Ein Hashofet
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Ein HaShofet (Hebrew: עין השופט) is a Kibbutz in the Ramat Menashe region in Israel (a part of the Megiddo Regional Council), located approximately 30 km from Haifa, close to the town of Yokneam Ilit.
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[edit] Foundation
Ein HaShofet was settled on July 5, 1937. The settlers lived on the nearby hill of Joara for one year before moving to the final and current location of the kibbutz. Prior to the settling at Joara, the kibbutz's founders stayed for five years in Hadera, where the group was created by joining two Hashomer Hatzair groups, one from Poland and one from North America, consisting the first Hashomer Hatzair group from North America, thus making the kibbutz the first kibbutz of North American pioneers (that is, of an aliyah). The kibbutz' foundation was a part of the Homa U'Migdal ("Tower and Stockade") settlement in Israel.
[edit] Population
In the end of 2003, the kibbutz was home to 688 people: 455 kibbutz members and candidates for membership, 160 children under 18 years of age, 20 soldiers, and the remaining 53 ulpanists, volunteers and non-member residents.
The kibbutz has a long standing ulpan, with over 100 ulpan groups since 1951.
Today the kibbutz is home to approximately 800 people.
[edit] Namesake
"Ein HaShofet" translates to "Spring of the Judge", this judge being Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941), the first Jew to hold the aforementioned position, selected for his leading role in the American Zionist movement.
[edit] Industries
The main income source of Ein Hashofet today is its four factories, three of which are located in the kibbutz and one in the USA.
Mivrag was founded in 1950 and manufactures various small metal objects, mainly screws, in cold forming.
Eltam was founded in 1967 as "Ein Hashofet Electric Indusries" and today manufactures various components for electric devices, prominently light fixtures. Eltam the number one employer of kibbutz members.
MAG EH was founded in 1999 and manufactures specific components for the automobile industry.
MAG USA was founded in 2001 in Knoxville, Tennessee as a branch of MAG EH.
[edit] Agriculture
While originaly concieved as an agricultural settlement, today agriculture is secondary to industry as a source of income. Agriculture encompasses both produce and livestock and is split into six branches or anafim (ענפים):
Cow dairy - was created when Ein HaShofet settled in its final location in 1938 holds 270 cows which give around 3 million liters of milk per year.
Beef cattle - was created in the mid-fifties to exploit the surrounding lands which were unfit for crops. Today the branch is joined with that of neighboring kibbutz Mishmar Ha'Emek, with Ein HaShofet possessing 73% of the 750 cows.
Avocado plantations span an approximate 360 dunam around the kibbutz.
Chicken farms, which since 1971 serve solely for meat, today producing 2300 tons per year.
Cattle fattening facility - fattens 1500 cows per year. services both the kibbutz's herd and imported cattle from Australia, Poland and Israel itself.
Field farming encompasses approximately 4000 dunam, with the crops changing according to market demands and weather conditions, though chiefly growing wheat and cotton.
[edit] External links
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