Menara מְנָרָה |
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Coordinates: 33°11′45″N 35°32′40″E / 33.19583°N 35.54444°ECoordinates: 33°11′45″N 35°32′40″E / 33.19583°N 35.54444°E | |
District | Northern |
Council | Upper Galilee |
Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
Founded | 1943 |
Founded by | HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed members |
Population (2015) | 224 |
Website | www.manara.co.il |
Menara (Hebrew: מְנָרָה) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Upper Galilee adjacent to the Lebanese border and overlooking the Hula Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 224.
The kibbutz was established in 1943 by members of the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed youth group, and other young immigrants from Germany and Poland. At one point the kibbutz was renamed Ramim (Hebrew: רמים, lit. Tall ones) in an attempt to replace its Arabic name (Manara derives from Minaret) with a Hebrew one. However, the new name failed to take hold amongst local residents. The kibbutz then came to a settlement with the government whereby the name Menara, with an accent on the last syllable (a Hebraicized form of Manara, accented on the second syllable) would be made official.
In June, 1948, the kibbutz requested land from the newly depopulated Palestinian village of Qadas, as it was "suitable for winter crops."
Leon Uris visited the kibbutz while researching his novel, Exodus. Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's sister Rachel Ya'akov was a founding member.