Ramat Yo?anan
RAMAT YO?ANAN
RAMAT YO?ANAN (Heb. ????? ????????), kibbutz in N. Israel, in the Haifa Bay area, E. of Kiryat Ata, affiliated with I?ud ha-Kevu?ot ve-ha-Kibbutzim, founded in 1932 by pioneers from Eastern Europe. In 1939 an ideological split brought about an exchange of members with *Bet Alfa, with those in favor of *Ha-Shomer ha-?a'ir concentrating in the latter kibbutz, while the members who supported the *Mapai Party stayed in Ramat Yo?anan. In the Israel *War of Independence, the kibbutz was attacked by a strong unit of Druze irregulars, but held out and counterattacked successfully (April 13–16, 1948). After this battle, the Druze in Israel ceased to side with the Arabs. In 1970 Ramat Yo?anan had 500 inhabitants, increasing to 700 in 2002. The kibbutz's economy was based on highly intensive farming (field crops, orchards, citrus groves, and dairy cattle) and on a plastics factory. Ramat Yo?anan had among its members several painters and writers. The ancient tradition of gathering the Omer ("sheaf") during the Passover week was first renewed in Ramat Yo?anan. The name, "Height of Yo?anan," commemorates Gen. Jan (Yo?anan) *Smuts.
[Efraim Orni]
