Dalia (kibbutz)
Encyclopedia
Dalia is a kibbutz
in northern Israel
. Located in the Galilee
about 30 km southeast of Haifa
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council
. In 2006 it had a population of 737.
. The first kibbutz, "BaMa'ale", consisted of members from Romania
and Transylvania
. Many of them finished training in agriculture and industry in their respective countries, and were later united as a group for immigration. The first immigrants arrived in Israel in 1933, and stayed mainly in Magdiel
and in Kfar Malal
in Hadar Ramatayim. They worked in agriculture and various other temporary jobs while waiting for permission from the Jewish Agency
to settle permanently. In addition to cultural and communal activities, the members were also intensively engaged in energetic political activities. The second kibbutz, "BaMifne" in Karkur, consisted of members from Germany. Before immigrating, most of them finished training in agriculture in Denmark, while others had studied in Germany, France and England. The first members immigrated in 1933, while other members arrived in "Bamifneh", the settlement, where they expected to lay the foundation of their new kibbutz. In "Bamifneh" the members worked in agriculture, mainly tending vegetable gardens in the area, about 40 dunams (40,000 m²), along with construction work at Gan HaShomron
and porterage in Haifa
Port. In the settlement, cultural and communal activities were vigorous. Once a month, they went to see movies or a theater performance, and every three weeks they went on foot to kibbutz Ein Shemer
to listen to political lectures. The decision to unify these two kibbutzim was made in the secretariat of Hashomer Hatzair
on 26 April 1939. Several days later, on 1 May, the two kibbutzim settled in Ramat Menashe to build an independent kibbutz of their own. Thus, the dreams of their youth and the national pioneering task in Israel were realized. In 1947, the village had a population of 320.
movement. In the beginning, members set up their tents in "Migdal", a temporary camp which was eventually changed for living quarters called "Migdalia". In the summer of 1940, the construction of a permanent settlement was begun near Daliat-El-Ruha, an Arab village whose inhabitants, compensated by the Jewish National Fund
through "Tzur" company, had left prior to the members' arrival. A single fig tree stood in the settlement area, and on the surrounding hillsides lay only a wilderness of stones.
In the kibbutz, there were 160 members and 14 children. The soil allotted to the Kibbutz was poor, shallow, and thickly covered with stone. The only water source was the spring in Daliat-El-Ruha, which supplied 3 cubic meters of water per hour. Most of the land was spread across steep slopes and was not suitable for farming. Members were mainly occupied with preparing the soil through stone-removal, of forestation, and planting vegetable gardens. Experts maintained that there was little hope of a future in agriculture for this area. Despite the hardships of life and the negative opinion of experts, members did not lose hope. They held fast to the homeland, with love, hoes, and pickaxes. In defiance of the rugged landscape they looked for alternative kind of work and proceeded to develop a blacksmith's shop, "a soaping kettle", and the craft shops which had already been started in the earlier temporary settlements. From the blacksmith's shop developed "Arad", a factory for water meters, and from "the soaping kettle" came the Zohar Dalia factory for soap and detergents. Without realizing it, the members of Kibbutz Dalia had become pioneers in kibbutz-industry. The hard life of the early years, combined with these successes, created a strong bond with the land, together with hope for a better future.
, was held at the "Khan" on the very soil of the kibbutz, during the Harvest festival (Shavuot
). The Book of Ruth (Megilat Ruth) was the theme of the festival, and residents of the various settlements in this region took part. Three years later, in 1947, the second dance festival was held in the natural amphitheater beside the kibbutz. At this festival, several hundred dancers participated, watched by some ten thousand people from all over the country.
drilled for water near the amphitheater for the dance festival, and from a depth of 374 meters, a powerful stream of water burst forth, supplying 300 cube per hour. After this success, additional drills followed, supplying the precious liquid to Dalia and the settlements in the area. This water is still used today to improve the quality of the water from the National Water Supply System which passes near the kibbutz. Water has brought about an essential change in the character of the agriculture and outlook of the settlement. Lawns, gardens and groves were planted, and the bare land was gradually covered by veils of greenery. Industrial factories were also established and consolidated, supplying the members with a variety of work. In 1950, "Harei Efraim", the regional educational institute, was also established near kibbutz Ein HaShofet
, as a common school for kibbutzim in the region. It was here that our first sons and daughters from the "Zamir" group were educated. .
