District Jerusalem Affiliation Kibbutz Movement Population (2015) 906 Founded 1948 | Council Mateh Yehuda Founded by Former Palmach members Website www.tzora.co.il Local time Monday 10:31 PM | |
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Tzora (Hebrew: צָרְעָה) is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located about 20 km from Jerusalem, near the city of Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 906.
Contents
Map of Tsor'a, Israel
Etymology
The kibbutz is named for the biblical village of Tzora, which may have been a Canaanite town. The name was taken from the Biblical Book of Judges (13:25): "And the spirit of the Lord began to move him (Samson) at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol."
History
The kibbutz was founded in December 1948 by former Palmach members. In the 1980s a ham radio club operated under the call 4Z4YJ.
In the early 2000s, Tzora underwent a privatization of its communal living structure, with a community tax levied on income and the residual retained as income by members. In April 2008, the kibbutz was fully privatized.
A ritual bath dating back to the Second Temple Period was discovered near Tzora kibbutz during an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in 2011.
Economy
One of the main branches of the kibbutz economy was Tzora Furniture Ltd., which began in 1957 as a metal factory. At first, the company produced bicycles, but in 1974 it began to manufacture office chairs, before moving on to a full range of office furniture. However, the factory burned down in July 2007. In 1993, Tzora opened the first kibbutz winery, Tzora Vineyards, which produces 60,000 bottles of wine a year. More recently, Tzora is now home to the Teperberg Winery. Tzora operates a dairy in partnership with Tzova and Netiv HaLamed-Heh. Tzora Active Systems produce advanced lightweight wheelchairs. There is also a large wedding hall, built of tents. These tents, produced in Tzora are now used throughout Israel for weddings.