Gezer (kibbutz)
Gezer
| |
|---|---|
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  Gezer | |
| Coordinates: 31°52′31.07″N 34°55′17.03″E / 31.8752972°N 34.9213972°E | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Central |
| Council | Gezer |
| Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Founded by | European immigrants |
| Population (2022)[1] | 318 |
Gezer (Template:Lang-he-n) is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located in the Shephelah between Modi'in, Ramle and Rehovot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 318.[1]
History
The kibbutz was established in 1945 on land purchased by the Ancient Order of Maccabeans in England,[2] a philanthropic society founded in 1896.[3] The land had traditionally belonged to the Palestinian village of Al-Qubab.[4]
The pioneers were immigrants from Europe, who named the kibbutz after the biblical city of Gezer (Joshua 21:21Template:Bibleverse with invalid book), identified as a tell (archaeological mound) located nearby.[5]
On 10 June 1948, the day after an attempt to take Latrun was performed by Yiftah and Harel brigades during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, a battalion-size force of the Arab Legion, supported by irregulars and a dozen of armored cars, attacked the kibbutz. This was defended by 68 Haganah soldiers. After four hours of battle, the kibbutz fell. 39 defenders were killed, a dozen escaped, and the remaining were taken prisoner. Two Arab legionnaires were killed. At the evening, the kibbutz abandoned to the irregulars was taken back by two Palmach squads.[6]
After the war it was rebuilt, but came apart in 1964 due to social difficulties. The current kibbutz was founded on 4 July 1974, by a Gar'in from North America.
Kibbutz Gezer Field is one of the few regulation baseball fields in Israel.[5] Construction of the field in 1983, funded by American donors, took six weeks. The first game was played within a few months. A backstop, covered benches for players and a refreshment stand were added at a later date. In 1989, a scoreboard and outfield fence were erected for the Maccabiah Games.[7]
Since 2014, a red-hair event has been held at the Kibbutz for the local Israeli red hair community.[8] However, the number of attendees has to be restricted due to the risk of rocket attacks, leading to anger in the red-hair community.[9]
Notable residents
- Alon Leichman, baseball player and coach
See also
- Gezer (biblical city) and the Sack of Gezer
- Gezer calendar - ancient artifact
- Israel Baseball League
References
- ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Encyclopedia Judaica, Volume 7, Gezer, p.536.
- ^ Order of Ancient Maccabeans Jewish Virtual Library
- ^ Khalidi, W. (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. p. 407. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
- ^ a b Mapa's concise gazetteer of Israel (in Hebrew). Yuval Elʻazari (ed.). Tel-Aviv: Mapa Publishing. 2005. p. 108. ISBN 965-7184-34-7.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Benny Morris, 1948, (2008), pp.229-230.
- ^ Out there: Kibbutz Gezer; King Solomon's Nines New York Times, 23 August 1992
- ^ "Israel holds first conference for 'gingers'". Al-monitor.com. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ Finally, a Red Alert This Summer That (Most) Israelis Welcomed Roy Arad, Haaretz.com, August 30, 2014