Benei Zion

views updated

BENEI ZION

BENEI ZION (Heb. בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן), moshav in central Israel, in the southern Sharon, affiliated with Ha-Iḥud ha-Ḥakla'i middle-class settlements association. It was founded in 1947 by veteran farmers, who were later joined by immigrants from Poland, Romania, and North Africa. Its economy was based on citrus plantations and intensive farming. The moshav is named after the B'nai Zion Order of America, which contributed funds toward the acquisition of the land. In the mid-1990s the population was approximately 430, increasing to 742 in 2002 after upscale expansion.

[Efraim Orni]