Mazkeret Batya
Mazkeret Batya
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| Hebrew transcription(s) | |
| •ISO 259 | Mazkert Batya |
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  Mazkeret Batya  Mazkeret Batya | |
| Coordinates:31°50′59″N34°50′35″E/ 31.84972°N 34.84306°E | |
| Country |  Israel |
| District | Central |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Government | |
| • Head of Municipality | Gaby Gaon |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7,440dunams(7.44 km2or 2.87 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | |
| • Total | 15,726 |
| • Density | 2,100/km2(5,500/sq mi) |
Mazkeret Batya(Hebrew:מַזְכֶּרֶת בַּתְיָה) (lit. "Batya Memorial" ) is alocal councilincentralIsraellocated southeast ofRehovotand 25 kilometres (16 mi) fromTel Aviv.Mazkeret Batya spans an area of 7,440dunams(7 km2). In 2022 it had a population of 15,726.[1]The mayor of Mazkeret Batya is Gaby Gaon.[2]
History
[edit]Mazkeret Batya, initially Ekron, was established on November 7, 1883 by 11 ultra-Orthodox Jewish farmers from Russia, one of them Yaakov Laskovsky. It was the first agricultural settlement of theHovevei Zionmovement.
The land was purchased byBaron Rothschildto promote Jewish agriculture in Palestine. RabbiShmuel Mohileverwas instrumental in mobilizing funding and organizing the settlers. Mohilever's remains were later reinterred in the Mazkeret Batya cemetery. In 1887 the name was changed to Mazkeret Batya, in memory of Betty Solomon de Rothschild, mother of Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. The history of the founding is described in the book "Rebels in the Holy Land", by the historian Sam Finkle where he writes about the community's struggle to uphold the laws of the sabbatical year despite fierce opposition.
The economy of the village was originally based on dry farming, which continued even after theMekorotCompany constructed a pipeline to bring water fromRehovot.[3]In 1947, Mazkeret Batya was home to 475 people.[3]
According to acensusconducted in 1922 by theBritish Mandate authorities,Mazkeret Batya (then Ekron) had a population 368 Jews.[4] During the Mandate era, a Jewish police station was established in Mazkeret Batya to safeguard the local roads. In theWar of Independence,convoys to besieged Jerusalem left from Mazkeret Batya. A field hospital operated there to care forHaganahfighters wounded atLatrun.[5]
According to one source, at the end of the British Mandate for Palestine, the British tried to hand the nearbyAqirairfield and camp to thePalestinian Arabs,apparently without success.[3]
Due to its proximity toTel Aviv,Mazkeret Batya has experienced a growth spurt, becoming a mixed community of religious and secular Jews. Historic landmarks include Beit Ha'Itut (Signal House), the Great Synagogue, Beit Meshek HaBaron ( "The Baron's Farmhouse", now housing a cultural center), thesaqiya-type water-rising system with its wooden wheels, well and pool, and an old farmyard.[5]
Notable People
[edit]Shira Elinav,footballer
Twin towns — sister cities
[edit]Mazkeret Batya istwinnedwith:
References
[edit]- ^ab"Regional Statistics".Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.Retrieved21 March2024.
- ^"Mazkeret Batya website".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-10-25.Retrieved2009-11-16.
- ^abcJewish National Fund(1949).Jewish Villages in Israel.Jerusalem: Hamadpis Liphshitz Press. p. 41.
- ^"Palestine Census ( 1922)".
- ^abSociety for Preservation of Israel Heritage SitesArchived2009-12-05 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Stadt Celle".celle.de.Retrieved2010-01-05.
- ^Harry Sanders, "'Shalom,' from Israel," Calgary Sunday Sun 25 Jan. 1998: S7
- ^"Ville de Meudon - Villes jumelles".Ville de Meudon.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-05-07.Retrieved2013-07-29.
External links
[edit]- The "Gesher" community of Mazkeret Batya
- Kehila Datit of Mazkeret BatyaArchived2011-07-14 at theWayback Machine
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