Degania

Degania is a founded Kibboutz in 1910. He is regarded as the " Mother of the kibbutzes ".

Introduction

The ideas relating to the Community establishment are in the air of time at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of 20th. The word " kvoutza" (" groupe") for the first time in 1909 is heard, in the farm of Kinéret, rested by the Office for Erets Israel and under the management of Dr. Arthur Ruppin.

This farm becomes the framework of a mixing of thoughts and various social ideals, defended by the labor movements. It is by this same farm that the workmen of the 2 pass Aliyah, as well as many groups of formation, and this, until the creation of the State of Israel.

Among the latter, one notices an small group of Rumanian immigrants originating in White Russia, installed on this ground bought then by KKL in 1900, in the East of the the Jordan. On this same ground the village is held of Oum-Ghouni, already mentioned in the Mishna under the name of " Kfar-Goun" , in the South of the Lake Tibériade.

Yossef Bossal, resulting from the group already known like the " kvoutza roumaine" , starts to weave the dream of a Community life. After an interlude in the town of Hadera, the group called from now on " kvoutza of Hadera" in 1910 is reinstalled on the ground of Oum-Ghouni, where Bossal will play a central role.

Thus written a pioneer: " October 28th, 1910, 12 as of ours at Oum-Ghouni… We arrived were there to base a Jewish autonomous establishment on the ground of the fatherland; an establishment where there will be no exploitation of the man by the man! " .

The names of the members of the " follow; kvoutza of Hadera" :

Tanfilov Tanhoum
Bloch Israel
Elkin Yossef
Malhin Sara
Bertz Yossef
Bertz-Ostrovski Miryam
Bossal Yossef
Zaltzman Tzvi-Yéhouda
Tzodikov Haïm
Akar Yéhoshoua
Klibnov Yéroham
Yossilévitch Aharon

Unite with them some time later:

Ben-Yaakov Yitzhak
Dayan Shmuel
Grinshpon Avram
Berkovitch Yaakov

The will to reimplant on its ground the Jewish People , working the ground and living work of its hands, far from any exploitation of the man by the man leads them to realize that their vision with a future can be realizable only if it passes by the Community life.

Community life

Once crystallized the basic principles of the Community life, which will become with the wire of time the principles of the Working Establishment as a whole, some of the members of the " kvoutza" , and among them mainly the married couples, emit reserves as for the limits of the communautarism. They then set up the bases of a Community village, where the family-individual cell would find its place on strong foundations of Community life. Thus several members of Degania leave in 1921 the community and, in collaboration with the refractory members originating in other kibbutzes, they found two Moshav im workmen; Nahalal and Kfar-Yéhezkel. One finds among the founders of Nahalal Débora and Shmuel Dayan, Sonia and Israel Bloch, Yossef Elkin and Avram Grinshpon.

In 1922 is fixed the border between the British Mandat in Palestine and that of the French in Syria, leaving Degania, located however at the East of the the Jordan and the North of the river Yarmouk, on the English territory.

On the model of Degania, many kibbutzes are born in the Vallée of the Jordan.

Degania becomes, for many " kvoutza" of Palestine, like Diaspora, the power station of preparation to the future Community life. They are these same " kvoutza" , which after their stay with Degania, founds the kibbutzes of the country.

At the beginning, Degania cultivates grounds obtained in the East of the Jordan, but with the multiplication of the establishments in the valley of the Jordan, the cultivable surface placed at its disposal is reduced for him of half.

In addition to the exploitation of the fields and orchards, Degania inaugurates in 1935 the " Gordon" house;. This last installation stakes of the studies on sciences of nature and the control of this one. The studies are officially open there in 1941.

The War of Independence and the combat for Degania

A telegram sent to the state major the precise on May 14th 1948: " … of the columns of Syrian armoured tanks were located in the North and the South of the kibbutz Eïn-Guev. The armoured tanks exceeded El-Hama and are with 2km of Tzémah ( near to Degania )… " .

The members of Degania who take care since their trenches and on position-Is kibbutz can observe the columns of the Syrian army affairer around Such el Qasser - where is today the kibbutz Such-Qatzir -, position chosen by the Syria NS to install the staff of their unit there.

Vis-a-vis an army equipped with tanks, armoured tanks and planes, the inhabitants of the valley of the Jordan face, constant by the reinforcement of the battalion " Barak" (unit " Golani ").

Starting from May 15th, the Syrians sprinkle shootings of guns and mortars the establishments of the valley of the Jordan, of day like night, and on May 17th, they seize the camp " Heïl Hasséfer" , in the East of Tzémah.

