Merkaz Shapira
Encyclopedia
Merkaz Shapira also Shapira Center, is a religious village in the South District
of Israel
. Located in the southern Shephelah
between Kiryat Malakhi and Ashkelon
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council
. In 2007 it had a population of 3,000, although more than half of them reside in public facilities.
The village was founded in the beginning of the 1950s as the Shafir Regional Center, a group of regional educational facilities. In 1958, it was merged with the farm Dganim, which was abandoned due to failure. The name was changed in October 1957 to Merkaz Shapira, after the wounded Knesset
member Moshe Shapira, but due to legal problems, it was only changed officially in 1970.
Merkaz Shapira contains the Or Etzion yeshiva
(on its eastern end) and an elementary and middle school for itself and nearby villages (Azrikam
, Ein Tzurim
, Masu'ot Yitzhak
, Shafir
, Shtulim
and Zerahia
). The offices of the Shafir Regional Council are also located within the village. Merkaz Shapira has five synagogues - Ohel Yitzhak, The Jerusalemite Synagogue, The Moroccan Synagogue, the Ashkenazi
Ashmoret Avraham and the Yemenite
Ahuzat Shalom.
South District (Israel)
The Southern District is one of Israel's six administrative districts, and is the largest in terms of land area as well as the most sparsely populated. It covers most of the Negev desert, as well as the Arabah valley. The population of the Southern District is 1,002,400. It is 86% Jewish and 14%...
of 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 southern Shephelah
Shephelah
The Shephelah is a designation usually applied to the region in south-central Israel of 10-15 km of low hills between the central Mount Hebron and the coastal plains of Philistia within the area of the Judea, at an altitude of 120-450 metres above sea level. The area is fertile, and a temperate...
between Kiryat Malakhi and 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...
, it falls under the jurisdiction of 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...
. In 2007 it had a population of 3,000, although more than half of them reside in public facilities.
The village was founded in the beginning of the 1950s as the Shafir Regional Center, a group of regional educational facilities. In 1958, it was merged with the farm Dganim, which was abandoned due to failure. The name was changed in October 1957 to Merkaz Shapira, after the wounded Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
member Moshe Shapira, but due to legal problems, it was only changed officially in 1970.
Merkaz Shapira contains the Or Etzion yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
(on its eastern end) and an elementary and middle school for itself and nearby villages (Azrikam
Azrikam
Azrikam is a moshav in central Israel. Located near Ashdod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 1,100....
, Ein Tzurim
Ein Tzurim
Ein Tzurim is a religious kibbutz in southern Israel. Located south of Kiryat Malakhi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council, and is a member of the Religious Kibbutz Movement. In 2007 it had a population of 1,100.-Original kibbutz:...
, Masu'ot Yitzhak
Masu'ot Yitzhak
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...
, Shafir
Shafir
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....
, Shtulim
Shtulim
Shtulim is a moshav in south-central Israel. Located near Ashdod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 1,600....
and Zerahia
Zerahia
Zrahia is a religious moshav in southern Israel. Located near Kiryat Malakhi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council. In 2006, it had a population of 568....
). The offices of the Shafir Regional Council are also located within the village. Merkaz Shapira has five synagogues - Ohel Yitzhak, The Jerusalemite Synagogue, The Moroccan Synagogue, the Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
Ashmoret Avraham and the Yemenite
Yemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen . Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet...
Ahuzat Shalom.