Mesilot

Messilot (Hebrew: מְסִלּוֹת, מסילות‎, lit. Tracks) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Beit She'an Valley near the city of Beit She'an, it falls under the jurisdiction of Valley of Springs Regional Council. In 2019 it had a population of 433.[1]

Messilot
Messilot
Coordinates: 32°29′42.71″N 35°28′27.84″E
CountryIsrael
DistrictNorthern
CouncilValley of Springs
AffiliationKibbutz Movement
Founded22 December 1938
Founded byBulgarian and Polish Hashomer Hatzair members
Population
 (2019)[1]
433
Websitehttp://messilot.net

History
Mesilot, June 1939
Mesilot. 1 January 1946

The community was initially formed as an urban kibbutz in Givat Michael near Ness Ziona by immigrants from Polish Republic (who were members of the "BaMesilah" group from which the kibbutz takes its name) and Bulgaria (members of the "Bulgaria - Tel Hai group"), with both groups belonging to the Hashomer Hatzair movement.

The kibbutz itself was established on 22 December 1938 as a tower and stockade settlement. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the kibbutz was bombed by an Iraqi aeroplane. One member of the kibbutz was killed in the bombing, and some other members were injured.

On 16 April 1957 two guards of the kibbutz were killed by Palestinian terrorists who came from the West Bank, then part of Jordan.

Economy

Mesilot is the home of Wire Ropes Works Messilot Ltd., one of the largest producers of wire rope in Israel and the Middle East.[2] The kibbutz also engages in various forms of agriculture, including livestock (milking cows and raising chickens), a fishery, an orchard, plantings of olives and dates, and other vegetables.[3]

Education

1st to 6th grade

The children of the kibbutz are educated in the regional school within the kibbutz, which also serves children from the nearby kibbutzim Reshafim, Nir David, Beit Hashita, Sde Nahum and Beit Alfa.

School for children with autism

Next to the elementary school, based on the donation of Yehudit ben Moshe (who was a member of Mesilot and the first principal of its school), a special school was founded for children with autism.

7th to 12th grade

Healthy children from grades 7 through 12 used to be educated at the Gilboa School, which was founded next to Kibbutz Beit Alfa and was run jointly by Mesilot, Reshafim, Nir David and Beit Alfa. In 2005 this school was closed, so the students of Mesilot transferred to the regional school at Neve Eitan.

Sports

The club was home to a football team, which was sponsored by the local Wire Works factory and played under the name Hapoel Kvalim Mesilot.[4] In 2009 the team was merged with Hapoel Beit She'an to form Hapoel Beit She'an Mesilot,[5] which play its home games in nearby Beit She'an.

Notable residents

References
  1. "Population in the Localities 2019" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  2. "חרושת כבלים מסילות בע"מ". www.messilot.co.il. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
  3. "קיבוץ מסילות, עמק המעיינות". www.homee.co.il. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
  4. דרבי הקבוצות הקיבוציות בכדורגל חוזר Tomer Rona, 7 September 2008 MyNet (in Hebrew)
  5. לתשומת לב אוהדי הפועל ת"א: בית שאן חוזרת One, 22 July 2009 (in Hebrew)
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