May 18th, arrives in the morning at the Israeli staff, the following telegram: " After a heavy combat, armoured tanks and tanks took Tzémah with 08:05. Let us count large losses into dead and wounded. The enemy with the total control of the air field. All the establishments of the valley of the Jordan - with share Yavnéel - are attacked by fighters. Enemy tanks are with the doors of Degania". " "

The Syrian army awaits the catch of Shaar-Hagolan and the village Masada Druze, in the night from May 18th to 19th, to engage the attack against Degania, on the way towards the bridge crossing the Jordan.

This same night, discusses a delegation the " anciens" valley of the Jordan with David Ben Gourion with the staff. To leaving the meeting, a telegram is sent; " Let us make all the efforts so that until tomorrow 04:00 you receive on Yavnéel 4 tanks lourds."

The day of May 19th passes without major event. In the night of May 19th, the unit " Yiftah" of Palmah the police station of Tzémah attacks. They reach some armoured tanks, but are obliged despite everything to fold up itself on Degania.

In the morning of May 20th, with 4:30, the Syrians attack Degania using tanks, of armoured tanks and infantrymen.

The attack starts with a heavy artillery shooting then continues with the exit of tanks and additional armoured tanks in direction of Degania. Behind the tanks the infantrymen are held who, with 200m barbed wires of the kibbutz, stop their projection.

The tanks reach the barrier of the factory, where they are stopped by the defenders armed with grenades " Fiat" and of kingpins prepared by the members of Degania.

One of the tanks arrived to the kibbutz, paralyzed by the ditch of protection, continues its shootings without aiming. The kingpins launched by the defenders of Degania come to end.

The four tanks promised by the staff roll then near to Aloumot. In spite of the lack of training and their weak ammunition, the members of Degania succeed in containing the attack, by targeting their objectives narrowly. Recovered documents, as well as the Syrian reports show that the noise caused by the tanks is one of the independent factors which sowed disorder and panic in the Syrian rows. With 07:30, the attack on Degania ends with the fold on Tzémah of the Syrian army, which gives up on the ground ammunition and corpses.

The same day with 14:30, the Syrians evacuate Tzémah.

67 of the combatant fallen among the victims from the Vallée of the Jordan are buried in the military cemetery of Degania.

After the war

After the War of Independence, the surface of the arable grounds of Degania is increased.

At the end of the years 1960, in parallel of agricultural industry, Degania launches out in the production of material relating to the work of the size of the Diamant.

Of beginning 1968 to 1972, Degania, as the remainder of the establishments of the valley of the Jordan, is exposed with the shootings of the armies Jordan nne and Iraq ienne, like with those of PLO, and this from its geographical location, with the feet of the mounts of Guilaad.

Degania, because of its beginnings, holds the characteristic to be founded by the " kvoutza" to the direction term intimates.

Degania today

Degania enjoys owing to the fact that, because of its site at the edges of the Lake Tibériade, it at its beginnings was not limited in its requirements out of water. It could thus develop watering by gravitation - system of irrigation in flat ground, based on a system of more or less narrow drains. The climatic conditions, allied with important precipitations enable him to practice the intensive and exclusive culture, with specializations such as the culture of lawyers or that of bananas.

It is Feker Mordéhaï and Ilan Benjamin which inaugurate with the kibbutz the culture of lawyer.

Degania works in collaboration on the culture of the date palms; these same dates which made the glory of the antique Ground of Israel, and which after their total disappearance were reinstated in the agricultural landscape of the country, with the beginnings of the year 1930.

Baratz Myriam was the first responsible for cattle shed of the kibbutz. It had at the time follow-up a training course in Holland and on its return made of the cattle shed of Degania one of most sophisticated of the country.

Animals

The modernized hen house produces 6 brooded per annum; each brooded representing 200 tons of chickens.

The cattle shed shelters 500 cows including 250 dairy. Recently, of new Jersey cows (small and of brown color) were integrated into the kibbutz within the framework of research organized by the ministry for agriculture.

Degania practices also pisciculture and raises carp.

Agriculture

Vegetable culture including 2 kinds of tomatos (one adapted to the winter, the second in spring), potatoes, carrots.

Culture of flowers developed between the years 1970 and 1980.

The banana plantations of the kibbutz count among oldest of the valley of the Jordan. Their important output is explained because of the climatic conditions like proximity of the sources of water.

The orchards are made up mainly of grapefruits.

The first lawyer growths were imported West of India and the culture of the fruit established in the country. Their exploitation was the departure of experiments on the tropical and subtropical fruits, which will give birth, in 1935, with a garden especially arranged for the cause. Dr. Arthur Ruppin becomes about it the person in charge, assisted by employees of the agricultural center of Rehovot, like by the agronomist Dr. Hanan Openheimer.

Years 1960 to 1980, various fields of exploitation are given up, such as the vines, the pinks and various varieties of vegetables. In parallel the culture of cotton develops.

Toolgal

Toolgal, the factory of Degania produces not only material relating to the size of diamond, but also shelters a factory of invaluable stone size.

It was created in 1968 and employs 200 people today.

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