Tzora
Encyclopedia
Tzora is a kibbutz
in central Israel
. Located about 20 km from Jerusalem, near the city of Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council
. At the beginning of 2009, the kibbutz had a total population of 800, of whom 350 were members.
The kibbutz was founded in December 1948 by former Palmach
members (including Yair Tzaban
) on the land of the depopulated Palestinian Arab village of Dayr Aban
'. Its name was taken from the Biblical
Book of Judges
(13:25);
The Arab village of Sara had an orchard at the current location of the Kibbutz.
In the 1980s a ham radio club operated under the call 4Z4YJ .
In the early 2000s, Tzora underwent a privatization of its communal living structure, with a community tax levied on income and the residual retained as income by members. In April 2008, the kibbutz was recognized by the state of israel as being fully privatized.
In 1993, Tzora opened the first kibbutz winery, Tzora Vineyards, which produces 60,000 bottles of wine a year. Tzora also operates a kibbutz guesthouse.
It operates a dairy in partnership with Tzova and Netiv HaLamed-Heh
. Tzora Active Systems produce advanced lightweight wheelchairs. There is also a large wedding hall, built of tents. These tents, produced in Tzora are now used throughout Israel for weddings.
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 central Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Located about 20 km from Jerusalem, near the city of Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council
Mateh Yehuda Regional Council
Mateh Yehuda Regional Council is a regional council in the Jerusalem District of Israel. In 2008 it was home to 36,200 people.The name of the regional council stems from the fact that its territory was part of the land allotted to the Tribe of Judah, according to the Bible.-Places and...
. At the beginning of 2009, the kibbutz had a total population of 800, of whom 350 were members.
History
The kibbutz derives its name from the biblical reference of a village by the same name. The biblical name may have been originally a Canaanite town by the name Zorah .The kibbutz was founded in December 1948 by former Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
members (including Yair Tzaban
Yair Tzaban
-Biography:Tzaban was born in Jerusalem in 1930. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War he fought in the Palmach. He was among the founders of Kibbutz Tzora, near Jerusalem....
) on the land of the depopulated Palestinian Arab village of Dayr Aban
Dayr Aban
Dayr Aban was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Jerusalem. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on October 19, 1948. It was located 21 km west of Jerusalem. The Romans referred to place as Abenezer....
'. Its name was taken from the Biblical
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
Book of Judges
Book of Judges
The Book of Judges is the seventh book of the Hebrew bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its title describes its contents: it contains the history of Biblical judges, divinely inspired prophets whose direct knowledge of Yahweh allows them to act as decision-makers for the Israelites, as...
(13:25);
- "And the spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between ZorahZorahZorah or Tzorah, perhaps "place of wasps," was a biblical town in the low country of Judah.-Location:Zorah was situated on the crest of a hill overlooking the valley of Sorek, and was fortified by Rehoboam...
and EshtaolEshtaolEshtaol is a moshav in central Israel. Located north of Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2006, Eshtaol had a population of 876.-History:...
."
The Arab village of Sara had an orchard at the current location of the Kibbutz.
In the 1980s a ham radio club operated under the call 4Z4YJ .
In the early 2000s, Tzora underwent a privatization of its communal living structure, with a community tax levied on income and the residual retained as income by members. In April 2008, the kibbutz was recognized by the state of israel as being fully privatized.
Economy
One of the main branches of the kibbutz economy was Tzora Furniture Ltd., which began in 1957 as a metal factory. At first, the company produced bicycles, but in 1974 it began to manufacture office chairs, before moving on to a full range of office furniture. However, the factory burned down in July 2007.In 1993, Tzora opened the first kibbutz winery, Tzora Vineyards, which produces 60,000 bottles of wine a year. Tzora also operates a kibbutz guesthouse.
It operates a dairy in partnership with Tzova and Netiv HaLamed-Heh
Netiv HaLamed-Heh
Netiv HaLamed-Heh is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located in the Valley of Elah, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council...
. Tzora Active Systems produce advanced lightweight wheelchairs. There is also a large wedding hall, built of tents. These tents, produced in Tzora are now used throughout Israel for weddings.