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Kefar Ruppin

KEFAR RUPPIN (Heb. כְּפַר רוּפִּין), kibbutz in the Beth-Shean Valley, near the Jordan River; founded in 1938 as a *stockade and watchtower settlement by pioneers from Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, later joined by immigrants from other countries. From 1967, Kefar Ruppin, situated within close firing range of the Jordanian positions beyond the river, endured frequent shelling and sniping. The kibbutz engaged in intensive farming, including branches adapted to the local hot climate, e.g., date palms, which withstand soil salinity, and field crops, fishery and ornamental fish, poultry, and dairy cattle. In addition, the kibbutz operated the Palkar Co. for fencing and storage facilities. For a time, the kibbutz was a center for nutria fur production. An international birdwatching center is located in the kibbutz. Its population rose from 310 in 1967 to 448 in 2002, with families becoming economically independent. The kibbutz is named after Arthur *Ruppin.

WEBSITE:

www.kfar-ruppin.org.il.


Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.