Kibbutz Nir Am

Nir Am (Heb. נִיר עָם; “The People’s Plowed Field”) is a secular agricultural kibbutz in southern Israel, 6 mi. (10 km.) N.E. of Gaza, affiliated with Iḥud ha-Kevuẓot ve-ha-Kibbutzim. It was founded on August 19, 1943, by a group of graduates of the “Gordonia” Youth Aliyah movement from Central and Eastern Europe, marking a significant step in the expansion of Jewish settlement toward the Negev. Abundant groundwater reserves were discovered soon after, and in 1947, the first pipeline leading to the Negev outposts was laid from the Nir Am – Gevar’am area.

During the Israeli War of Independence (1948), the kibbutz served as the headquarters, hospital, and supply center for the settlements in the south and Negev, which were cut off from the rest of Israel for several months. The Negev Squadron, commanded by Ezer Weizman, was located in Nir Am, and an airfield was established next to the kibbutz.

Palmach Pilots at Nir Am, 1948

The population of Nir Am is multicultural, as the kibbutz has absorbed graduates of the Habonim youth movements from Israel, Argentina, France, and Morocco.

The kibbutz economy is based on intensive field crops, citrus groves, and dairy cattle. The kibbutz’s factory, “Michsaf” (Made of Silver), produces cutlery and a variety of pots and kitchen utensils. In addition, the kibbutz developed a tourist industry, which includes a resort, paintball facilities, an environmental activities site, and catering services.

According to its website, “since 2002, Nir Am has been run according to the model of a ‘renewable kibbutz’ in which the principles of mutual guarantee are combined with the privatization and association of apartments and properties. With the adoption of the new patterns, many members are expanding or upgrading their homes that they will soon own.” The site also boasts that “Nir Am is one of the most well-maintained of the western Negev kibbutzim, with extensive ornamental areas, spacious lawns, and some of the most beautiful public spaces and buildings in the area.”

The Museum of Water and Security in the Negev is located at Nir Am, next to Mekorot’s Nir Am reservoir. The Nabia Meri Observatory, the Assaf Siboni Observatory, and the “Black Arrow” site are also areas of tourist interest.

Museum of Water and Security

The kibbutz is municipally part of the Sha’ar Negev Regional Council. In 2023, its population was 659.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched one of its fiercest assaults in the Nir Am area. The IDF’s rapid deployment and the actions of the community’s standby squad prevented gunmen from entering the kibbutz. It was one of the few villages near Gaza that avoided casualties.

Photos: Kibbutz Nir Am - By Baruch Niv Pikiwiki Israel, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia.
Airplane - Public Domain via Wikimedia.
Water museum - Dorontalmi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia.