Yagur

Yagur

יָגוּר‎
Yagur יָגוּר‎
	Yagur Yagur
	Coordinates: 32°44′29″N 35°4′38″E / 32.74139°N 35.07722°E
Country	Israel
District	Haifa
Council	Zevulun
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement
Founded	1922
Founded by	Ahva members
Population (2022)	1,662
Website	www.yagur.com

Yagur (Hebrew: יָגוּר) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located on the northeastern slopes of Mount Carmel,^[2] about 9 km southeast of Haifa, it falls under the jurisdiction of Zevulun Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 1,662,^[1] making it one of the two largest kibbutzim in the country.

Name

The name Yagur was taken by the founding members from a nearby Arab village called "Yajur". There is a site with a similar name (Jagur) mentioned in the Book of Joshua (Josh 15:21), though it was located in territory belonging to the Tribe of Judah, far to the south.

History

Yagur was founded in 1922 by a settlement group called Ahva (Brotherhood).

At first, the members worked drying up the swamps surrounding the Kishon River and preparing the land for permanent settlement. They established various agricultural divisions and the kibbutz began to grow.

On 11 April 1931 three members of the kibbutz were killed by members of a cell of the Black Hand.^[3]

During the Mandate era, Yagur was an important center for the Haganah. During Operation Agatha on 29 June 1946, the British army conducted a major raid on the kibbutz and located a major arms depot hidden there after receiving a tip from informants. More than 300 rifles, some 100 2-inch mortars, more than 400,000 bullets, some 5,000 grenades and 78 revolvers were confiscated.^[4] Many members of the kibbutz were arrested.^[5]

Economy

The economy is now based on diversified agriculture and industry. The kibbutz operates a 5-month work-study program for young adults (18-28) in which participants learn conversational Hebrew and work in the kibbutz.^[6]

Notable people

Yisrael Bar-Yehuda (1895–1965), Knesset member
Uziel Gal (1923–2002), designer of the Uzi submachine gun
Yoel Marcus (1932–2022), Haaretz commentator
Itamar Marzel (born 1949), basketball player
Yoram Taharlev (1938–2022), poet, lyricist, author
Ruth Westheimer (born Karola Siegel, 1928; known as "Dr. Ruth"), German-American sex therapist, talk show host, author, professor, Holocaust survivor, and former Haganah sniper
Assaf Yaguri (1931–2000), Knesset member

Gallery

Shomeria pioneer group at Yagur, 1921
Yagur 1926
Yagur 1939
Yagur 1945
A room in Kibbutz Yagur after a weapon search conducted during Operation Agatha.
Members of the Yiftach Brigade training at Yagur, 1948
Nahal Yagur after rainfall