Mevo Dotan
Encyclopedia
Mevo Dotan is a communal
village
and an Israeli settlement
in the northern Samaria
n hills part of the West Bank
south of the Dotan Valley within the municipal jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council
. It is named for being on the way to the ancient town of Dothan
(Gen 37:17)). The village, situated on road 585 east of Baqa al-Gharbiyye
, lies adjacent to the Palestinian
village of Yabad. The population of Mevo Dotan is 63 families.
Mevo Dotan was originally established in October 1977 by a group of religious Orthodox
and non-religious Jewish Israelis who lived in tents adjacent to the police building of Sa-Nur
. The group was relocated to its current permanent hilltop location in June 1981 with the aid of the Amana settlement organization. The local Arab residents had called that hilltop the 'Bald Mountain' (Jabl al-Akra) because of its barren state. One of the reasons for choosing this location was to settle state-owned lands in an area that had no Jewish population. Over the years, many of the religious families moved away.
In 2001, following the outbreak of the Second Intifada, and the degradation of the security level in the area, almost half the residents left the village. The heads of the village committee called for public assistance in repopulating the empty homes and in 2003, the 'Golan Yeshiva' decided to accept the challenge. Several families moved to the village, founded a kollel
and rejuvenated the religious life in the village.
Communal settlement (Israel)
A community settlement is a type of town in Israel. While in an ordinary town anyone may buy property, in a community settlement the town's residents, who are organized in a cooperative, can veto a sale of a house or a business to an undesirable buyer....
village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and an Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
in the northern Samaria
Samaria
Samaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
n hills part of the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
south of the Dotan Valley within the municipal jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council
Shomron Regional Council
The Shomron Regional Council is a regional council in the northern Samarian hills, in the northern part of the West Bank. The offices of the regional council are located in the Barkan Industrial Park. This regional council provides various municipal services for the 30 Israeli settlements within...
. It is named for being on the way to the ancient town of Dothan
Dothan (ancient city)
Dothan was a city located at north of Shechem, and about 100 km north of Hebron. Eusebius places it 12 miles to the north of Sebaste...
(Gen 37:17)). The village, situated on road 585 east of Baqa al-Gharbiyye
Baqa al-Gharbiyye
Baqa al-Gharbiyye is a predominantly Arab city in the Haifa District in Israel, located near the Green Line. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2001 the city had a total population of 19,200...
, lies adjacent to the Palestinian
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
village of Yabad. The population of Mevo Dotan is 63 families.
Mevo Dotan was originally established in October 1977 by a group of religious Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
and non-religious Jewish Israelis who lived in tents adjacent to the police building of Sa-Nur
Sa-Nur
Sa-Nur was an Israeli settlement in the northern West Bank under the administrative jurisdiction of Shomron Regional Council. Prior to its demolition, Sa-nur was home to 43 families. In September 2005 its 105 residents were evicted and IDF soldiers began dismantling Sanur as part of Israel's...
. The group was relocated to its current permanent hilltop location in June 1981 with the aid of the Amana settlement organization. The local Arab residents had called that hilltop the 'Bald Mountain' (Jabl al-Akra) because of its barren state. One of the reasons for choosing this location was to settle state-owned lands in an area that had no Jewish population. Over the years, many of the religious families moved away.
In 2001, following the outbreak of the Second Intifada, and the degradation of the security level in the area, almost half the residents left the village. The heads of the village committee called for public assistance in repopulating the empty homes and in 2003, the 'Golan Yeshiva' decided to accept the challenge. Several families moved to the village, founded a kollel
Kollel
A kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
and rejuvenated the religious life in the village.
External links
- Web-Site of Mevo Dotan
- pictures of Mevo Dotan
- Jerusalem Post 6/23/05: "Hermesh between the crosshairs" Peace Now Five Doves United Jerusalem