Kfar Giladi
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| Kfar Giladi | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1916 |
| Founded by | Hashomer members |
| Region | Upper Galilee |
| Industries | Agriculture, manufacturing, tourism |
| Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
| Website | www.kfar-giladi.org.il |
Kfar Giladi (Hebrew: כפר גלעדי, lit. Giladi Village) is a kibbutz in the finger of the Galilee panhandle of northern Israel. Located south of Metula on the Naftali Mountains above the Hula Valley and along the Lebanese border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council.
[edit] History
The kibbutz was founded in 1916 by members of Hashomer on land owned by the Jewish Colonization Association, and was named after Israel Giladi, one of the founders of the Hashomer movement. The area was subject to intermittent border adjustments between the British and the French, and in 1919, the British relinquished the northern section of the Upper Galilee containing Tel Hai, Metula, Hamra, and Kfar Giladi to the French jurisdiction. After the Arab attack on Tel Hai in 1920, it was temporarily abandoned. Ten months later, the settlers returned. Tel Hai was absorbed into Kfar Giladi in 1926.
On August 6, 2006, during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, twelve reserve IDF soldiers were killed after being hit by a katyusha rocket launched by Hezbollah from Southern Lebanon. The group of artillery gunners were gathering on the kibbutz in preparation for action in the conflict.
[edit] Economy
Kfar Giladi is home to several diverse industries, including agriculture, a quarry, nurseries, an eyewear factory (Galilee Optics, which closed in 2005) and a modern hotel.
The agricultural activities of the kibbutz include the growing of apples and avocados, the main crops that are considered a significant portion of the kibbutz's income. Volunteers are solicited to help pick the fruits during the harvest season along with kibbutz members.
Other crops include lychees, corn, cotton, wheat, and potatoes. Livestock includes chickens and daily cows, and fish ponds.
Several older buildings stand on the kibbutz that memorialize previous battles on the site, before and during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
The kibbutz's hotel is a modern facility with several three-story structures located close to a communal dining room and indoor and outdoor pools. Cafeteria and hotel workers include lifelong kibbutz residents and students from the nearby Tel Hai Academic College, Israel's northernmost institution of higher education. Some college staffers come up for a day or two a week from Tel Aviv and other points south and use the hotel for regular weekly lodging.
[edit] External links
- Official website (Hebrew)
- Kfar Giladi Jewish Agency for Israel
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