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119-769: HaZore'a is located on the western rim of the Jezreel Valley , surrounded by HaZore'a Forest to the south and west of the kibbutz, Yokneam Moshava to the north and the fields of the Jezreel Valley to the east. HaZore'a Forest is a section of the Ramot Manasseh Park planted on Menashe Heights by members of the kibbutz, working for the Jewish National Fund . The forest has around 20 million trees ( Eucalyptus , Pinus halepensis , Cupressus sempervirens , Ceratonia siliqua and more). In

238-469: A quality control centre ("Maba") and various field crops. HaZore'a is undergoing a complex process of change from the model of the traditional kibbutz, where everything is equally shared, to a more modern form of settlement. Essentially, HaZore'a still operates as a socialistic society, providing uniform living conditions to kibbutz members. Nevertheless, several changes of individualistic nature have already taken place, such as privatization of services like

357-582: A tell which cannot be seen from the surface. Seven strata were excavated, which date between the early Neolithic period and the late Ottoman period . A trial excavation took place in February 2007 followed by an excavation in August–September 2007 and another two in July–September 2010. After the excavations a new residential extension was built on top of the site. The earliest remains are from

476-462: A 20% stake (later increased to 25%) was sold to Kibbutz Gal'ed . In the 1980s, the kibbutz suffered from the 1983 bank stock crisis . In an attempt to save the kibbutz from bankruptcy, Tama began manufacturing plastic netting used for bundling crops and in the late 1980s the crisis ended. Several successful business moves by Tama in the early 1990s led the kibbutz to an era of economic prosperity and high quality of life. During that period, education in

595-590: A British-brokered ceasefire began during which the Jewish forces fortified the kibbutz and dug trenches around its perimeter. Although the Arab forces had not entered the kibbutz, Qawuqji reported that the kibbutz was captured and the "conquest of Mishmar HaEmek" was falsely celebrated in Arab newspapers, which also reported heavy casualties among the Jewish forces. The ALA sent terms to the Haganah, saying they would lift

714-524: A barrage from seven artillery pieces supplied by the Syrian army . During the shelling of the kibbutz, houses were destroyed, civilians, defenders, and animals were killed and the prominent school building was heavily damaged. A bomb shelter was later built there. On 6 April 1948, the women and children of the kibbutz were evacuated with the aid of the British to other settlements in the Jezreel Valley and

833-585: A carpentry shop was completed and all of the members moved to the land and began fencing their territory. In July 1936 the rest of the Gar'in members joined the kibbutz. In 1938 the kibbutz members decided to join the Kibbutz Artzi movement. In the wake of the slow evacuation process of the tenants, at one night in September 1936 the members expanded the kibbutz's boundaries, without obtaining permission from

952-537: A center of HaShomer HaTzair, especially after the Kibbutz Arzi movement chose to build their first regional school in the kibbutz. As a HaShomer HaTzair stronghold, the kibbutz housed many pioneers of other kibbutzim (see gar'in ) and instructed them before they established their own kibbutzim. In April 1948, during the 1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine , the kibbutz was the epicenter of

1071-416: A central part of the kibbutz's economy. The factory was created to provide work for the elderly, since at the time Mishmar HaEmek had the highest number of elderly residents among the entire Kibbutz Artzi network. That same year the kibbutz finished building a new large dining hall and kitchen, whose construction was delayed during the war. The dining room was Inaugurated in a day-long celebration that included

1190-649: A fierce battle. In the next days, troops of the Carmeli Brigade and the Palmach unit captured several other villages near Mishmar HaEmek and nearby Ein HaShofet , and destroyed them all. During the second phase of the war, on 24 December 1948 during the middle of Chanukah , Iraqi planes bombed the kibbutz, hitting the children's house, killing three 9-year-old children and a pregnant woman and injuring another four. Historian Yoav Gelber speculates that

1309-659: A growth of population in pre-existing villages. However, most of these settlements were established on the outskirts of the valley rather than within it. Between 1912 and 1925 the Sursock family (then under the French Mandate of Syria ) sold their 80,000 acres (320 km²) of land in the Vale of Jezreel to the American Zion Commonwealth for about nearly three-quarters of a million pounds. The land

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1428-635: A height of 50 meters above the valley below it. The site was surveyed in 1949 and 1975. Among the discoveries are the remains of an earth ramp around the mound dated to the Middle Bronze Age , and underground stores attributed to the Crusader period. Many coins bearing the name "Geva‘" were collected on and around the mound. The site contained potsherds of every historical period between the Middle Bronze Age and modern times. The mound

1547-490: A kibbutz member and guide for Ein HaShofet , was ambushed and murdered by residents of Al-Kafrayn . Two residents of Ein HaShofet who accompanied him were also killed in the attack. One of the shooters was caught and executed. In that period the Palmach (an elite force of the Jewish Haganah underground organization) used the trees in the nearby forest as cover for their main training camp and its fighters worked in

1666-645: A kibbutz. In early 1934, the first group of pioneers arrived in Palestine. The sixty members split into two groups who received agricultural training in Mishmar HaEmek of the Kibbutz Artzi movement, and Givat Haim of the Kibbutz Meuhad movement, to learn the difference between the two movements. On 15 April 1934 the group reunited and concentrated in a Kibbutzim site in Hadera , where they chose

1785-527: A name. In the meantime, the members who remained in Afula continued their work there paving roads and constructing the Great Synagogue of Afula. The construction of a synagogue raised some ideological issues for some of the members who were mostly secular socialists. On 26 August 1929, during the 1929 Palestine riots , the kibbutz was attacked by Arab rioters equipped with firearms. The members, with

