Bnei Yehuda, Golan Heights

Bnei Yehuda ( _he. בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה) is a moshav located in the southern Golan Heights, under the administration of Israel.

The moshav was built in 1972. It falls under the municipal jurisdiction of the Golan Regional Council.

History

The first settlement in the Golan Heights called Bnei Yehuda was founded as a moshava in 1887 by Jews from Safed, with the help of Laurence Oliphant. It was abandoned after Oliphant's death in 1888, but re-settled in 1890. Six houses were built next to the Arab village of Bir ash-Shakum, with the help of Hovevei Zion from London. In 1906, the village's population was 33, and its land area was 3,500 dunams (3.5 km²). Because of the difficult conditions of the villages, Bnei Yehuda was abandoned, and re-settlement plans by Hashomer in 1913 failed. The Bernstein family remained on the lands until they were finally abandoned on April 25, 1920, following a Syrian attack which killed two members of the family.Cite encyclopedia|author=Vilnai, Ze'ev|title=Benei-Yehuda|encyclopedia=Ariel Encyclopedia|volume=Volume 1|pages=pp. 955-57|publisher=Am Oved|location=Israel|year=1976 he icon]

The modern Bnei Yehuda was founded east of the former location in 1972 by workers from the Negev Nuclear Research Center and Israel Aircraft Industries, following an appeal by the Jewish Agency.Cite book|title=Lexicon of the Land of Israel|publisher=Miskal - Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books|year=1999|author=HaReuveni, Immanuel|pages=pp. 145-46|isbn=965-448-413-7 he icon]

References