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
in northern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Located in the Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
about 30 km southeast of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council
Megiddo Regional Council
The Megiddo Regional Council is a regional council in northern Israel encompassing land on the Menashe Plateau, and partly in the Jezreel Valley...
. In 2006 it had a population of 737.
The temporary settlement
Kibbutz Dalia was created by uniting two communities affiliated with Hashomer HatzairHashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair is a Socialist–Zionist youth movement founded in 1913 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary, and was also the name of the group's political party in the Yishuv in the pre-1948 British Mandate of Palestine...
. The first kibbutz, "BaMa'ale", consisted of members from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. Many of them finished training in agriculture and industry in their respective countries, and were later united as a group for immigration. The first immigrants arrived in Israel in 1933, and stayed mainly in Magdiel
Magdiel
Magdiel is a Youth Aliyah boarding school in Hod Hasharon, Israel. It was established as a home and school for children who survived the Holocaust...
and in Kfar Malal
Kfar Malal
Kfar Malal is an agricultural moshav in the Sharon region in central Israel. Originally established as Ein Hai in 1916, it was later named after Rabbi Moshe Leib Lilienblum , whose acronym in Hebrew is MLL...
in Hadar Ramatayim. They worked in agriculture and various other temporary jobs while waiting for permission from the Jewish Agency
Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
to settle permanently. In addition to cultural and communal activities, the members were also intensively engaged in energetic political activities. The second kibbutz, "BaMifne" in Karkur, consisted of members from Germany. Before immigrating, most of them finished training in agriculture in Denmark, while others had studied in Germany, France and England. The first members immigrated in 1933, while other members arrived in "Bamifneh", the settlement, where they expected to lay the foundation of their new kibbutz. In "Bamifneh" the members worked in agriculture, mainly tending vegetable gardens in the area, about 40 dunams (40,000 m²), along with construction work at Gan HaShomron
Gan HaShomron
Gan HaShomron is a moshav located north-east of Hadera , on the road to Afula, Highway 65. It is named for its location on at the foot of the Shomron mountains. It was established in the spring of 1934 by Jewish immigrants from Germany who trained as farmers in Nahalal and Ein Shemer...
and porterage in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
Port. In the settlement, cultural and communal activities were vigorous. Once a month, they went to see movies or a theater performance, and every three weeks they went on foot to kibbutz Ein Shemer
Ein Shemer
Ein Shemer is a kibbutz in Israel in the Shomron region, surrounded by citrus groves, orchards and fields. It is located just south of Route 65, about 6 km northeast of Hadera, and is in the Menashe Regional Council. The kibbutz was founded in 1927. The kibbutz makes a living from agriculture and...
to listen to political lectures. The decision to unify these two kibbutzim was made in the secretariat of Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair is a Socialist–Zionist youth movement founded in 1913 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary, and was also the name of the group's political party in the Yishuv in the pre-1948 British Mandate of Palestine...
on 26 April 1939. Several days later, on 1 May, the two kibbutzim settled in Ramat Menashe to build an independent kibbutz of their own. Thus, the dreams of their youth and the national pioneering task in Israel were realized. In 1947, the village had a population of 320.
Permanent settlement
Dalia was founded during the last wave of the tower and stockadeTower and stockade
Tower and stockade was a settlement method used by Zionist settlers in the British Mandate of Palestine during the 1936–39 Arab revolt, when the establishment of new Jewish settlements was restricted by the Mandatory authorities...
movement. In the beginning, members set up their tents in "Migdal", a temporary camp which was eventually changed for living quarters called "Migdalia". In the summer of 1940, the construction of a permanent settlement was begun near Daliat-El-Ruha, an Arab village whose inhabitants, compensated by the Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
through "Tzur" company, had left prior to the members' arrival. A single fig tree stood in the settlement area, and on the surrounding hillsides lay only a wilderness of stones.