1904-482: A nearby khan , from where they began preparing for agricultural work. In the next year, two mules were bought and 120 dunams of fields of wheat and barley were sowed. That time the members left the khan and began building the new settlement in its modern location, making history as a single Jewish settlement in this part of the valley. In November 1928 the kibbutz was renamed "Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek" as proposed by Menachem Ussishkin , after its members could not agree on

2023-618: A parade from the Menashe forest to Mishmar HaEmek in protest of the objection of Rabbi Elazar Shach to prevent a political coalition between the Haredi parties and the leftist parties which he described as "eaters of hares and swine" (non- Kosher food). Many leaders of the Israeli left participated in the parade including former politicians Ya'akov Hazan (91 years old at the time) and Emri Ron , both hailing from Mishmar HaEmek, Elisha Shapira

2142-492: A plastic factory called "Plastopil" and the carpentry shop was turned into a company called "HaZorea Furniture" The reparations from West Germany after the Holocaust helped in the construction of these facilities. The arrival of new groups continued after the establishment of Israel. In 1952, "Bnei Ephraim", a youth group from North Africa , aged 10 and 11 were educated in the kibbutz and some of them chose to stay. In 1956

2261-484: A play put on by Shulamit Bat-Dori , a member of the kibbutz, telling the biblical stories of kings Saul and Solomon while hinting contemporary kibbutz issues. Members of all age groups participated in the play. In May 1950 a village and ma'abara (immigrant transit camp) called Keren Yesha was established by the Jewish Agency for Yemeni Jews next to Mishmar HaEmek. It was located atop Tel Shush , where

2380-465: A playground by the kibbutz children, and before that, it was used as a shelter for Bedouin nomads during their voyages. Today the cave is a tourist attraction and educational site run by a member of the kibbutz. Mishmar HaEmek's cemetery is located on the outskirts of the kibbutz, next to the Palmach Cave. Members of the kibbutz from its past are buried in the cemetery, including five members of

2499-649: A reflection of the Valley's decline during the late Mamluk period. The Turabays were entrusted with securing the region and restoring its prosperity. After the fall of the Turabay Emirate, the Valley became contested space between the rulers of Acre and Nablus until taken over by Zahir al-Umar during the 1760s. In the late Ottoman era, the outskirts of the Jezreel Valley, within both the Nazareth and Shefa-'Amr nahiyas , had sparse populations. Malaria

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2618-480: A time of Jewish migration to the British -controlled Mandatory Palestine , the Jezreel Valley was the top priority of the Jewish National Fund (JNF). The fund wanted to settle the arable valley in order to establish a significant Jewish agricultural community and to create a contiguous bloc of Jewish settlements connecting Haifa with the existing bloc of Jewish settlements between Afula and Beit She'an . In 1924

2737-406: A total number of 1600 employees. In the factory the employees and executives who are residents of the kibbutz all earn the same, while non-kibbutz residents who are employed in the factory earn according to their work. Various services have developed in the kibbutz; some of them are operated privately by the kibbutz members, such as the "IDEA Information System", which provides software for 70% of

2856-468: A vineyard was planted. Some members of the kibbutz earned their living in Mishmar HaEmek 's bakery, forestry work for the Jewish National Fund and the construction of the Tegart's Wall . The British authorities agreed to expand the kibbutz's boundaries in hundreds of dunams. This allowed the kibbutz to build a chicken coop and develop the fruit and vine sectors. The first water well was drilled. Days after

2975-456: A youth group from Germany arrived to the kibbutz (1939) and later moved to Yakum ; a group of Werkleute members called "Mishmar HaDarom" moved to the kibbutz (1942) after they failed to integrate into Shamir ; a group of Werkleute members who participated in the Dutch resistance (November 1944); a youth group from Bulgaria (1947); a group called "Erez" from Syria and Lebanon who arrived during

3094-632: Is a green fertile plain covered with fields of wheat, watermelon, melon, oranges, white beans, cowpeas, chickpeas, green beans, cotton, sunflowers and corn , as well as grazing tracts for multitudes of sheep and cattle. The area is governed by the Jezreel Valley Regional Council . The Max Stern College of Emek Yizreel and the Emek Medical Center are located in the valley. According to the Hebrew Bible ,

3213-432: Is based on a collectivist structure where all assets are communally owned and all residents earn the same amount of money. Historically, the kibbutz has relied on agriculture as a key source of income. Today, the kibbutz's agricultural holdings include field crops, orchards, dairy cattle and poultry. </ref> The Tama factory, one of the main plastics factories of the kibbutzim movement, has replaced agriculture as

3332-695: Is home to the Wilfrid Israel Museum , an archaeology and art museum whose kernel is the Asian art collection of Wilfrid Israel . The museum was designed by Alfred Mansfeld . Significant Bronze Age archaeological finds, some displayed at Wilfrid, have been made on-site at Hazorea. Jezreel Valley The Jezreel Valley (from the Hebrew : עמק יזרעאל , romanized :  ʿĒmeq Yīzrəʿēl ), or Marj Ibn Amir ( Arabic : مرج ابن عامر , romanized :  Marj Ibn ʿĀmir ), also known as

3451-495: Is listed as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO . Two ancient settlements dating back to prehistoric times have been found in the vicinity of the kibbutz. Mishmar HaEmek is located in the southwestern part of the Jezreel Valley, between Highway 66 to its northeast and the foot of the Menashe Heights to its southwest. Mishmar HaEmek can be reached via Highway 66 off of the section between Megiddo and Yokneam . Next to

3570-590: Is possible to conceive." In the early 1900, the Ottomans constructed the Jezreel Valley railway which ran along the entire length of the valley. In the 1870s, the Sursock family of Beirut (present-day Lebanon ) purchased the land from the Ottoman government for approximately £20,000. This purchase, along with others, dispossessed local Bedouins and resulted in the creation of new tenant communities, as well as

