Sdot Yam
| Sdot Yam | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Sdot Yam | |
| Coordinates: 32°29′27″N 34°53′34″E / 32.49083°N 34.89278°ECoordinates: 32°29′27″N 34°53′34″E / 32.49083°N 34.89278°E | |
| District | Haifa |
| Council | Hof HaCarmel |
| Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
| Founded |
1936 (in the Krayot) 1940 (current location) |
| Founded by | Scouts |
| Population (2015)[1] | 969 |
| Website | www.sdot-yam.org.il |
Sdot Yam (Hebrew: שְׂדוֹת יָם, lit. Sea Fields) is a kibbutz in the Haifa District of Israel. Located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaCarmel Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 969.
It was founded in 1936 and moved to its present site at the southern border of the ancient city and archeological ruins of Caesarea, in 1940. The kibbutz falls under the jurisdiction of the Hof HaCarmel Regional Council.
History
Sdot Yam was established in 1936, in the region, just south of Haifa, called the Krayot. It was founded at the urging of David Ben-Gurion during the period when the British were refusing to allow Jews to enter Palestine. It was ostensibly based on fishing, but was, in reality, a base for Palyam, for smuggling in then-illegal immigrants. Yossi Harel, famous for the SS Exodus and three other such ships, is buried at Sdot Yam.[2]
In 1940 the kibbutz was moved to its present location to the south of Caesarea.[3] Its new residents were a gar'in from the Mahanot HaOlim youth group.
Economy
The kibbutz originally based its economy on fishing, but today concentrates on land-based agriculture. It manages a banana plantation, avocado trees, and a herd of dairy cattle. The kibbutz's major source of income is Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd., which engineers quartz surfaces under the Caesarstone brand name. In 2013, the kibbutz owned a 58 percent stake in the company, which makes stone counter tops for kitchens and bathrooms. Caesarstone is the largest company of its kind in the world.[4]
Landmarks
The Hannah Szenes house is a study center founded in the name of Hungarian-born Hannah Szenes and the paratroopers who left Mandate Palestine for war-torn Europe in 1944 to save Hungarian Jews.
Notable residents
- Shimshon Brokman (born 1957), Olympic competitive sailor
- Nola Chilton, theatre-director, acting teacher, winner of the Israel Prize for Theater, 2013
- Gal Fridman, Olympic gold-medal-winning windsurfer
- Aharon Megged, author and playwright
- Itzhak Nir (born 1940), Olympic competitive sailor
- Hannah Szenes, Special Operations Executive (SOE) paratrooper parachuted by the British Army into Yugoslavia during the Second World War to assist in the rescue of Hungarian Jews about to be deported to the German death camp at Auschwitz
References
- ↑ "List of localities, in Alphabetical order" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ↑ This Day in Jewish History 2008: Yossi Harel, the Real Person Behind Paul Newman’s Ari Ben-Canaan, Dies Haaretz, 26 April 2015
- ↑ Joseph Patrich (2011) Studies in the Archaeology and History of Caesarea Maritima: Caput Judaeae, Metropolis Palaestinae, BRILL, p1
- ↑ Israeli kibbutz to sell off marble firm for $600 million, Haaretz
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sdot Yam. |
- Official website (Hebrew)
- Hannah Szenes House