Tzrifin
Encyclopedia
Tzrifin is an area in Gush Dan
(Dan Region) in central Israel
, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the two cities.
Nearly the entire area of Tzrifin proper is taken up by the central Israel Defence Forces base, Camp Yigael Yadin
(a.k.a. Camp Tzrifin, Camp 782), with which it is synonymous, even though the base also spills into Rishon LeZion and Be'er Ya'akov. Camp Yadin contains a multitude of training bases
, as well as Prison Four
, the largest Israeli military prison
.
, as a British base named Sarafand, after the nearby Arab village Sarafand al-Amar
. Sarafand was a central British base in a strategic location, having a railway connection to Jaffa
and Lydda (Lod
). The Transjordan Frontier Force
(TJFF) was established at Sarafand on 1 April 1926 with a cadre drawn from the Arab Legion
. The TJFF subsequently moved to Zerqa in October 1926. During World War II
, the Jewish Brigade
was formed in Tzrifin.
On 14 May 1948, one day before the Israeli declaration of independence, British forces vacated Sarafand for the Jordanian Arab Legion
. The adjacent Arab village Sarafand al-'Amr was depopulated on 15 May. After a two-day battle, between the 18th and 19th of May, the base was captured by the Jewish forces from the Givati Brigade
. The place was named Tzrifin after a historical city with that name located in the area and mentioned in the Talmud
.
As the years passed, Rishon LeZion expanded to the east, eventually reaching the fences of Camp Yadin. As a result, the IDF decided to vacate Tzrifin and sell its land to private contractors due to the high land value. Most bases inside Camp Yadin are planned to be relocated to the City of Training Bases in the Negev
.
and 15 km from the Mediterranean seashore. The base in it has three main entrances—Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem Gate and Rishon LeZion Gate, all of which are located within the municipalities, and not within Tzrifin proper.
The Jaffa Gate links a street within the base to Road 44
(Tzrifin Junction). At this location, there are a number of fast food restaurants and a pedestrian bridge which connects the base to the bus terminal on the other side of the road. The Asaf HaRofe Hospital is located near the Jaffa Gate.
The Jerusalem Gate links the base to Tzahal Road (Road 4313) in Be'er Ya'akov, which ultimately connects to Road 44 at the Nir Tzvi Junction in the Emek Lod Regional Council. The Rishon LeZion gate is located deep within Rishon LeZion and connects Rishon's Jerusalem Street with the base.
was located on the lands of Tzrifin, the residents of which eventually moved out to the nearby towns, especially Lod
.
Currently, several non-military installations are located in the Tzrifin area:
. The area of the base will open to civilian development, and will be divided between the municipalities of Rishon LeZion and Be'er Ya'akov. Most of the area, 840 dunam
s (0.84 km2), will go Rishon LeZion, and much of it will be zoned for commercial development. This will including an industrial zone for medical development, next to the Asaf HaRofe Hospital. Be'er Ya'akov will get 560 dunams (0.56 km2) mostly for residential development.
Gush Dan
The Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area , or Gush Dan , is a metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel. The area is closely linked to the city of Tel Aviv through social, economic, and cultural ties. It is located along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline...
(Dan Region) 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 on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the two cities.
Nearly the entire area of Tzrifin proper is taken up by the central Israel Defence Forces base, Camp Yigael Yadin
Yigael Yadin
Yigael Yadin on 21 March 1917, died 28 June 1984) was an Israeli archeologist, politician, and the second Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.-Early life and military career:...
(a.k.a. Camp Tzrifin, Camp 782), with which it is synonymous, even though the base also spills into Rishon LeZion and Be'er Ya'akov. Camp Yadin contains a multitude of training bases
Bahad
Bahad is a military training base in the Israel Defense Forces. Each Bahad deals with a certain field, such as law enforcement or logistics. Generally, each Bahad belongs to a certain corps and conducts all courses required by the corps in question...
, as well as Prison Four
Prison Four
Prison Four , officially Confinement Base 394 is an Israeli military prison for Israeli soldiers, located in the military police compound in Tzrifin , Israel....
, the largest Israeli military prison
Israeli military prison
The Israeli Military Prison is a prison for guarding soldiers who committed crimes during their service. It is estimated that 15,000-18,000 Israeli soldiers go through an Israeli military prison or detention center every year.-Prison sector history:The need to create prisons in the IDF arose as...
.
History
Tzrifin was founded in 1917, during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, as a British base named Sarafand, after the nearby Arab village Sarafand al-Amar
Sarafand al-Amar
Sarafand al-Amar was a Palestinian Arab village situated on the coastal plain of Palestine, about northwest of Ramla. It had a population of 1,950 in 1945 and a land area of 13,267 dunams...
. Sarafand was a central British base in a strategic location, having a railway connection to Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
and Lydda (Lod
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
). The Transjordan Frontier Force
Transjordan Frontier Force
The Transjordan Frontier Force was formed, on 1 April 1926, as a para-military border guard to defend Trans-Jordan's northern and southern borders. The TJFF was also an Imperial Service regiment whose Imperial Service soldiers agreed to serve wherever required and not just within the borders of...
(TJFF) was established at Sarafand on 1 April 1926 with a cadre drawn from the Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
. The TJFF subsequently moved to Zerqa in October 1926. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Jewish Brigade
Jewish Brigade
The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group was a military formation of the British Army that served in Europe during the Second World War. The brigade was formed in late 1944, and its personnel fought the Germans in Italy...
was formed in Tzrifin.