3689-527: The Aliyah Bet (1947); a group of Hashomer Hatzair members from the United Kingdom (1948); a group of Holocaust surviving teenagers named "HaOgen" from Poland , Yugoslavia , Romania and Hungary (1948). After the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli war the territory of HaZore'a was increased in thousands of dunams, which allowed further development of the agriculture. In 1961 the kibbutz built

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3808-551: The Battle of Mishmar HaEmek , successfully repelling the first major offensive of the Arab Liberation Army commanded by Fawzi al-Qawuqji . The economy of the kibbutz has historically been focused on agriculture. Since 1950, it has also operated a plastics factory in partnership with Kibbutz Gal'ed , which has become a central part of the kibbutz's economy. The forest near the kibbutz was planted by its residents and

3927-587: The Ghassulian culture of the Chalcolithic Age (c. 4500–3300 BCE) to the Ayyubid periods of the 11–13th centuries CE. Biblical cities in the Jezreel Valley include Jezreel, Megiddo , Beit She'an , Shimron and Afula . There is a surviving detailed account of the earliest battle for the Jezreel Valley, the 15th-century BC Battle of Megiddo , to prove that it was fought in the valley. Due to

4046-503: The Israel Antiquities Authority . From the window of the building, Tel Shush can be seen. The collection was created by Ya'akov Padan, a member of the kibbutz. The artifacts were collected by members of the kibbutz throughout the years. In Mishmar HaEmek there is an archeological site in the location of a depopulated Palestinian village called Al-Ghubayya al-Tahta . The site covers about 40 dunams and contains

4165-524: The Knesset , many known personalities from the fields of culture and society and a few high-ranked military officers. Some of the people buried in the cemetery are not from the kibbutz but have some connection to it. Pinat HaGola ("Diaspora's Place") is a memorial site for the children murdered in the Holocaust . The monument was built by the sculptor Zeev Ben-Zvi between 1945 and 1947. He built it with

4284-813: The Neolithic , Chalcolithic , Middle and Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age were found. The kibbutz is the only one in Israel established by the German Werkleute movement, a Jewish socialist movement that sought to find alternatives for Jews in Germany, but in 1933, after the rise of Adolf Hitler , adopted a Labour Zionist vision of joining the Yishuv in Mandatory Palestine and establishing

4403-665: The Omride family . In Christian eschatology , the part of the valley on which the Battle of Megiddo was fought is believed to be the destined site of the penultimate battle between good and evil (with a later, final battle taking place 1,000 years later around Jerusalem ( Revelation 20:7–20:10 )), the place being known as Armageddon , a toponym derived from the Hebrew Har Megiddo , ' Mount Megiddo '. Archaeological excavations have indicated near continuous settlement from

4522-525: The Palestinian territories during the First Intifada . In 2010 the kibbutz decided, after a series of public meetings, to appoint a team of members to discuss the privatization of electricity, food, mail, barbershop and cosmetics. Other services were to be kept under the responsibility of the kibbutz, including healthcare, education and welfare. The dispute mainly concerned the privatization of

4641-533: The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period. Many flint tools such as sickle blades, arrowheads and knives have been found. An enclosure, paved by stones was found as well as at least eight burial sites: seven for adult males, one for an adult female. Some of the burials feature funerary offerings such as arrowheads, a leg of a wild bull and a pierced shell (probably a pendant). A sample of the animal bones reveals none of them were domesticated and almost half of

4760-758: The Valley of Megiddo , is a large fertile plain and inland valley in the Northern District of Israel . It is bordered to the north by the highlands of the Lower Galilee region, to the south by the Samarian highlands, to the west and northwest by the Mount Carmel range, and to the east by the Jordan Valley , with Mount Gilboa marking its southern extent. The largest settlement in

4879-507: The Youth Aliyah . In the following years, in addition to the school, the members also constructed a water tower, built a cowshed, planted a vineyard and various fruit trees and dug wells. The JNF wanted to cement the Jewish ownership over lands it had purchased. Because third of Mishmar HaEmek's territory consisted of rocky hills unsuited for agriculture it had a policy of planting forests and Mishmar HaEmek followed this policy and in

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4998-538: The "Children's House" and when completed it was among the biggest structures in the region and thus also nicknamed "the Big House". Its chosen location was on a hill overlooking the houses of the kibbutz, symbolizing the importance of education. The institution provided education to four other kibbutz communities that were established in the Jezreel Valley including Beit Alfa , Sarid , Mizra and Merhavia , later joined by children from Kibbutz Gan Shmuel and youth from

5117-399: The 1930s planted some 50,000 trees east of the kibbutz. The forest was also projected to provide material for local wood industry, and for decades provided a source of income for the kibbutz. Berta Guggenheimer was an activist who planned playgrounds all over the country and with her niece Irma Lindheim , a member of the kibbutz set up a children's playground in the kibbutz. In the 1930s there

5236-449: The 2008 census, 22% of the residents were under 17 years of age, 64% between 18 and 64, and 14% were over 65. The median age was 30. The number of residents born abroad decreased from 32.8% in 1972 to 20.9%. Out of these, 41.5% immigrated until 1960, 21.3% immigrated between 1961 and 1989, 24.7% between 1990 and 2001, and the remaining 12.5% after 2002. The average number of children born per woman decreased from 2.5 in 1972 to 1.7. 41.4% of

5355-604: The Arabs are not prejudiced by Jewish immigration. It is doubtful whether, in the matter of the Sursock lands, this Article of the Mandate received sufficient consideration." In 2006, the Israeli Transportation Ministry and Jezreel Valley Regional Council announced plans to build an international airport near Megiddo but the project was shelved due to environmental objections. Archaeological sites in

