Yad HaShmona
Encyclopedia
Yad Hashmona (lit. Memorial for the Eight) is a small moshav shitufi
in central Israel
, located in the Judean Mountains
near Jerusalem, within the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council
.
who escaped to Finland in 1938. The Finnish government, collaborating with the Nazis, handed the refugees over to the Gestapo
in 1942. Seven of them died in Auschwitz. In 1978, a group of messianic Jews joined the moshav. Most of the members are now Israelis and the main spoken language is Hebrew.
. A Biblical garden
planted on the hillside replicates agriculture in ancient times. Apart from tourism, the economy is based on carpentry.
Moshav shitufi
A Moshav shitufi is a type of cooperative village in Israel whose organizational principles place it between the kibbutz and the moshav on the scale of cooperation...
in central 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 Judean Mountains
Judean Mountains
The Judaean Mountains, ;, also Judaean Hills and Hebron Hills is a mountain range in Israel and the West Bank where Jerusalem and several other biblical cities are located. The mountains reach a height of 1,000 m.-Geography:...
near Jerusalem, within the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council
Mateh Yehuda Regional Council
Mateh Yehuda Regional Council is a regional council in the Jerusalem District of Israel. In 2008 it was home to 36,200 people.The name of the regional council stems from the fact that its territory was part of the land allotted to the Tribe of Judah, according to the Bible.-Places and...
.
History
Yad Hashmona was founded in 1971 by a small group of Finnish Christians. It is named for eight Jewish refugees from AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
who escaped to Finland in 1938. The Finnish government, collaborating with the Nazis, handed the refugees over to the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in 1942. Seven of them died in Auschwitz. In 1978, a group of messianic Jews joined the moshav. Most of the members are now Israelis and the main spoken language is Hebrew.
Economy
The community runs a guesthouse, convention center and banquet hall. In 2000, a biblical village was inaugurated with the assistance of the Swiss Beth Shalom society and the Israel Antiquities AuthorityIsrael Antiquities Authority
The Israel Antiquities Authority is an independent Israeli governmental authority responsible for enforcing the 1978 Law of Antiquities. The IAA regulates excavation and conservation, and promotes research...
. A Biblical garden
Biblical garden
Biblical gardens are cultivated collections of plants that are named in the Bible. They are a type of theme garden that botanical gardens, public parks, and private gardeners maintain., They are grown in many parts of the world with examples in diverse places, including the Japans Seinan Gakuin...
planted on the hillside replicates agriculture in ancient times. Apart from tourism, the economy is based on carpentry.