Afikim

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Afikim
Founded	1932
Founded by	Russian members of Hashomer Hatzair
Region	Jordan Valley
Industries	Agriculture, manufacturing
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement

Afikim (Hebrew: אפיקים‎) is an Israeli kibbutz affiliated with the Kibbutz Movement located in the Jordan Valley within three kilometers of the Sea of Galilee, and within the jurisdiction of the Emek HaYarden Regional Council.

[edit] History

Russian Jews affiliated with the Hashomer Hatzair movement were initially organised in 1924 and settled in the area of Wazia in the Upper Galilee. In 1932 the group moved to its current location on a tract of land belonging to Degania Bet, where it continued to absorb groups of ideological European Jews (Gar'in).

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War the kibbutz was a stronghold of Palmach activity, and was afterwards a centre for training Nahal soldier-farmers.

During the split of the Kibbutz Meuhad movement, Afikim, unlike many other kibbutzim, did not split up into two villages. Rather it joined the Mapai-affiliated faction which went on to found the Ihud Kibbutzim, and not the Communist-leaning group.

Afikim contains about 6,000 dunam of land, and is home to 1,400. The kibbutz grows bananas, Date Palms, and other subtropical flora, as well as cereals, and engages in fishing and dairy farming. It is also home to SAE Afikim, a dairy equipment company, and Afikim Electric Mobilizers, a producer of electric wheelchairs.

Yitzchak Tavori, leader of the 1930s anarchist group The Free Socialists, and Israeli painter Leo Roth are natives of Afikim. The name Afkim means riverbeds and refers to the Jordan River and its tributaries.