Batzra Explained

Batzra
Imgsize:250px
Foundation:1946
Founded By:Demobilised soldiers
District:center
Council:Hof HaSharon
Affiliation:Agricultural Union
Pushpin Map:Israel center ta#Israel
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Coordinates:32.2128°N 34.8778°W

Batzra (Hebrew: בָּצְרָה) is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near Ra'anana, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaSharon Regional Council. In it had a population of .

History

Before the 20th century the area formed part of the Forest of Sharon. It was an open woodland dominated by Mount Tabor Oak, which extended from Kfar Yona in the north to Ra'anana in the south. The intensification of settlement and agriculture in the coastal plain during the 19th century led to deforestation and subsequent environmental degradation.[1]

The moshav was established in 1946 by demobilised soldiers who had received technical training in the British Army. It was named after Basra in Iraq, where the unit was stationed for some time during World War II. By 1947 it had a population of 80. It was repopulated by South African Jewry.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Marom . Roy . 2022-12-01 . The Oak Forest of the Sharon (al-Ghaba) in the Ottoman Period: New Insights from Historical- Geographical Studies . Muse . 5 . 90–107.
  2. Book: Jewish Villages in Israel . Jewish National Fund . 1949 . Hamadpis Liphshitz Press . Jerusalem . 12.