NA'AN (Heb. נַעַן), kibbutz in central Israel, E. of Reḥovot, affiliated with Ha-Kibbutz ha-Me'uḥad. It was founded in 1930 as the first village of *Ha-No'ar ha-Oved youth. The founders were later joined by immigrants from many countries. During the 1936–39 disturbances Na'an maintained friendly ties with Arab villages in the vicinity and was not attacked, but it came under siege by the British army on "Black Saturday," June 29, 1946, when 23 settlers were wounded. In 1969 Na'an had 870 inhabitants; in 2002, 1,140. Its economy was based on highly intensive farming (citrus groves, avocado plantations, field crops, and dairy cattle) and it ran a metal plant producing irrigation and other equipment. The settlement's name is adapted from the Arabic name of the site, Naʿana, which in turn may be the original town of Naamah of the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15:41).

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