Hatzerim (Hebrew: חֲצֵרִים, lit. Farmyards) is a kibbutz located 8 kilometers west of Beersheba in the Negev desert in Israel. It is named after the Bible (Deuteronomy 2:23)[1], mentionning a site nearby: "the Avvites who lived in farmyards as far as Gaza".
[edit] History
Established in October 1946 by a young group of scouts then later joined by refugees from Iran who were referred to as “The Children of Tehran”. They then learned agriculture and military training becoming part of the Haganah ground forces. In the 1960s the Hatzerim Airbase was built nearby.
[edit] Netafim
Netafim offices at Hatzerim.
Hatzerim was one of the first kibbutzim (pl.) to break the mould from traditional agriculture and start a business. Netafim is the kibbutz business that started in 1965, that designs, manufactures and distributes irrigation systems. The business is also run with two other kibbutzim, Magal and Yiftach. There are also factories around the world, California, USA, South Africa, Western Australia and more. Netafim soon became a world leader in their field as a multinational corporation that grosses over $300 million a year. [2]
[edit] References
[edit] Further reading
- Gavron, Daniel. The Kibbutz: Awakening from Utopia. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000.
[edit] External links
31°14′25.44″N 34°42′50.76″E / 31.2404°N 34.7141°E / 31.2404; 34.7141
