Givat ?ayyim
GIVAT ?AYYIM
GIVAT ?AYYIM (Heb. ???????? ???????), two kibbutzim in central Israel 4 mi. (6 km.) south of ?aderah. The founding settlers from Austria and Czechoslovakia were among the first pioneers on the ?efer 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 ?ayyimwas affiliated with Ha-Kibbutz ha-Me'u?ad, and after a split in that movement in 1951–52, was partitioned into two neighboring kibbutzim – Givat ?ayyim and Givat ?ayyim Bet. In 1968, Givat ?ayyim (Ha-Kibbutz ha-Me'u?ad) numbered 705 persons and Givat ?ayyim Bet (I?ud ha-Kevu?ot 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]
