- Tzora
Infobox_Kibbutz
kibbutz_name = Tzora
foundation = 1948
founded_by = FormerPalmach members
region =Jerusalem corridor
council = Mateh Yehuda
industry = Agriculture, furniture manufacturing
affiliation =Kibbutz Movement
website = [http://www.tzora.co.il/ www.tzora.co.il]Tzora ( _he. צרעה) is a
kibbutz in centralIsrael . Located about 20 km fromJerusalem , near the city ofBeit Shemesh , it falls under the jurisdiction ofMateh Yehuda Regional Council . In 2007, the kibbutz had a population of 900, of whom 400 are members of the kibbutz.History
The kibbutz was founded in 1948 by former
Palmach members (includingYair Tzaban ) on the land of the abandoned Arab village of "Sara'a". Its name was taken from the BiblicalBook of Judges (13:25);:"And the spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan betweenZorah andEshtaol ."In the early 2000s, Tzora underwent a semi-privatization of its communal living structure, with a community tax levied on income and the residual retained as income by members.
Economy
One of the main branches of the kibbutz economy is Tzora Furniture Ltd., which began in 1957 as a metal factory. At first, the company produced bicycles, but in 1974 it began to manufacture office chairs, before moving on to a full range of office furniture. [http://www.tzora-global.com/about_en.asp] In 1993, Tzora opened the first kibbutz winery, Tzora Vineyards, [http://www.gemsinisrael.com/e_article000033150.htm] which produces 60,000 bottles of wine a year. [ [http://www.bestvintage.co.uk/articles.php Kibbutz Tzora Winery] Best Vintage] Tzora also operates a kibbutz guesthouse. [ [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3020743,00.html Vineyards Offer Visitors More Than Wine] Ynetnews, 27 December 2004] It operates a dairy in partnership with
Tzova andNetiv HaLamed-Heh .Fact|date=August 2008References
External links
* [http://www.tzora.co.il Official website] he icon
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