Product Code Database
Ein Harod () was a kibbutz in northern Israel near Mount Gilboa. Founded in 1921, it became the center of Mandatory Palestine's kibbutz movement, hosting the headquarters of the largest kibbutz organisation, HaKibbutz HaMeuhad. The Founding Contexts of Kibbutz Museums and the Case of the Mishkan Museum of Art, Ein Harod, Galia Bar Or, 2016, "...Ein Harod, the birthplace of the largest kibbutz movement, the Kibbutz Meuhad." A kibbutz in the diaspora: The pioneer movement in Poland and the Klosova kibbutz, Rona Yona, pages 9-43, 16 Mar 2012, "Hakibbutz Hame'uhad was established only in 1927, and was active at the time under the name Kibbutz Ein Harod, established in 1923 as a national organization of communes in agricultural settlements and communes of hired workers in cities and orchards."
In 1923 part of the community split off into Tel Yosef, and in 1952 the rest of the community split into Ein Harod (Ihud) and Ein Harod (Meuhad).
It was named after the nearby spring then known in Arabic as Ain Jalut, "Spring of Goliath", Hebraized as "Ein Harod", now Ma'ayan Harod. It was built on land formerly belonging to the villages of Qumya and Tamra.
In 1921, when the land was sold by the Sursocks, the nine families who lived here petitioned the new British administration for perpetual ownership, but were only offered a short lease with an option to buy, and the land was instead acquired by the Jewish community as part of the Sursock Purchases.
Named the "Nuris Bloc" after a nearby Arab village, the area was bought by the Zionism activist Yehoshua Hankin through the Palestine Land Development Company.
In 1921, members of the Gdud HaAvoda "Work Battalion", at a time when their road work was decreasing, set up a work camp in the Harod Valley, the eastern extension of the Jezreel Valley, at the foot of Mount Gilboa. "Tel Yosef", Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2008, The Gale Group, via Jewish Virtual Library "Gedud ha-Avodah", Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2008, The Gale Group, via Jewish Virtual Library In 1921, 35 young people from the Gdud pitched tents at the Harod Spring. Ein Harod Meuchad Gems in Israel, February 2004
Shlomo Lavi, among the leaders of the Gdud, had envisioned the "Big Kvutza", a settlement consisting of several farms spread on vast terrain with both agriculture and industry. His plan was approved by the World Zionist Organization, but with some limitations on his detailed vision. The Gdud began this settlement near the Ain Jalut which was known to Jews as Ein Harod. Yehuda Kopolevitz Almog, one of the Gdud's leaders, describes that in the first day the settlers set up tents and began enclosing their camp with barbwire and defensive trenches. (1998). 9789650509460, Ministry of Defensive. ISBN 9789650509460 The group began to farm land which the Palestine Land Development Company had purchased from the Arab village of Nuris, in the eastern part of the Jezreel Valley. The Founding Myths of Israel, Zeev Sternhell The Gdud members worked here at draining the swamps, a permanent source of malaria.
The first 74 members pioneers were split into two groups. One of the Second Aliyah, former members of Hashomer and Kvutzat Kinneret, and the other from the Third Aliyah. In the first months, the settlers sowed fields, planted a eucalyptus grove, paved roads and dried swamps.
A young Jewish engineer arrived, explaining the major and minor canals of the valley. A team of surveyors then designated which major and minor canals would be dug. The canals were then dug by the Labor Brigade pioneers. Clay pipes are laid that absorb the infested waters of the marshes. The draining project dried the swamps, largely eliminating the mosquitoes and the scourge of malaria. In their place fertile fields emerged. (2025). 9780385521703, Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 9780385521703
An Ulpan, a school for learning Hebrew was set up in the camp. In December 1921, a second farm called Tel Yosef (after Joseph Trumpeldor) was established by members of the Gdud on the hill of Qumya. Disagreements on funds and internal politics have led Ein Harod and Tel Yosef to part ways in 1923, with many members leaving the former for the latter. The group that remained in Ein Harod included 110 members and was headed by Lavi, Yitzhak Tabenkin, Aharon Zisling and David Maletz. The group at Ein Harod continued to get little support from the Zionist organizations and after the 1929 Palestine riots, the members chose to move their camp from the area of the spring to the hill of Qumya, next to Tel Yosef and thus the settlement at the spring was abandoned. Two-thirds of the group are believed to have resettled at Tel Yosef. (2025). 9789657184349, Mapa Publishing. ISBN 9789657184349 While it's sometimes considered that Ein Ḥarod was founded in 1921 and Tel Yosef in 1923, together they formed one farming unit. The spring continued to be used as a camp site for the pioneers of Beit HaShita and Dovrat before their departure to their permanent locations. (2025). 9789650708948, Keter Publishing House, Ministry of Defense, Yedioth Aharonoth. ISBN 9789650708948 (2025). 9789652202635, Ministry of Defense. ISBN 9789652202635
According to a census conducted in 1922 by the British Mandate authorities, Ein Harod had a population of 244 Jews.
Ein Harod became the organizational headquarters of the movement. In 1926, during a breakup of the Gdud HaAvoda along ideological faultlines separating the Marxists from the more moderate leftists, Ein Harod and Tel Yosef ceased their close cooperation.
On 17 April 1926, the Jewish American violinist, Jascha Heifetz performed for the pioneers at a concert in the kibbutz. (2025). 9780385521703, Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 9780385521703
The village played an important role in the defence of the area during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, known by the Jews of the era as "the disturbances," during which it was the base of Orde Wingate's Special Night Squads. In 1945 the Haganah had a small prison there in which they detained members of the Irgun during the Season. However, on 29 June 1946, as part of Operation Agatha, the British army occupied the kibbutz by force. By 1947 it had a population of 1,120.
In 1949, the village of Gidona was also established near to the spring for Jewish immigrants from Yemen.
houses a collection of archaeology and artifacts related to local history of the area.
|
|
