Nir Hen

Nir Hen נִיר חֵ"ן
Nir Hen
Coordinates: 31°36′35.27″N 34°42′55.07″E / 31.6097972°N 34.7152972°ECoordinates: 31°36′35.27″N 34°42′55.07″E / 31.6097972°N 34.7152972°E
Council	Lakhish
Founded	1955–1956
Founded by	Immigrants from North Africa
Population (2008)	397[1]
Name meaning	Meadow of the 58

Nir Hen (Hebrew: נִיר חֵ"ן, lit. Meadow of the 58 (ח"ן is 58 in Gematria)) is a moshav in Hevel Lakhish in south-central Israel. Nir Hen is a member of the Lakhish Regional Council.

Nir Hen is located about 1 km west of Shahar and 4 km west of Kiryat Gat.

The moshav was founded in 1956. Its name is in memory of the 58 passengers who traveled on El Al Flight 402 that was shot down over the skies of Bulgaria about a year before the community was founded. The community was originally settled by immigrants from North Africa, and later other immigrants and native Israelis joined them.

The moshav was built, in part, on lands of a former Arab municipality, whose residents fled during the 1948 war.

Notable residents

• Avri Ran

References

1. "Locality File" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2008. Retrieved 2010-06-22.