5474-493: The Iraqis wanted to attack Ramat David Airbase but hit the kibbutz instead. The kibbutz earned a name in Israel as the home of educators, authors, leaders, politicians and ministers. It also earned a name for being an important HaShomer HaTazir center. In 1950 the kibbutz established a plastics factory called Tama ( Hebrew : תעשיות משמר העמק , Ta' asiyot M ishmar Ha Emek , "Mishmar HaEmek Industries"), which in time became

5593-631: The JNF purchased lands owned by the Christian Lebanese Sursock family near Nahalal . Afterwards it decided to expand south and in 1926 purchased most of the land of Abu Shusha , where Bedouins and Turkmens lived. The pioneers of Mishmar HaEmek came to Mandatory Palestine during the Third Aliyah . They were Polish Jews from Galicia and were members of three groups who graduated from HaShomer HaTzair movement, one from

5712-520: The Jezreel Valley are currently excavated and coordinated by the Jezreel Valley Regional Project. In 2021, archaeologist from Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) led by researchers Tzachi Lang and Kojan Haku found in the village of Et Taiyiba an engraved stone from the late 5th century from the frame of an entrance door of a church, with a Greek inscription. The inscription reads, " Christ born of Mary . This work of

5831-620: The Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan Rift Valley rose, this connection was lost, and the periodic floods from the Mediterranean Sea ceased. This resulted in the Dead Sea no longer having a connection to the ocean, and over time, due to greater evaporation than precipitation plus surface water inflow, it has become heavily saline . The Sea of Galilee, on the other hand, consists of fresh water . The Jezreel Valley

5950-528: The Moshavim Movement, which held rival social and political views. In July 1951, Keren Yesha protested against negligence by the authorities and blocked the nearby road. The newspaper Davar , affiliated with the Mapai party, reported that the protest was organized by the members of Mishmar HaEmek affiliated with the rival Mapam party and also claimed they have denied water and medical treatment to

6069-403: The Roman period, a structure from the Roman period was also found. Some pottery dated to the early Byzantine period (3rd to 4th century CE) were found, which were probably used to fertilize the land and do not indicate any serious permanent settlement in that period. In the highest layer, a courtyard surrounded by several rooms, believed to be part of a large building was discovered. It is likely it

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6188-424: The Sharon region and the Valley, moving through the Manasseh Hills . Laurence Oliphant , who visited the Akko Sanjak valley area in 1887, then a subprovince of the Beirut vilayet , wrote that the Valley of Esdraelon (Jezreel) was "a huge green lake of waving wheat, with its village-crowned mounds rising from it like islands; and it presents one of the most striking pictures of luxuriant fertility which it

6307-449: The Valley') is a kibbutz in northern Israel . Located in the western Jezreel Valley , it falls under the jurisdiction of the Megiddo Regional Council . Mishmar HaEmek is one of the few kibbutzim that have not undergone privatization and still follow the traditional collectivist and socialist kibbutz model. In 2022, it had a population of 1,278. At least six former members of the Knesset hail from Mishmar HaEmek. The area

6426-421: The Wadi Rabah culture were found and dated the site to the Early Chalcolithic period. A tomb and several round or elliptical buildings from the Bronze Age period with an abundance of pottery were found, some with a resemblance to structures found near the city of Kiryat Ata . Pottery from the beginning of the Early Bronze Age and floors of poor dwellings from the Middle Bronze Age period were also found. From

6545-424: The account of an ancient Philistine victory at Jezreel derives from the monarchial source , in contrast to the republican source , which places the Philistine victory against the Israelites at Mount Gilboa ( 1 Samuel 28:4 , 1 Samuel 31:1–31:6 ). Another defeat was of King Josiah by the Egyptians ( 2 Kings 23:29 ). According to 2 Kings 9:1–9:10 , the Jezreel Valley was where Jehu massacred all members of

6664-410: The afternoon to labor, and the evening to cultural activities. Originally, the school was housed in temporary cabins. Later in 1931, the Kibbutz Artzi movement commissioned a large concrete building for the school which was planned and designed by Joseph Neufeld . It was built only in 1937 after the needed funds were raised. The construction was done by the kibbutz members to reduce costs. It was known as

6783-400: The aid of Arab policemen, managed to fend off the rioters. British policemen ordered the kibbutz to evacuate and promised to take care for their property, and so the members left the following day. On 28 August, Arab rioters burned the kibbutz's barn, uprooted trees, stole corn from the fields and vandalized two gravestones in the kibbutz's cemetery. It was the only time in its history where it

6902-414: The authorities. The agriculture in the kibbutz began to develop in the sectors of cattle, crops, nursery and vegetables. The members brought water to the kibbutz via horse-drawn carriage from Mishmar HaEmek . The financial hardships caused by the lack of land led the members to go work in Haifa as carriers, housewives and housekeepers. In 1937 a cowshed was established and first cows were purchased. In 1938

7021-407: The bones belonged to wild bulls. The remains of a large structure and pottery of the Yarmukian and Lodian cultures , dating to the Pottery Neolithic were uncovered. Remains of a Yarmukian culture included flint sickle blades, saws and arrowheads as well as a likely tomb with human bones, some inside a jar. Three rectangular-shaped stone rows were found and their use is unclear. Pottery belonging to

7140-478: The center of the kibbutz economy. In 2015 it was estimated that the company had an annual sales revenue of 1.5 billion NIS which rose to over 2 billion NIS by 2019 (shared with kibbutz Gal'ed ). The factory has about 250 workers, a quarter of which are kibbutz members. It manufactures plastic netting used for bundling crops. Tama is one of the biggest companies making this product and works with companies such as John Deere . It has factories in three countries with

