Komemiyut Explained

Komemiyut
Arname:كومميوت
Founded:1950
Founded By:Demobilised soldiers
District:south
Council:Shafir
Pushpin Map:Israel ashkelon
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Pushpin Label Position:top
Coordinates:31.6619°N 34.7306°W

Komemiyut (Hebrew: קוֹמְמִיּוּת|lit="sovereignty") is an Hasidic moshav in south-central Israel. Located in the southern Shephelah near Kiryat Gat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council. In it had a population of .

History

The group which established the village was formed as a youth group by Agudat Israel in August 1949, composed mainly of demobilized soldiers from a religious unit that had fought in the area during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The name is taken from a biblical passage, Leviticus 26:13:[1]

After training in Nahalat Yehuda, the group founded the moshav in 1950 on land given to it by the Jewish National Fund.[2] The village was built over the depopulated Palestinian village of Karatiyya.[3]

The moshav was built as an agricultural village, but to ensure a livelihood during the shmita year, industries were also established. The moshav has two bakeries including a matzo bakery, a dairy, a shingles factory, a marble factory, and a tefillin factory.[4] [5] [6] The moshav also has a program for yeshiva students, during which they study for six days and return to their homes only for shabbat and a Talmud Torah school for children.

Shmita harvest

As it was founded by observant Jews, the village was one of the few that refrained from working the land during the first Shmita year after independence, 1952.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land . 3rd . 1993 . Jerusalem . Carta . 387–388 . 965-220-186-3 . I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk erect.
  2. Web site: ⁨דבר⁩ | עמוד 4 | 2 מאי 1949 | אוסף העיתונות | הספרייה הלאומית. www.nli.org.il.
  3. Book: Walid Khalidi

    . All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Walid. Khalidi. Walid Khalidi. 1992. Washington D.C.. Institute for Palestine Studies. 0-88728-224-5. 119.

  4. Web site: ⁨הצפה⁩ | עמוד 4 | 14 דצמבר 1953 | אוסף העיתונות | הספרייה הלאומית. www.nli.org.il.
  5. Web site: ⁨דבר⁩ | עמוד 12 | 12 ספטמבר 1952 | אוסף העיתונות | הספרייה הלאומית. www.nli.org.il.
  6. Web site: ⁨דבר⁩ | עמוד 8 | 24 אפריל 1959 | אוסף העיתונות | הספרייה הלאומית. www.nli.org.il.
  7. News: Mordechai Kuber . Shmittah for the Clueless . Jewish Action: The Magazine of the Orthodox Union . 68 . 2 . 2007 . 6875.