Sde Eliyahu

Sde Eliyahu (Hebrew: שְׂדֵה אֵלִיָּהוּ, lit. Eliyahu Field) is a religious kibbutz in northern Israel. Located 5 km south of Beit She'an, it falls under the jurisdiction of Valley of Springs Regional Council.

History

Sde Eliyahu was founded on 8 May 1939 by German immigrants as a tower and stockade settlement. It was named after the 19th-century Rabbi Eliyahu Guttmacher, one of the early leaders of Religious Zionism, and together with Ein HaNatziv, Shluhot and Tirat Zvi forms a group of religious kibbutzim in the area.

Immigrants from many other countries have since joined Sde Eliyahu. As of 2007, it is home to about 800 members and 150 families.

Economy

The kibbutz produces dates, grapes, pomegranates, spices and field crops, as well as dairy cattle and poultry. The kibbutz uses organic farming methods and non-pesticide management.

The "Shaked" regional religious school is located in the kibbutz. It serves students from the surrounding area. The kibbutz recently established a beit midrash for graduates of the Israel Defense Forces who wish to combine Jewish studies with farm work.