7259-425: The command of Ahmad Attiyah Awad . Yusuf Abu Durra took over after Awad's death in March 1938. The attacks came in the form of repeated arson attacks on grain fields and forests. They were described by a member as a "crime greater than murder," as the burning of the wheat fields denied the members their main food source. Around 30,000 trees in the kibbutz's vicinity were destroyed and an enormous amount of property

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7378-474: The country, including HaZore'a , Ein HaShofet , Ramat HaShofet and Megiddo in the vicinity of Mishmar HaEmek. The residents of Mishmar HaEmek represented the more Arab-friendly and peace-oriented left-wing of the Israeli Labor Movement . Some of the movement's leaders, such as Mordechai Bentov and Ya'akov Hazan , hailed from the kibbutz. At the start of 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine , Mishmar HaEmek came under attack from nearby Arab militants under

7497-445: The dining room and the electricity utility. Another example is official recognition of certain "residency" statuses, which allow some populations to reside in the kibbutz without being part of the economic collective. HaZore'a is headed by the Secretariat with two officials in charge of social issues. The Community Council of 15 kibbutz members meets once a week to discuss matters needing further attention. The final decisive authority of

7616-502: The dining room. At the end of the discussions, most privatization initiatives were rejected and only a few minor changes that had no practical effect on the collective lifestyle were accepted. The extension has been constructed in four phases, three of whom are complete. As of 2020, a residential extension to the kibbutz's eastern side is under construction and is planned to include a total of 154 residential units, in residential buildings consisting of two apartments each. A southern part of

7735-422: The dispossessed made their way to the coast to search for new work with most ending up in shanty towns on the edges of Jaffa and Haifa . Following the purchase of the land, the Jewish farmers created the first modern-day settlements, founded the modern day city of Afula and drained the swamps to enable further land development of areas that had been uninhabitable for centuries. The first moshav , Nahalal ,

7854-440: The early Ottoman period , the Jezreel Valley was the core territory of the Turabay Emirate (1517–1683). The Valley's capital was initially at Lajjun , the center of an eponymous sanjak and one of Palestine 's provincial capitals during the 16th century. Around 1600, the seat of the Turabays moved to Jenin . In the early 16th-century Ottoman tax records, the Valley contained 38 villages, as well as 74 uninhabited mazra'a 's ,

7973-402: The establishment of the kibbutz the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt broke out, forcing the members to temporarily sleep at the carpentry shop, whose walls were covered in gravel. The members set up a watch tower made out of wood and following shootings by Arab gangs more guard posts were set around the place which were manned all day. In 1937 a spotlight was installed in the watchtower and a weapon storage

8092-411: The extension consists of 110 units and was approved in 2006, on the location of the village and archaeological site of Al-Ghubayya al-Tahta . The extension has been constructed in four phases, three of whom are complete. The second stage was approved in 2018 on the location of the old cowshed and includes an additional 44 housing units. Mishmar HaEmek is one of the wealthiest kibbutzim in Israel. It

8211-442: The farmers refused to leave their land, as in Afula (El-Ful), however the new owners decided that it would be inappropriate for these farmers to remain as tenants on land intended for Jewish labor. This was a commonplace feeling among segments of the Jewish population, part of a socialist ideology of the Yishuv , which included their working the land rather than being absentee landowners. British police had to be used to expel some and

8330-416: The first members of the kibbutz settled in 1926. The village was abandoned and the residents moved to Midrakh Oz in 1953. Political rivalries affected the relations between Mishmar HaEmek and Keren Yehsa. The Hed Ha-Mizrach newspaper described life in Keren Yesha two months after its establishment; the Yemeni immigrants lived in tents and although the residents claimed to be content, they also said that there

8449-462: The forest there are several recreation facilities such as paths to the Shofet River which leads to the Ein Ami spring and several lookouts. Ein Hashrat is a cave located next to the Ein Ami spring, used as a burial site, with tunnels and rooms containing inscriptions from the Roman and Byzantine periods and burial tombs dating as early as the late Bronze Age . East of the cave is the site of an ancient settlement called Tel Qiri , where remains from

8568-404: The gar'in had 80 members, but a year later, the number had been reduced to 65. In the summer of 1922 they moved to Nahalal in the Jezreel Valley where they participated in swamp drying and road paving. At Nahalal some members suffered from diseases and the lack of a stable livelihood. By early 1924, the member count was at 60 as old members left and new members joined. The main reason for leaving

8687-687: The gradual acquisition of the valley by Jewish land organizations, the Arabic name fell out of official use in favor of the biblical 'Jezreel Valley'. The valley once acted as the channel by which the Mediterranean Sea , at the north-western end of the valley, connected to the Sea of Galilee , the Jordan Valley and ultimately to the Dead Sea . About two million years ago, as the land between

8806-508: The head of Kibbutz Arzi, and Rafael Eitan and Hagai Meirom , both members of the Knesset (Israel's parliament). These events happened in the context of " The Dirty Trick ". In August 1990 some members of the kibbutz, as well as other members kibbutzim affiliated with the Kibbutz Artzi, signed a petition calling upon the kibbutzim movement to launch a non-violent protest against Israel Defense Forces actions against Palestinians in

8925-463: The immigrants after they decided to support Mapai. This report caused outrage among kibbutz members, who denied the accusations and claimed that the relations between both communities are good and that kibbutz provides the village with the support that the authorities fail to the deliver. Later, Davar issued an apology, saying it was a false report. In the 1970s, after the expansion of the Tama factory,

