Sdot Yam

Sdot Yam (Hebrew: שְׂדוֹת יָם‎, lit. Sea Fields) is a kibbutz in the Haifa District of Israel. Located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaCarmel Regional Council. In 2019 it had a population of 1,096.[1]

Sdot Yam

שְׂדוֹת יָם
سدوت يام
Sdot Yam
Sdot Yam
Coordinates: 32°29′27″N 34°53′34″E
Country Israel
DistrictHaifa
CouncilHof HaCarmel
AffiliationKibbutz Movement
Founded1936 (in the Krayot)
1940 (current location)
Founded byScouts
Population
 (2019)[1]
1,096
Name meaningSea Fields
Websitewww.sdot-yam.org.il

It was founded in 1936 and moved to its present site at the southern border of the ancient city and archeological ruins of Caesarea, in 1940.

History

Northern location (1936-40)

Sdot Yam was established in 1936, in the region, just north of Haifa, called the Krayot. It was founded at the urging of David Ben-Gurion during the period when the British were refusing to allow Jews to enter Mandatory Palestine. It was ostensibly based on fishing, but was in reality a base for the Palmach used to smuggle clandestine immigrants, mostly Jewish refugees from Europe, into Palestine. Yossi Harel, famous for being the commander of SS Exodus and three other such ships, is buried at Sdot Yam.[2]

Permanent location (after 1940)

In 1940 the kibbutz was moved to its present location south of Caesarea.[3] Its new residents were a gar'in from the Mahanot HaOlim youth group.

Economy

The kibbutz originally based its economy on fishing, but today concentrates on land-based agriculture. It manages a banana plantation, avocado trees, and a herd of dairy cattle. The kibbutz's major source of income comes from the marketing and manufacturing of engineered quartz surfaces under the Caesarstone brand. In 2013, the kibbutz owned a 58 percent stake[4] in the company, which makes stone counter tops for kitchens and bathrooms. It sold the majority of it in October 2012. .[5]

Landmarks

The Hannah Szenes house is a study center founded in the name of Hungarian-born Hannah Szenes and the other paratroopers who were sent from Mandatory Palestine to war-torn Europe in 1944 to save Hungarian Jews.

Notable residents
Hannah Szenes with members of Kibbutz Sdot Yam. (4th from left)

References
  1. "Population in the Localities 2019" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  2. This Day in Jewish History 2008: Yossi Harel, the Real Person Behind Paul Newman’s Ari Ben-Canaan, Dies Haaretz, 26 April 2015
  3. Joseph Patrich (2011) Studies in the Archaeology and History of Caesarea Maritima: Caput Judaeae, Metropolis Palaestinae, BRILL, p1
  4. "Israeli Kibbutz to Sell Off Marble Firm for $600 Million". Haaretz. July 2, 2019.
  5. Israeli kibbutz to sell off marble firm for $600 million, Haaretz

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