Masu'ot Yitzhak
Encyclopedia
Masu'ot Yitzhak is a moshav shitufi
in southern Israel
. It is located near Ashkelon
, within the municipal jurisdiction of the Shafir Regional Council
. The original kibbutz
in Gush Etzion
was destroyed and depopulated in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
. A new settlement was established in 1949 in a different location. In 2007, Masu'ot Yitzhak had a population of 604.
. The settlers were young pioneers from Hungary
, Czechoslovakia
, and Germany
who arrived before World War II
. The kibbutz was named for the chief rabbi
of Palestine, Isaac Herzog, on the occasion of his 50th birthday.
The settlers of Masu'ot Yitzhak rose to the challenge of living in the Judean Mountains
, building homes and planting orchards. In 1948, Gush Etzion was captured by the Arab Legion
. The residents of Kfar Etzion
were massacred, and all other inhabitants of Gush Etzion, including the residents of Masu'ot Yitzhak, were captured and imprisoned for nine months in Jordan.
, a region inhabited by the Philistines
in biblical times. The prophet Micah
spoke about Shafir (Micah 1:11). Shafir had served as a base for the southern front of the Israeli army during Israel's War of Independence. The moshav was affiliated with Hapoel Hamizrachi
.
Moshav shitufi
A Moshav shitufi is a type of cooperative village in Israel whose organizational principles place it between the kibbutz and the moshav on the scale of cooperation...
in southern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It is located near Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, within the municipal jurisdiction of the Shafir Regional Council
Shafir Regional Council
Shafir Regional Council is a regional council in the South District of Israel near the city of Kiryat Gat.The council is bordered on the north by the Be'er Tuvia Regional Council, on the east by Yoav Regional Council and Kiryat Gat, on the south by Lakhish Regional Council, and on the west by Hof...
. The original kibbutz
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 Gush Etzion
Gush Etzion
Gush Etzion is a cluster of Israeli settlements located in the Judaean Mountains directly south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the West Bank, Palestinian territories. The core group includes four agricultural villages that were founded in 1940-1947 on property purchased in the 1920s and 1930s, and ...
was destroyed and depopulated in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
. A new settlement was established in 1949 in a different location. In 2007, Masu'ot Yitzhak had a population of 604.
Original kibbutz
Kibbutz Masu'ot Yitzhak was founded in 1945 in Gush Etzion, mid-way between Jerusalem and HebronHebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
. The settlers were young pioneers from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
who arrived before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The kibbutz was named for the chief rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of Palestine, Isaac Herzog, on the occasion of his 50th birthday.
The settlers of Masu'ot Yitzhak rose to the challenge of living in the Judean Mountains
Judean Mountains
The Judaean Mountains, ;, also Judaean Hills and Hebron Hills is a mountain range in Israel and the West Bank where Jerusalem and several other biblical cities are located. The mountains reach a height of 1,000 m.-Geography:...
, building homes and planting orchards. In 1948, Gush Etzion was captured by the Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
. The residents of Kfar Etzion
Kfar Etzion
Kfar Etzion is a religious Israeli settlement and kibbutz located in the Judean Hills between Jerusalem and Hebron in the southern West Bank. It has a population of 400 and falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council...
were massacred, and all other inhabitants of Gush Etzion, including the residents of Masu'ot Yitzhak, were captured and imprisoned for nine months in Jordan.
Establishment of the moshav
After their return from captivity in 1949, the Masu'ot Yitzhak pioneers established a new moshav of the same name near ShafirShafir
Shafir is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in the Shephelah near Kiryat Malakhi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council. In 2006, it had a population of 499....
, a region inhabited by the Philistines
Philistines
Philistines , Pleshet or Peleset, were a people who occupied the southern coast of Canaan at the beginning of the Iron Age . According to the Bible, they ruled the five city-states of Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath, from the Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north, but with...
in biblical times. The prophet Micah
Micah
Micah is a given name.Micah is the name of several people in the Hebrew Bible , and means "who is like God?". The name is sometimes found with theophoric extensions...
spoke about Shafir (Micah 1:11). Shafir had served as a base for the southern front of the Israeli army during Israel's War of Independence. The moshav was affiliated with Hapoel Hamizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi |Mizrachi]] Workers) was a political party and settlement movement in Israel and is one of the predecessors of the National Religious Party.-History:...
.
Economy
The moshav economy is based on agriculture and industry. A reservoir was built 40 years ago to harness the winter flood waters of Nahal Lachish for farming. The water is used to irrigate 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) of avocado trees.Further reading
- Between Jerusalem and Hebron: Jewish Settlement in the Pre-State Period, Yossi Katz
External links
- Village website
- Memorial for Masu'ot Yitzhak in Gush Etzion Etzion Bloc
- Orit Segal (2006): Massu’ot Yizhaq Final Report, Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel, No. 118.