9044-542: The judges. The quantity of Philistine pottery within these sites is still quite small, which means that even if the Philistines did settle the valley they were a minority that blended within the Canaanite population during the 12th century BC. The Philistines seem to have been present in the southern valley during the 11th century, which may relate to the biblical account of their victory at the Battle of Gilboa . In

9163-465: The kibbutz and five other settlements study 1st to 6th grade. The school belongs to Megiddo Regional Council, and is part of the Israeli state education system. Another option, open to both Jews and non-Jews, is the volunteering program, offering a less obligating frame for young people to experience kibbutz life. There is also Garin Tzabar and lone soldier programs that reside on the kibbutz. HaZore'a

9282-547: The kibbutz and in October the attacks on the kibbutz ended. Poet and future Israeli politician Uri Zvi Greenberg criticized the members of Mishmar HaEmek for not taking matters into their hands after the attacks on their fields. In a poem he wrote about the events he changed the name of the kibbutz from "Mishmar HaEmek" (Guard of the Valley) to "Hefker HaEmek" (Abandonment of the Valley). On 2 February 1938 Abraham Goldschleger,

9401-505: The kibbutz established an ulpan ( Hebrew school) and some of its graduates chose to settle in the kibbutz. A group of Hashomer Hatzair members from the United States settled in the kibbutz in 1958 and 1959. During the 1950s it was a center of Hashomer Hatzair attempts to work with the local Arab population. HaZore'a industries include a plastics factory ("Plastopil"), a cowshed, an aquaculture complex ("HaZore'a Aquatics"),

9520-625: The kibbutz is the Mishmar HaEmek forest, planted by the Jewish National Fund and members of the kibbutz. It is a section of Megiddo Park (formerly named "Ramot Menashe park"), listed as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO . Flowing through Mishmar HaEmek is a tributary of the Kishon River , named after the kibbutz. In Arabic, the stream is known as Wadi Abu Shusha , after the Palestinian Arab village that used to exist near

9639-467: The kibbutz is the ballot, for which all members are eligible to vote. HaZore'a maintains a communal dining hall and an auditorium for cultural and communal activities, such as celebrating Jewish holidays . The kibbutz issues a weekly paper titled "Ba'sha'ar" (English: "At the gate"), which serves as a medium for a variety of material concerning everyday life in the kibbutz. HaZore'a is home to Plagim Elementary School (established 1991), where children from

9758-424: The kibbutz so not to raise suspicion by the British soldiers. In the fall of 1942, during World War II , Mishmar HaEmek was used as a training camp by the British army. 160 Jewish volunteers, who would later become members of the Palmach , were trained by Royal Engineers in sabotage and wireless operation. Several tons of explosives were hidden in caches in case the area came under German occupation. This program

9877-523: The kibbutz study in an elementary school in HaZore'a and then continue to Megiddo Secondary School near Ein HaShofet . Until the 1990s, students in grades 7-12 attended Shomeria secondary school. The complex of the Shomeria School continued to serve the kibbutz for informal education, and following a renovation it now houses offices and a library. The Palmach Cave is located on the outskirts of

9996-497: The kibbutz was reformed, the children's societies were abolished, and the pupils were moved to schools outside of the kibbutz. This allowed the kibbutz to extend existing houses and set up new neighborhoods. Prosperity led the kibbutz to increase the salaries of its members, to create personal funds for families, and to institutionalize culture and recreation activities thanks to the weekly labor days, reduced to five. On 1 April 1990 15,000 people (according to Maariv ) participated in

10115-516: The kibbutz, near the forest. It was used by the Palmach unit of the Jewish militia during the Intercommunal conflict in Mandatory Palestine . The cave was chosen by the Palmach upon its establishment in 1941, as a training site for the Palmach's special undercover units. The cave was also used for meetings between the commanders of the Palmach. Before it was used by the Palmach it was used as

10234-659: The kibbutz. It begins south of the kibbutz, between the hills of the Menashe Heights. Some of the waters also come from the Spring of Shulamit, also known in Arabic as Ayn As-Shaghara Al-Fauqa, meaning "Spring of the High Tree." The stream flows through the kibbutz into the Kishon River in the middle of the Jezreel Valley approximately 4 kilometers north of the kibbutz. During the Fourth Aliyah (1924–1928),

10353-410: The land earlier from Arab landlords from Haifa and Lebanon . On 3 December 1935 the community, which had 30 members, settled in a khan which was abandoned by the residents of Qira , located between Yokneam and the land purchased for the kibbutz. Because of the slow evacuation of the Arab tenants, the community first received a narrow plot of 70 dunams . On 15 April 1936 the construction of tents and

10472-647: The late Second Temple period , Josephus refers to both the Jezreel Valley and the Beit Netofa Valley as the "Great Plain". During the Mamluk period , the Jezreel Valley formed the southern part of Mamlakat Safad (the province of Safed). In the 14th century, it was inhabited by the Bani Haritha tribe of Yaman (southern Arab)-affiliated Bedouins , the progenitors of the Turabay dynasty . During

10591-408: The members built a structure used for laundry and public showers. In the next years the construction and development continue as children's houses and residential buildings were built. The kibbutz was connected to Mekorot 's water supply. On 6 September 1938, the British government issued an order that was supposed to allow the kibbutz and Yokneam to acquire the lands designated for the settlements on

10710-631: The most God-fearing and pious bishop [Theodo]sius and the miserable Th[omas] was built from the foundation. Whoever enters should pray for them." According to archaeologist Dr. Walid Atrash, Theodosius was one of the first Christian bishops and this church was the first evidence of the Byzantine church’s existence in the village of Et Taiyiba. 32°35′47″N 35°14′31″E  /  32.59639°N 35.24194°E  / 32.59639; 35.24194 Mishmar HaEmek Mishmar HaEmek ( Hebrew : מִשְׁמַר הָעֵמֶק , lit.   'Guard of

