District Southern Affiliation Kibbutz Movement Website www.zikim.org.il Local time Sunday 12:55 AM | Council Hof Ashkelon Population (2015) 625 Founded 1949 | |
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Founded by Romanian Hashomer
Hatzair members Weather 13°C, Wind S at 6 km/h, 95% Humidity | ||
Zikim (Hebrew: זִיקִים) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the northern Negev desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 625.
Contents
Map of Zikim, Israel
History
The kibbutz was established in 1949 on land that had belonged to the depopulated Arab village of Hiribya, by a group of young Romanian Jews who belonged to Hashomer Hatzair before their arrival in Mandatory Palestine in 1947. At that time, Jewish settlement in the Negev was very sparse, and each new location was considered to be a "point of light" (zik) in the wilderness. Michael Har-Segor, later an Israeli historian, came up with the name while imprisoned in Romania for his activity in Hashomer Hatzair. He says he translated a quote from Pushkin into Hebrew: "From sparks shall come a flame."
Zikim attracted members of Hashomer Hatzair from around the world, most recently from South America. The actor Bob Hoskins worked as a volunteer in Zikim in 1967.
In 2006 a Qassam rocket fired from northern Gaza hit a mattress factory in Zikim. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the rocket attack. In July 2014, five armed Palestinians attempted to cross into Israel via the beach at Kibbutz Zikim. They were killed by IDF gunfire.
Economy
The main crops are mango and avocado. Zikim also operates one of Israel's largest dairy farms. The main industrial product is polyurethane, produced by the kibbutz factory, Polyrit.