Ein Dor

Ein Dor

Ein Dor's water tower.
Hebrew עין דור
Founded 1948
Founded by Hashomer Hatzair
Council Jezreel Valley
Region Lower Galilee
District North
Affiliation Kibbutz Movement
Coordinates
Ein Dor

Ein Dor (Hebrew: עֵין דּוֹר‎‎, lit. Dor Spring) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Lower Galilee, it falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 688.

History

Ein Dor was founded in 1948 by members of the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. The founders were from Israel, Hungary and the United States, and were joined later by members from South America.

The kibbutz is named for Endor, a village mentioned in the Bible - an accordance with the common Zionist practice of bestowing Biblical names on modern communities and towns. After the death of prophet Samuel, King Saul comes to Endor to meet a woman medium (the Witch of Endor) who helps him to contact the spirit of Samuel. The prophecy he receives is that his army will be vanquished and that he and his sons would die in battle. (Samuel 28:3-19). However, it is by no means certain that the kibbutz's location is anywhere near to where the Biblical village stood. An archeological museum located close to the main dining hall includes pre-historical findings from the kibbutz area.

Economy

The kibbutz's main source of income is the Teldor Cables and Wires factory. Other sources include agriculture, a pet clinic for injured dogs and cats in need of treatment, Dorli, the Refet (cow farm) and the Stables, which houses several horses.

Ein Dor members voted in 2003 to privatise the kibbutz. This meant moving the ideological approach of the kibbutz away from its original socialist principles of equality, collectivism and the Marxist ideal of "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need", which the kibbutz started up with. Instead, Ein Dor now holds mostly capitalist ideals, such as profit motivation and private ownership, and social equality now generally takes a back seat to improving the financial standing of the average person.

Leisure Activities

There are many places to enjoy on kibbutz, including the swimming pool, which opens in mid-May, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, a gym and a football pitch. Besides the standard activities, there's also many green areas to relax under the Oaks and Pine Trees which grow all over Ein Dor. On weekends, the kibbutz pub is opened for business. This facility includes a pool table, a disco hall, and drinks.