10829-417: The museums in Israel, including Yad Vashem . In 2019 the kibbutz finalized a deal with the kibbutzim of Evron and Sa'ar to buy a quarter of their share of a company called Bermad , estimated to be worth around 450 million NIS. The company manufactures water control products that are provided to over 70 other companies, with annual revenue of half a billion NIS, employing around 700 workers. According to

10948-657: The name HaZore'a . In Hadera the members established a tents and shacks camp, and they earned a living in Hadera's orchards, construction and laundry. The Jewish National Fund chose an area of 3,500 dunams next to the moshava of Yokneam on the foot of the Menashe Hills and Mount Carmel , as the location for the kibbutz and a fund was raised in Germany to purchase the land from the Palestine Land Development Company , which purchased

11067-468: The plain region, blocked by Arab militants during the Arab Revolt. The British sent a large police and military force and the boundaries of both settlements was increased. HaZore'a received an additional 500 dunams. The order solved the land problem for HaZorea once and for all. The kibbutz began absorbing Jewish groups which enriched its social fabric with a wide range of cultural views and languages:

11186-518: The presence of Philistine pottery in northern Israel to their role as mercenaries for the Egyptians during their military administration of the land in the 12th century BCE. This presence may also indicate further expansion of the Philistines to the valley during the 11th century BCE, or their trade with the Israelites . There are biblical references to Philistines in the valley during the times of

11305-553: The purchase of the valley, noting the high prices paid and land occupants receiving compensation not legally bound. The responsibility of the Mandate Government for "soreness felt (among both effendi and fellahin ) owing to the sale of large areas by the absentee Sursock family" and the displacement of Arab tenants; noted that, "the duty of the Administration of Palestine to ensure that the rights and position of

11424-455: The region was called after one of its well known sites, the Ayn Jalut spring. Marj Bani Amir became the official administrative name of the district which encompassed the valley from early Ottoman rule (1517–1917). A common variant of this name is Marj Ibn ʿĀmir ( Arabic : مرج ابن عامر ), lit.   ' Meadows of the son of Amir ' . With the advent of British rule in 1917 and

11543-404: The residents older than 15 worked in manufacturing, 16.4% in education, 11.6% in agriculture, 7.9% in community, social, personal and other services, and 5.4% in real estate, renting and business activities. 9.8% of the residents older than 15 worked outside of the locality. Mishmar HaEmek has a secular Jewish community. Early childhood education is provided at Mishmar HaEmek. The children of

11662-399: The siege of the kibbutz, regroup and move toward Haifa if the Jewish forces would not retaliate against the nearby Arab villages in return. The Jewish forces declined the offer and the Arab offensive resumed on 8 April. In the night between 8–9 April, the Jewish forces launched a counter-attack under the command of Yitzhak Sadeh and captured the nearby Arab village of Al-Ghubayya al-Fawqa in

11781-432: The students of the kibbutz and it was the earliest memorial site for the Holocaust in Israel. During the battle of Mishmar HaEmek in 1948, the site was damaged by a shell, but Zeev Ben-Zvi refused to repair it. The main site next to Mishmar HaEmek is Tel Shush , which is just north of the kibbutz's buildings. It is a tell with an area of 40 dunams (10 acres) situated on one of the Menashe Heights hills. The mound rises to

11900-507: The surrounding terrain, Egyptian chariots were only able to travel from Egypt as far as the Jezreel Valley and the valley north of Lake Huleh . In the western part of the Jezreel Valley, 23 of the 26 Iron Age I sites (12th to 10th centuries BCE) yielded typical Philistine pottery. These sites include Tel Megiddo , Tel Yokneam , Tel Qiri , Afula , Tel Qashish , Be'er Tiveon, Hurvat Hazin, Tel Risim, Tel Re'ala, Hurvat Tzror, Tel Sham , Midrakh Oz and Tel Zariq. Scholars have attributed

12019-558: The town of Afula and two from the Jerusalem area. On 21 January 1922, they, along with some unaffiliated people, joined together in the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood of Haifa to form the gar'in ( Hebrew : גרעין , lit . "Seed/Grain") of a future settlement. It was initially named "Kibbutz Bet" ( Bet is the second letter in Hebrew . "Kibbutz Aleph " of the movement later became the kibbutz of Beit Alfa ). At its formation

12138-450: The town of Hadera . Another group settled between 1937 and 1938 and later established the kibbutz of Hatzor in 1946. By 1947, Mishmar HaEmek had a population of 550. The Jewish National Fund and Worton Hall Studios made a 1947 movie called The Great Promise ( Dim'at Ha'Nehamah Ha'Gedolah ), and a number of scenes were filmed in the kibbutz. In total, until 1957, the kibbutz instructed some 16 groups who established kibbutzim all over

12257-474: The valley is Marj Bani Amir ( Arabic : مرج بني عامر , romanized :  Marj Banī ʿĀmir ), which translates as the 'Meadow of the Banu Amir ', an Arab tribe, parts of which took up abode in the valley after the 7th-century Muslim conquest . The name was increasingly used in Arabic texts to refer to the region as an administrative unit during the late Mamluk period (1260–1517). In earlier Arabic texts,

12376-452: The valley is the city of Afula , which lies near its center. The Jezreel Valley takes its name from the ancient city of Jezreel (known in Hebrew as Yizre'el; יזרעאל ‎; known in Arabic as Zir'ēn , زرعين ) which was located on a low hill overlooking the southern edge of the valley. The word Jezreel comes from the Hebrew, and means "God sows" or " El sows". The Arabic name of

