Moshav

Moshav (Hebrew: מוֹשָׁב‎, plural מוֹשָׁבִים moshavim, lit. settlement, village) is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second wave of aliyah. A resident or a member of a moshav can be called a "moshavnik" (מוֹשַׁבְנִיק).

The moshavim are similar to kibbutzim with an emphasis on community labour. They were designed as part of the Zionist state-building programme following the green revolution Yishuv ("settlement") in the British Mandate of Palestine during the early 20th century, but in contrast to the collective kibbutzim, farms in a moshav tended to be individually owned but of fixed and equal size. Workers produced crops and goods on their properties through individual and/or pooled labour and resources and used profit and foodstuffs to provide for themselves. Moshavim are governed by an elected council (Hebrew: ועד‎, va'ad, lit. committee). Community projects and facilities were financed by a special tax (Hebrew: מס ועד‎, mas va'ad, lit. committee tax). This tax was equal for all households of the community, thus creating a system where good farmers were better off than bad ones, unlike in the communal kibbutzim where (at least theoretically) all members enjoyed the same living standard. Many moshavim still exist today.

Moshav (band)

Moshav, formerly known as Moshav Band, is an Israeli-American Jewish rock band originating from Moshav Mevo Modi'im. Founded in 1995 by Yehuda Solomon and Duvid Swirsky, the group moved to Los Angeles in 2000 and has released seven studio albums. They are often regarded as one of the first groups to combine Jewish music with a rock sound, as elements of alternative rock, folk, funk, and reggae appear in their songs.

History

The Israel-born Moshav Band members grew up on Moshav Mevo Modi'im, a musical village located in the hills between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Their village, founded by the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, was and continues to be the birthplace of many Jewish songs enjoyed the world over. The members of the Moshav Band were under the spiritual guidance of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach while immersed in his musical world, often performing with him at his concerts. Solomon is the son of Ben Zion Solomon, one of the original members of the Diaspora Yeshiva Band.

Although the members of the Moshav Band grew up playing music together, the band had its first official show at Jerusalem's Mike's Place in 1996, performing for an audience consisting mainly of American students studying abroad in various yeshivas as well as Hebrew University. The organizer of the event, Sharon Goldman, was unsure how to bill the as-yet unnamed act and opted for the simple "Moshav Band." The name stuck.