Sha'ar HaGolan (, ''lit.'' Gate of the Golan) is a
kibbutz situated at the foot of the
Golan Heights in the
Jordan Valley area of north-eastern
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
. Located less than 1 km from the border with
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
, it falls under the jurisdiction of
Emek HaYarden Regional Council. In it had a population of .
History
Sha'ar HaGolan was founded on 21 March 1937 by members of the
Hashomer Hatzair youth movement from
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. The founders met and were organized as a team in 1930 in
Rishon LeZion and were called "Ein Hakore" until 1937, when they established the kibbutz as a
tower and stockade settlement.
During the
Battles of the Kinarot Valley in the
1948 Arab–Israeli War, the defenders of Sha'ar HaGolan and of neighbouring kibbutz
Masada, after withstanding a first Syrian attack and further aerial bombardment and shelling, retreated due to lack of reinforcement and direction. The kibbutzim were captured and briefly held by the
Syrian Army, during which time they were looted and burned down. Although the members soon returned, a stigma was attached to them, and vindication in the form of released military records only arrived in recent years.
Economy
The main source of income is a
plastics engineering factory. The kibbutz also grows bananas, avocado and watermelons, and has a herd of
dairy cows. Another economic sector is tourism, one of the attractions is a museum of
Yarmukian culture exhibiting pre-historic
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
findings discovered along the banks of the
Yarmuk River. Established in the 1950s, it was Israel's first museum of prehistory.
Archaeology
Excavations at
Sha'ar HaGolan archaeological site unearthed an 8,000-year-old village and artifacts that include the
first pottery cooking pots found in the
Land of Israel. This Neolithic
Yarmukian village was inhabited by the people who
abandoned their nomadic lifestyle in favor of
permanent settlement, marking the shift from
hunting and gathering to
agriculture.
In July 2022, archaeologists from the
Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced the discovery of an 8,000-years-old "
Mother goddess" figurine at Sha'ar HaGolan archaeological site. Anna Eirikh-Rose, co-director of the excavation reported that the 20-centimeter long figurine covered by a bracelet with a red bottom was found broken into 2 pieces. It was sculpted in a sitting position with big hips, a unique pointed hat and what is known as 'coffee-bean' eyes and a big nose.
Galleries
File:מסדה - הקמת חומת המגן (מרחוק עין הקורא)-JNF009776.jpeg, Sha’ar HaGolan from Kibbutz Masada 1937
File:שער הגולן (נוסד בידי חברי "עין הקורא") - מראה כללי-JNF009512.jpeg, Sha’ar HaGolan 1937
File:Sha'ar Hagolan 004.jpg, Sha'ar HaGolan 1937
File:Sha'ar Ha Golan 003.jpg, The watchtower being erected at Sha'ar HaGolan, 21 August 1937
Kibbuz Sha'ar HaGolan-06-Gaestehaus-2010-gje.jpg, Guesthouse
Kibbuz Sha'ar HaGolan-36-Aloe-2010-gje.jpg, Canteen
Kibbuz Sha'ar HaGolan-16-Kindergarten-2010-gje.jpg, Kindergarten
Kibbuz Sha'ar HaGolan-18-Postfaecher-2010-gje.jpg, Postboxes
Kibbuz Sha'ar HaGolan-34-Chorisia Insignis-2010-gje.jpg, Chorisia Insignis
Kibbuz Sha'ar HaGolan-38-Aloe-2010-gje.jpg, Aloe
Kibbuz Sha'ar HaGolan-24-Kunst-2010-gje.jpg, Artwork
Kibbuz Sha'ar HaGolan-44-Sabbatfeier-2010-gje.jpg, Sabbath celebration
Notable people
*
Miriam Roth
References
External links
Official websiteGolan Plastic Products
{{Authority control
Kibbutzim
Kibbutz Movement
Populated places established in 1937
Jewish villages depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Prehistoric sites in Israel
Archaeological sites in Israel
Neolithic settlements
Populated places in Northern District (Israel)
1937 establishments in Mandatory Palestine
1948 disestablishments in Israel
Czech-Jewish culture in Israel
Hungarian-Jewish culture in Israel
Slovak-Jewish culture in Israel
Yarmukian culture