Nevatim
Encyclopedia
Nevatim is a moshav
in southern Israel
. Located in the northern Negev
desert around 8 km (5 mi) south-east of Beersheba
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bnei Shimon Regional Council
. In 2006 it had a population of 629.
The nearest settlements are the Bedouin towns of Tel as-Sabi to the north and Shaqib al-Salam
to the south. At a greater distance to the northeast lies Nevatim Israeli Air Force Base
, named after the moshav.
from Hungary
as one of the 11 points in the Negev
, its name taken from the Tanakh
. In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
the surrounding area, including the city of Beersheba, was conquered by the Egyptian Army
.
The Egyptians besieged Nevatim, along with the neighboring village of Beit Eshel
(which was destroyed and subsequently abandoned). Nevatim managed to hold on throughout the siege, as the villages received air-dropped supplies and most Egyptian efforts were concentrated on continuing northwards.
Although both were dismantled after the war, Nevatim was re-established at a slightly different location in 1954. The new settlers were drawn from the Cochin Jews
who had immigrated
from Kochi
, India
.
, Dimona
and Ramat Hovav
. Local employment has gradually diversified, especially into the tourism and service, a move sustained by the moshav's guest houses and the Cochin heritage center.
The moshav's synagogue
is a duplicate of one in Cochin, and incorporates some elements of the original building, and it is also home to a cultural center and museum about the Jews of Cochin. A restaurant serving Cochini food and pastries also caters to tourists. The community also boasts a swimming pool and a mikvah
.
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
in southern 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 northern Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
desert around 8 km (5 mi) south-east of Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bnei Shimon Regional Council
Bnei Shimon Regional Council
The Bnei Shimon Regional Council , is a regional council in the northern Negev in the south of Israel. Most of its territory lies north of Beersheba and the rest bounds Beersheba on the west and east sides as well. The eastern border of this territory straddles the Green Line.There are 13...
. In 2006 it had a population of 629.
The nearest settlements are the Bedouin towns of Tel as-Sabi to the north and Shaqib al-Salam
Shaqib al-Salam
Shaqib al-Salam or Segev Shalom is a Bedouin town and a local council in the South District of Israel, southeast of Beersheba.According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , the population of Shaqib was 6,500 in December 2006...
to the south. At a greater distance to the northeast lies Nevatim Israeli Air Force Base
Nevatim Israeli Air Force Base
Nevatim Israeli Air Force Base , also Air Force Base 28, is one of the three principal airfields of the Israeli Air Force located southeast of Be'er Sheva, near the moshav of Nevatim. It was built as a rough runway in 1947 for the Sherut Avir, the air wing of the Haganah, and was named Malhata...
, named after the moshav.
History
Nevatim was originally established in 1946 by immigrantsAliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
as one of the 11 points in the Negev
11 points in the Negev
11 points in the Negev refers to a Jewish Agency plan for establishing eleven settlements in the Negev in 1946, prior to the establishment of the State of Israel.-History:...
, its name taken from the Tanakh
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
. In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
the surrounding area, including the city of Beersheba, was conquered by the Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
.
The Egyptians besieged Nevatim, along with the neighboring village of Beit Eshel
Beit Eshel
Beit Eshel was a Jewish settlement established in the Negev desert in Mandate Palestine in 1943 as one of the three lookouts, alongside Revivim and Gvulot. It was located two kilometres south-east of Beersheba. According to the Jewish National Fund, the name means "House of the Tamarisk" and...
(which was destroyed and subsequently abandoned). Nevatim managed to hold on throughout the siege, as the villages received air-dropped supplies and most Egyptian efforts were concentrated on continuing northwards.
Although both were dismantled after the war, Nevatim was re-established at a slightly different location in 1954. The new settlers were drawn from the Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews , are the oldest group of Jews in India, with roots claimed to date to the time of King Solomon, though historically attested migration dates from the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Historically, they lived in the Kingdom of Cochin in South India, now part of the...
who had immigrated
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
from Kochi
Kochi (India)
Kochi , formerly Cochin, is a major port city on the west coast of India by the Arabian Sea. Kochi is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. Kochi is often called by the name Ernakulam, which refers to the western part of the mainland Kochi...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Economy
About half of Nevatim's workers are employed in the village, primarily in agriculture, while the rest work in the nearby industrial areas of BeershebaBeersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
, Dimona
Dimona
Dimona is an Israeli city in the Negev desert, to the south of Beersheba and west of the Dead Sea above the Arava valley in the Southern District of Israel. Its population at the end of 2007 was 33,600.-History:...
and Ramat Hovav
Ramat Hovav
Ramat Hovav is an industrial zone in southern Israel and the site of Israel's main hazardous waste disposal facility. Ramat Hovav Industrial Zone is the locus of 19 chemical factories, including Makhteshim Agan, a pesticide plant; Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, a pharmaceuticals plant; Israel...
. Local employment has gradually diversified, especially into the tourism and service, a move sustained by the moshav's guest houses and the Cochin heritage center.
The moshav's synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
is a duplicate of one in Cochin, and incorporates some elements of the original building, and it is also home to a cultural center and museum about the Jews of Cochin. A restaurant serving Cochini food and pastries also caters to tourists. The community also boasts a swimming pool and a mikvah
Mikvah
Mikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
.
External links
- Nevatim Negev Information Center