Givat Ḥayyim

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GIVAT ḤAYYIM

GIVAT ḤAYYIM (Heb. גִּבְעַת חַיִּים), two kibbutzim in central Israel 4 mi. (6 km.) south of Ḥaderah. The founding settlers from Austria and Czechoslovakia were among the first pioneers on the Ḥefer Plain lands. They worked on drainage of the local swamps and planted eucalyptus groves. In 1932, the group established a kibbutz and was joined by immigrants from other countries. They developed intensive farming and set up a cask factory and a food preserves plant. Givat Ḥayyimwas affiliated with Ha-Kibbutz ha-Me'uḥad, and after a split in that movement in 1951–52, was partitioned into two neighboring kibbutzim – Givat Ḥayyim and Givat Ḥayyim Bet. In 1968, Givat Ḥayyim (Ha-Kibbutz ha-Me'uḥad) numbered 705 persons and Givat Ḥayyim Bet (Iḥud ha-Kevuẓot ve-ha-Kibbutzim) had 690 inhabitants. In 2002, their populations were 960 and 801, respectively. Each had a one-third interest in the Pri-Gat juice company. The name commemorates Chaim *Arlosoroff.

website:

www.gat.co.il.

[Efraim Orni]