Nir David

Nir David - The early days (1946)

Members of Yiftach Brigade, "C" Company, at Tel Amal, 1948

The Nir David pioneering group was formed in the city of Ramat Gan in 1932. Its first members were founders of the local chapter of Hashomer Hatzair Zionist youth movement. In 1933, the group united with kibbutz "Massad" from Poland (no connection with the Massad city from the Lower Galilee, nor with the "Massad" group which founded nearby kibbutz Kfar Ruppin, since that one consisted of refugees from Germany and Austria who arrived in 1933-1934; "Massad" means "foundation" in Hebrew).

In 1934, the community sent a group to the Beit She'an Valley to cultivate the land that the Jewish National Fund had purchased for future settlements in the region. The kibbutz members began farming around Tel Shuk, where the kibbutz would later be established. When Arab revolt began on the night of 20 April 1936, the kibbutz's first wheat crop was burned and its plants and seedlings uprooted.

The pioneers were determined to return to their land, despite the dangers involved. Faced with Arab terror and British opposition, they devised a plan for a fortified settlement that could resist attack from its first night of existence.

On 10 December 1936, Tel Amal was established as the first tower and stockade settlement (and the first kibbutz) in the Beit She'an Valley,[2] and the second in all of Mandate Palestine after Kfar Hittim. During the next three years of troubles from the 1936–39 Arab revolt, some 52 such settlements were built overnight.

In the 1940s, the kibbutz was renamed Nir David in honor of David Wolfsohn, second president of the World Zionist Organization. The communal dining room and two children's homes were designed by Zeev Rechter, architect of some of Israel's most iconic buildings.[3]

Nir David uses land that traditionally belonged to the depopulated Palestinian village of Al-Sakhina.[4]

The Asi river

The kibbutz's main income is from agriculture, e.g., field crops, orchards, and fish. Nir David Fish Breeding Farms has developed Tilapia strains with unique properties.[5] The kibbutz's "Nirotek" factory produces self adhesive and carbonless copy paper, and a metal factory exports horticultural vehicles and tools.

• "Gan Hashlosha" - A semi-natural water park (formerly known by its Arabic name, Sachne).
• "Gan-Garoo" - Australian zoo, which features Australian marsupial wildlife such as kangaroos and koala[6]
• Village Inn - Lodging in Nir-David on the banks of the Asi river.
• Guest ranch - a relatively large horse ranch offering horseback training for children and adults, from basic riding to competitive, and occasionally hosts equestrian show jumping competitions.
• Holtzer Sport Center - A modern sport complex which includes a 25 m. swimming pool, basketball court and a multipurpose sports auditorium.

• Tourism in Israel

• Official website
• Nir David Metal Works (in Hebrew)
• Nir David Tourism (in Hebrew)
• Gan Hashlosha