Zohar, Israel

Zohar זוהר, זֹהַר
Zohar
Coordinates: 31°35′43.27″N 34°41′32.1″E / 31.5953528°N 34.692250°ECoordinates: 31°35′43.27″N 34°41′32.1″E / 31.5953528°N 34.692250°E
Council	Lakhish
Region	Hevel Lakhish
Founded	1956
Founded by	Algerian and Tunisian Jews
Population (2008)	341[1]
Name meaning	Brightness

Zohar (Hebrew: זֹהַר, lit. Brightness) is a moshav in southern Israel near the town of Kiryat Gat. It is under the jurisdiction of Lakhish Regional Council. A large lake that serves as a reservoir lies near the town.

The moshav was founded in 1956 by Jewish immigrants from Algeria and Tunisia^[2] as part of the effort to settle Hevel Lakhish. In later years, new immigrants from Iraq, Russia, and Hungary settled there.

It was established on land that formerly belonged to the Arab village of al-Faluja. Its name signifies the desire of the inhabitants to be quickly absorbed in what was then a remote frontier region.

In the 1950s and 1960s the moshav was a target for terrorists who infiltrated into Israel from Gaza.

References

1. "Locality File" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2008. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
2. Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land. (3rd edition 1993) Jerusalem, Carta, p.485 , ISBN 965-220-186-3 (English)