12495-773: The valley was the scene of several battles with the Israelites . A victory was led by Deborah and Barak against the Canaanites ( Judges 4 ). Another was led by Gideon against the Midianites , the Amalekites , and "the children of the East" ( Judges 6:3 ). It was later the location at which the Israelites, led by King Saul , were defeated by the Philistines ( 1 Samuel 29:1–29:6 ). According to textual scholars ,

12614-450: Was abandoned, and it joined 16 other Jewish communities that were also abandoned during the riots. Unlike others, Mishmar HaEmek was resettled six days later. The evacuation was intended to protect human lives, but many saw it as abandonment. In early 1930 the rest of the members left Afula and joined the members in Mishmar HaEmek, which brought the population of the kibbutz to 101, with 85 adults and 16 children. In 1931, Shomeria School

12733-614: Was acquired by the Jewish community as part of the Sursock Purchase . The kibbutz was established in 1926 by members of the HaShomer HaTzair ("The Young Guard") movement, who mostly came from Europe to Mandatory Palestine during the Third Aliyah . It was the first Jewish settlement in the southern part of the Jezreel Valley, built as part of Jewish National Fund efforts to settle the valley. It quickly became

12852-421: Was an arrangement to allow Arab children from the nearby villages to visit and play with the kibbutz children making it a unique place for the kibbutzim movement. In the 1930s, Mishmar HaEmek absorbed two separate groups of HaShomer HaTzair. The first group had 17 people and was from the United States and first settled in the kibbutz in 1931. In 1933 their number rose to 30 and in 1934 they moved to an area near

12971-482: Was built in the tower's first floor with permission from the authorities. During World War II members of the kibbutz served in the British Army and the Palmach . The kibbutz was used during the war as a paratrooper training camp. In 1937, the members built the first fortified concrete building: the kitchen. A shack was set up and used as a dining room. The members began paving roads around the kibbutz. In 1938,

13090-408: Was established. It was the first regional educational institution of the Kibbutz Artzi movement . It operated as a boarding school and put into practice HaShomer HaTzair's socialist ideology, creating an independent "children's society." The pupils saw their parents only on holidays or special visiting days throughout the year. The children had a daily schedule, with the morning devoted to education,

13209-460: Was eventually terminated and orders were issued for the collection of all equipment and explosives to be returned to the British. During the 1947–48 civil war , the kibbutz came under full-scale attack by the Arab Liberation Army (ALA) on 4 April 1948. The leader of the ALA, Fawzi al-Qawuqji , planned to seize Mishmar HaEmek to control the route between Jenin and Haifa . The attack began with

13328-515: Was formed in the town of Hadera in 1924. The unification ceremony was performed like a Jewish wedding , in which the "groom" (Kibbutz Bet) and the "bride" (Kibbutz Dalet), were betrothed and a Ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) was read in front of the crowd. On 3 November 1926, the members (numbering 90 after the unification) were given the land next to the Abu Shusha . Initially, only 15 men and women left Afula to Abu Shusha and settled in

13447-524: Was identified by Israeli geographers and archaeologists as Geva‘ Parashim from the time of the Hasmonean dynasty , Gaba Philippi from the rule of the Roman Empire , or Geva, which appears in the list of cities conquered by 15th century BCE Egyptian king Thutmose III . Artifacts from Tel Shush are displayed in a permanent, free-access exhibition prepared by members of the kibbutz and with aid from

13566-514: Was lost. There were no direct attacks on the kibbutz itself, but almost every night there were stray shots fired in its direction. Many of the kibbutz men had to spend time guarding instead of working the fields. British High Commissioner Arthur Grenfell Wauchope visited the kibbutz and appointed 15 members as armed guards; however, in August 1936, the situation worsened when the attacks became more frequent. The British government sent 60 soldiers to

13685-538: Was not enough support by the authorities. The newspaper Al HaMishmar , affiliated with the Kibbutz Artzi movement, reported in 1950 that the kibbutz helped the new community and provided a number of services to the new immigrants. The newspaper reported that the Moshavim Movement , which was officially responsible for Keren Yesha, asked that the kibbutz would cease its aid and told the residents that they need to choose between either aid from Mishamr HaEmek or

13804-493: Was purchased by the Jewish organization as part of an effort to resettle Jews who inhabited the land, as well as others who came from distant lands. After the land was sold to the American Zion Commonwealth, some of the Arab farmers who lived in nearby villages and had been working for the absentee landowners were given financial compensation or were provided with land elsewhere. Despite the sale, some of

13923-474: Was settled in this valley on 11 September 1921. After the widespread Arab riots of 1929 in the then British Mandate of Palestine , the Hope Simpson Enquiry was appointed to seek causes and remedies for the instability. The Commission's findings in regard to "Government responsibility towards Arab cultivators", was that the Jewish authorities "have nothing with which to reproach themselves" in

14042-486: Was the difficulty of trying to adjust to the kibbutz lifestyle. Some left because they wished to continue their academic career, others because of family issues and some because of ideological opposition. In 1925 the kibbutz, which then consisted of 60 adults and six children, moved to Afula , where they did road paving and worked in construction. In Afula, the kibbutz united with another HaShomer HaTzair gari'n called "Kibbutz Dalet " (the fourth letter in Hebrew ), which

14161-454: Was widespread, particularly in the plains, notably in the vicinity of the Kishon River and its tributaries. This disease drove away many locals, allowing Bedouins to fill the void. In drought years, Bedouins from the ghor even encroached into lands cultivated by the fellahin , covering the area with their tents. The "permanent" nomads, Bedouins of Turkmen descent, resided in the Jezreel Valley during summer and autumn, then wintered between

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