On 14 May 1948, one day before the Israeli declaration of independence, British forces vacated Sarafand for the Jordanian Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
. The adjacent Arab village Sarafand al-'Amr was depopulated on 15 May. After a two-day battle, between the 18th and 19th of May, the base was captured by the Jewish forces from the Givati Brigade
Givati Brigade
The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
. The place was named Tzrifin after a historical city with that name located in the area and mentioned in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
.
As the years passed, Rishon LeZion expanded to the east, eventually reaching the fences of Camp Yadin. As a result, the IDF decided to vacate Tzrifin and sell its land to private contractors due to the high land value. Most bases inside Camp Yadin are planned to be relocated to the City of Training Bases in the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
.
Location and geography
Tzrifin is located between Rishon LeZion on the west, and Be'er Ya'akov on all 3 other sides. It is 72 m above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and 15 km from the Mediterranean seashore. The base in it has three main entrances—Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem Gate and Rishon LeZion Gate, all of which are located within the municipalities, and not within Tzrifin proper.
The Jaffa Gate links a street within the base to Road 44
Highway 44 (Israel)
Highway 44 is a highway in central Israel. It connects Tel Aviv-Yafo to Ramla, Lod and the Shefela. It begins in Tel Aviv in the north and ends at Nachshon and Shimshon junction near Beit Shemesh in the south....
(Tzrifin Junction). At this location, there are a number of fast food restaurants and a pedestrian bridge which connects the base to the bus terminal on the other side of the road. The Asaf HaRofe Hospital is located near the Jaffa Gate.
The Jerusalem Gate links the base to Tzahal Road (Road 4313) in Be'er Ya'akov, which ultimately connects to Road 44 at the Nir Tzvi Junction in the Emek Lod Regional Council. The Rishon LeZion gate is located deep within Rishon LeZion and connects Rishon's Jerusalem Street with the base.
Bases
As with many other IDF bases, Camp Yadin is merely a container base for many smaller ones. The following is a list of bases within Camp Yadin.Training bases
- See also: BahadBahadBahad is a military training base in the Israel Defense Forces. Each Bahad deals with a certain field, such as law enforcement or logistics. Generally, each Bahad belongs to a certain corps and conducts all courses required by the corps in question...
- Bahad 6 – the school for logistics
- Bahad 7 – the school for telecommunications and computers - technically located outside Camp Yadin
- Bahad 10 – the school for medical professions
- Bahad 11 – the Human Resources Directorate training base (Adjutant Corps, General Corps)
- Bahad 12 – the school for command, belonging to the GOC Army HeadquartersGOC Army HeadquartersThe Israeli GOC Army headquarters , known unofficially as Mazi, is a multi-corps command headquarters created in 1998, which amalgamates the ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces...
(now closed) - Bahad 16Bahad 16Bahad 16 is a training base belonging to the Israel Defense Forces . Located in the Tzrifin container base, it is the training base and a base of operations for the IDF Home Front Command Search and Rescue unit...
– the school for extraction and rescue - Bahad 20 – the school for the Ordnance Corps
- The school for military law and the disciplinary court department
- The school for governing
Other bases (partial links)
- 108th Air Force Unit and Erez Workshop
- Military Police Corps area, including Prison FourPrison FourPrison Four , officially Confinement Base 394 is an Israeli military prison for Israeli soldiers, located in the military police compound in Tzrifin , Israel....
(Unit 394), Yamlat 8225, CID Dan and Yamar Center - Lotem telecommunications unit (Unit 818)
- 779th Military RabbinateMilitary RabbinateThe Military Rabbinate is a corps in the Israel Defense Forces that provides religious services to soldiers, primarily to Jews but also including non-Jews, and makes decisions on issues of religion and military affairs. The Military Rabbinate is headed by the Chief Military Rabbi, who is ranked a...
Unit (Beth dinBeth dinA beth din, bet din, beit din or beis din is a rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of Israel...
) - 542nd Medical Corps Unit
- Anti-WMDWeapons of mass destructionA weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
Base B - 276th Anti-WMD Center
- Military court for off-duty days
- Food supply center (Units 6100, 6110 and 6120)
- 562nd and 564th building and maintenance units
- Combat Equipment and Spare Parts Center (Matzlah) (Unit 6800)
- Hoshen Center (Unit 868)
- Maintenance and Rehabilitation Center (Unit 7000)
- 791st Workshop
Non-military use
During the 1950s, a Ma'abaraMa'abarot
The Ma'abarot were refugee absorption camps in Israel in the 1950s. The Ma'abarot were meant to provide accommodation for the large influx of Jewish refugees and new Olim arriving to the newly independent State of Israel, replacing the less habitable immigrant camps or tent cities...
was located on the lands of Tzrifin, the residents of which eventually moved out to the nearby towns, especially Lod
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
.
Currently, several non-military installations are located in the Tzrifin area:
- Assaf HaRofeh Medical CenterAssaf HaRofeh Medical CenterAssaf HaRofeh Medical Center, also known as Assaf HaRofeh Hospital, is a hospital in Israel. It sits on a campus, 15 kilometers from Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport.-History:...
, which provides care for both military and civilian patients - Shmuel HaRofe Geriatric Hospital
- Warehouses belonging to the Jewish Agency for IsraelJewish Agency for IsraelThe Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
- Various industrial complexes
Military evacuation and civilian development
The Israel Defense Forces is slated to move most bases in Tzrifin in 2013–2014 to the new City of Training Bases being built south of BeershebaBeersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
. The area of the base will open to civilian development, and will be divided between the municipalities of Rishon LeZion and Be'er Ya'akov. Most of the area, 840 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s (0.84 km2), will go Rishon LeZion, and much of it will be zoned for commercial development. This will including an industrial zone for medical development, next to the Asaf HaRofe Hospital. Be'er Ya'akov will get 560 dunams (0.56 km2) mostly for residential development.