley Regional Council
The Hefer Valley Regional Council is a regional council in the Hefer Valley region of central Israel.The council covers an area adjacent to Hadera in the north, to Netanya in the south, to the Mediterranean in the west and to Tulkarm and the Green Line in the east...
.
Beginnings
Ma'abarot was the third kibbutz established by the Kibbutz ArtziKibbutz Movement
The Kibbutz Movement is the largest settlement movement for kibbutzim in Israel. It was formed in 1999 by a partial merger of the United Kibbutz Movement and Kibbutz Artzi.-United Kibbutz Movement:...
federation and is located in the Sharon Plain, near the old road from Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva known as Em HaMoshavot , is a city in the Center District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv.According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2009, the city's population stood at 209,600. The population density is approximately...
to Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. It was founded by graduates of the left-wing Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair is a Socialist–Zionist youth movement founded in 1913 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary, and was also the name of the group's political party in the Yishuv in the pre-1948 British Mandate of Palestine...
Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
youth movement in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
who organized themselves as a settlement group, and immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1924.
Upon their arrival in Palestine, the group had to wait several years until land for settlement was made available, and they worked as hired laborers in the meanwhile. In 1932, a large stretch of land the Wadi Hawarith/Hefer Valley area was acquired by the Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
of which a small part was given to the settlement group, ten members of which established an initial presence on the land, constructing housing and farm buildings, and making a start in land amelioration, while the rest of the group continued its communal life in Hadera
Hadera
Hadera is a city located in the Haifa District of Israel approximately from the major cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. The city is located along of the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain...
until they, too, moved to the site of Ma'abarot. Over the following years, the kibbutz membership was augmented by additional Hashomer Hatzair groups, from Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(of which most members where Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n), and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Economy
Ma'abarot farms approximately 3,000 dunams (3 km²) of land. Cotton is the major cash cropCash crop
In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for profit.The term is used to differentiate from subsistence crops, which are those fed to the producer's own livestock or grown as food for the producer's family...
, and other branches include subtropical orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
, fish-breeding ponds and a dairy barn. The kibbutz also operates two pharmaceutical
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
factories:
- "TRIMA", which produces medical supplies; and
- "Ma'abarot Products", which manufactures veterinary medical supplies and feed additives for livestock, among them "BONZO" dog food and "LaCat" cat food.
In addition, Ma'abarot runs a state of the art spray drying plant, which dehydrates foods of every variety. Foremost among these is "MATERNA", an infant formula
Infant formula
Infant formula is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepared for bottle-feeding or cup-feeding from powder or liquid . The U.S...
which is the leading baby-formula in Israel, and the only product of its kind which is wholly manufactured in Israel.
Culture
Members of the kibbutz were very much involved in the artistic and musical life of the country. The composer Nissim Nissimov, leading figure in the musical activities of the Labor movement, organized in the year 1944 a famous musical show inspired by the Song of SongsSong of songs
Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It may also refer to:In music:* Song of songs , the debut album by David and the Giants* A generic term for medleysPlays...
. In 1955 the well-known French cellist
Paul Tortelier
Paul Tortelier
Paul Tortelier was a French cellist and composer.Tortelier was born in Paris, the son of a cabinet maker with Breton roots. He was encouraged to play the cello by his father Joseph and mother Marguerite , and at 12 he entered the Paris Conservatoire. He studied the cello there with Gérard Hekking...
, impressed by the ideals of the kibbutzim, settled and worked here for a year, with his family. He then composed an "Israeli Symphony", based on his experiences in living at the kibbutz.
Archeology
Burial caves and artifactArtifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s from prehistoric settlements have been found on the grounds of the kibbutz .