Beit Keshet

Beit Keshet

Palmach museum, Beit Keshet
Beit Keshet
Coordinates: 32°43′6″N 35°23′40″E / 32.71833°N 35.39444°E / 32.71833; 35.39444Coordinates: 32°43′6″N 35°23′40″E / 32.71833°N 35.39444°E / 32.71833; 35.39444
District Northern
Council Lower Galilee
Affiliation Kibbutz Movement
Founded 1944
Founded by HaNoar HaOved graduates
Population (2015)[1] 591
Wooden hut of former Israeli President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi in Beit Keshet

Beit Keshet (Hebrew: בֵּית קֶשֶׁת‎, lit. House of the Bow) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located to the east of Nazareth, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lower Galilee Regional Council. In 2015 its population was 591.

Etymology

The name Beit Keshet is derived from 2 Samuel 1:18 in the Bible: "...teach the children of Judah the use of the bow," a reference to the battles of Deborah, who is said to have lived in the area.[2]

History

Beit Keshet was established in 1944 by HaNoar HaOved youth, who were trained at the Kfar Tavor agricultural school.[3] During the founding of the kibbutz, a group of immigrants who were a part of the Youth movement HaMahanot HaOlim and graduates of the Kadoorie Agricultural High School joined the kibbutz. According to the Jewish National Fund, more than half of the original group had served with the Jewish forces during the Second World War.[3]

By 1947, Beit Keshet had a population of over 100. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli war Lebanese and Syrian troops attempted to capture Beit Keshet and nearby Sejera in fighting the Jewish National Fund refers to as "fierce."[3] On 16 March 1948 seven members of the kibbutz were killed during the battle of Beit Keshet. Among them was Eli, the son of Rachel Yanait and Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, the future second president of Israel. The story of the founding of the kibbutz and the battle is depicted in the theatre play "An Israeli Love Story" by Pnina Gary.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "List of localities, in Alphabetical order" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land. (3rd edition 1993) Jerusalem, Carta, p.114, ISBN 965-220-186-3 (English)
  3. 1 2 3 Jewish National Fund (1949). Jewish Villages in Israel. Jerusalem: Hamadpis Liphshitz Press. pp. 20–21.
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