Kibbutz Ein Gev

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Kibbutz Ein Gev (2005)

Kibbutz Ein Gev (or En Gev) is an Israeli kibbutz located along the eastern shore of Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) in northern Israel. Tourism and agriculture comprise its two main income-generating activities.

While its picturesque lakeside location and fertile soil provide the kibbutz with prime natural resources, nearby archeological sites such as the ruins of the Greco-Roman settlement of Hippos on the neighboring hilltop of Sussita also add historical attraction.

Kibbutz Ein Gev came into being on 6 July 1937 during the British Mandate of Palestine as a tower and stockade settlement, a common debut for many kibbutzim during that era, and quickly established itself as a viable community. Its situation along a border initially shared with a hostile Syria, however, often exposed it to dangers which were only eliminated when Israel succeeded in permanently displacing Syrian military forces from the neighboring Golan Heights in the 1967 Six Day War.

The kibbutz today comprises about 250 members from a variety of cultural backgrounds. It has also been a favorite of international "volunteers" who sojourn on kibbutzim as temporary residents and field hands, immersing themselves in both the social and agricultural aspects of kibbutz life. Ein Gev remains very much a functioning agricultural enterprise.

Notable past and present members of the Kibbutz include: Teddy Kollek, a founding member of Kibbutz Ein Gev who went on to become Jerusalem's singular mayor (1965-1993); Israel Defense Forces general and current Member of Parliament Efraim Fine; Zeev Shor, former chairman of the Jordan Valley Regional Council and current chairman of the United Kibbutz Movement; and Uzi Keren, advisor to the Prime Minister on rural affairs.