In the kibbutz, there were 160 members and 14 children. The soil allotted to the Kibbutz was poor, shallow, and thickly covered with stone. The only water source was the spring in Daliat-El-Ruha, which supplied 3 cubic meters of water per hour. Most of the land was spread across steep slopes and was not suitable for farming. Members were mainly occupied with preparing the soil through stone-removal, of forestation, and planting vegetable gardens. Experts maintained that there was little hope of a future in agriculture for this area. Despite the hardships of life and the negative opinion of experts, members did not lose hope. They held fast to the homeland, with love, hoes, and pickaxes. In defiance of the rugged landscape they looked for alternative kind of work and proceeded to develop a blacksmith's shop, "a soaping kettle", and the craft shops which had already been started in the earlier temporary settlements. From the blacksmith's shop developed "Arad", a factory for water meters, and from "the soaping kettle" came the Zohar Dalia factory for soap and detergents. Without realizing it, the members of Kibbutz Dalia had become pioneers in kibbutz-industry. The hard life of the early years, combined with these successes, created a strong bond with the land, together with hope for a better future.
Beginnings
From the beginning, the Kibbutz successfully solved the problems of social integration. Differences in origin and culture of the two groups forced the new kibbutz to find ways of suitable cooperation in order to achieve full partnership. In the fields, efforts in soil preparation continued. After every ploughing, removal of stones was carried out repeatedly. Over 600 dunam (600,000 m²) of forests were planted with pine, cypress, and carob. Likewise new agricultural branches were established; crops, orchards - apples, plums, olives, and wine grapes, flocks of sheep, a dairy for milking, poultry, and beehives. However, there was not enough water for the whole area, so that the kibbutz had an insufficient supply and continued its struggle for existence. Cultural and communal activities flourished, however, even in these hard conditions. The first festival of folk-dancing, staged by Gurit KadmanGurit Kadman
Gurit Kadman was an Israeli dance instructor and choreographer, and is considered the mother of Israeli folk dancing.-Life:Gurit Kadman was born Gertrude Loewenstein in Leipzig, Germany in 1897 to an assimilated Jewish family who could trace their roots to Prague...
, was held at the "Khan" on the very soil of the kibbutz, during the Harvest festival (Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
). The Book of Ruth (Megilat Ruth) was the theme of the festival, and residents of the various settlements in this region took part. Three years later, in 1947, the second dance festival was held in the natural amphitheater beside the kibbutz. At this festival, several hundred dancers participated, watched by some ten thousand people from all over the country.
Water
In 1950 MekorotMekorot
Mekorot is the national water company of Israel and the country's top agency for water management.Mekorot was founded in 1937. It supplies 90% of Israel's drinking water and 80% of its water supplies. The company runs 3,000 installations throughout the country for water supply, water quality,...
drilled for water near the amphitheater for the dance festival, and from a depth of 374 meters, a powerful stream of water burst forth, supplying 300 cube per hour. After this success, additional drills followed, supplying the precious liquid to Dalia and the settlements in the area. This water is still used today to improve the quality of the water from the National Water Supply System which passes near the kibbutz. Water has brought about an essential change in the character of the agriculture and outlook of the settlement. Lawns, gardens and groves were planted, and the bare land was gradually covered by veils of greenery. Industrial factories were also established and consolidated, supplying the members with a variety of work. In 1950, "Harei Efraim", the regional educational institute, was also established near kibbutz Ein HaShofet
Ein Hashofet
Ein HaShofet is a kibbutz in northern Israel in the Hills of Ephraim. Located in the Ramat Menashe region around 30 km from the city of Haifa, close to Yokneam, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council. In 2008 it had a population of 759....
, as a common school for kibbutzim in the region. It was here that our first sons and daughters from the "Zamir" group were educated. .