Bitzaron

Bitzaron
Bitzaron
Coordinates: 31°47′44.52″N 34°43′27.84″E / 31.7957000°N 34.7244000°E / 31.7957000; 34.7244000Coordinates: 31°47′44.52″N 34°43′27.84″E / 31.7957000°N 34.7244000°E / 31.7957000; 34.7244000
Council Be'er Tuvia Regional Council
Region South-central Israel
Affiliation Moshavim Movement
Founded 1935
Founded by Soviet refuseniks
Bitzaron is also a neighborhood in south Tel Aviv.

Bitzaron (Hebrew: בִּצָּרוֹן, eng. Stronghold) is a moshav in the South District of Israel and part of the Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. It is located on local road 3811, between Gan Yavne and Bnei Ayish. The moshav's population is approximately 1,000,[1] and its area is about 5,000 dunams (5 km2).

Bitzaron was founded in 1935, by Soviet refuseniks, on JNF lands, with the help of Keren Hayesod. In a book about Jewish villages in Palestine, the JNF says that Bitzaron was founded in 1939 by the Tel Hai group, and that in 1947 the population was 175.[2] A second wave of residents, including recently demobilized soldiers and their families arrived shortly after the Israeli War of Independence. They were settled along a road, called Soldiers' Street, running west from the center of the moshav. A third wave of new residents, many of whom were new immigrants from Bulgaria, were settled along a road that runs east from the center.[3]

Its name was taken from the Book of Zechariah 9:12:[4] "Return to your stronghold, you prisoners of hope."

During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Bitzaron was on the front lines in the battle against the Egyptian army, and was bombarded by the Egyptian air force. The women and children of the village were evacuated to Rishon LeZion and Ness Ziona, while the men stayed to fight.

Economy

Bitzaron's economy is based on agriculture and dairy farming. The moshav has numerous citrus groves.

It is also notable for its buffalo dairy, founded by Irit and Hagai Treister, which also serves as a tourist attraction and contains a number of ad hoc facilities.[5] The buffalo herd was imported from Italy in 1995.[6]

Notable residents

References

  1. ↑ "Table 3 - Population of Localities Numbering Above 1,000 Residents and Other Rural Population" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  2. ↑ Jewish National Fund (1949). Jewish Villages in Israel. Jerusalem: Hamadpis Liphshitz Press. p. 26.
  3. ↑ http://www.files.org.il/BRPortalStorage/a/11/61/69-hTsgSF5gKw.doc
  4. ↑ HaReuveni, Immanuel (1999). Lexicon of the Land of Israel (in Hebrew). Miskal - Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books. p. 155. ISBN 965-448-413-7. (Hebrew)
    Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land. (3rd edition 1993) Jerusalem, Carta, p.123 , ISBN 965-220-186-3 (Englisch)
    Place Names in Israel. A Compendium of Place Names in Israel compiled from various sources. Translated from Hebrew, Jerusalem 1962 (Israel Prime Minister’s Office. The Israeli Program for Scientific Translations) p.36 (Location of the book: Ben Zvi Institute Library, 12 Abarbanel St., Jerusalem; in the online-catalogue: )
  5. ↑ "Buffalo farm - Treister's farm - Moshav Bitzaron" (in Hebrew). 2008-01-29. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  6. ↑ "The Buffalo Farm - About Us" (in Hebrew).
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