Tzora

The kibbutz is named for the biblical village of Tzora,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=39WpyOFxMdYC&q=%22Sar%27a%22+shemesh&pg=PA132 |title=Waiting for Josiah: the Judges - Google Books |date= 21 April 2004|isbn=9780826469885 |accessdate=2011-07-17|last1=Guillaume |first1=Philippe }} which may have been a Canaanite town.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nT6UVWYGCyMC&q=%22Sar%27a%22+shemesh&pg=PA137 |title=The Book of Judges & the Book of ... - Google Books |date= January 2007|isbn=9781406788419 |accessdate=2011-07-17|last1=Cooke |first1=G. A. }} The name was taken from the Biblical Book of Judges (13:25): "And the spirit of the Lord began to move him (Samson) at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol."

The kibbutz's name is also similar to, and is related to that of the nearby and depopulated Palestinian village of Sar'a.

Tzora is located about 2 km south-west of Tel Tzora, which is where the Palestinian village of Sar'a stood until it was depopulated during the 1948 war. Tel Tzora is the likely location of the biblical village of Zorah.Conder and Kitchener, Survey of Western Palestine (vol. III), London 1883, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/26/mode/1up 26]

A ritual bath dating back to the Second Temple Period was discovered near Tzora kibbutz during an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in 2011.[http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/History/Pages/Ritual_bath_Second_Temple_Period_discovered_23-Oct-2011.aspx Ritual bath dating to the Second Temple Period discovered near Kibbutz Zor'a], 20 October 2011, accessed 13 November 2016

The kibbutz was founded in December 1948 by former Palmach members.{{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} It is located on the land of the depopulated Palestinian village of Dayr Aban.{{cite book|title=All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_By7AAAAIAAJ |first1=Walid|last1=Khalidi|authorlink=Walid Khalidi|year=1992|location=Washington D.C.|publisher=Institute for Palestine Studies|isbn=0-88728-224-5|page=283}}

In the 1980s a ham radio club operated under the call 4Z4YJ.http://www.cqww.com/cq-ww-ssb-2009-logs/ee2w/ee2w.log {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}{{cite web|url=http://www.qrz.com/db/4Z4YJ |title=Callsign 4Z4YJ |publisher=Qrz.com |date=2011-02-20 |accessdate=2011-07-17}}

In the early 2000s, Tzora underwent a privatization of its communal living structure, with a community tax levied on income and the residual retained as income by members. In April 2008, the kibbutz was fully privatized.

File:TzoraTeperbergFeb282022.jpg

One of the main branches of the kibbutz economy was Tzora Furniture Ltd., which began in 1957 as a metal factory. At first, the company produced bicycles, but in 1974 it began to manufacture office chairs, before moving on to a full range of office furniture. However, the factory burned down in July 2007.

{{cite web |url=http://www.tzora-global.com/about_en.asp |title=Tzora |publisher=Tzora-global.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717125432/http://www.tzora-global.com/about_en.asp |archivedate=2011-07-17 }} In 1993, Tzora opened the first kibbutz winery, Tzora Vineyards,{{cite web |url=http://www.gemsinisrael.com/e_article000033150.htm |title=Tzora Vineyards - Israeli Wine and Wineries, Israel tours, Israel Travel Tourism, private tour Israel |publisher=Gemsinisrael.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722111302/http://www.gemsinisrael.com/e_article000033150.htm |archivedate=2011-07-22 }} which produces 80,000 bottles of wine a year, of which 15,000 are exported.[https://www.timesofisrael.com/boutique-revolution-puts-israeli-wines-on-world-map/ Boutique revolution puts Israeli wines on world map] Best Vintage Tzora is also home to the Teperberg Winery.{{cite web |url=http://www.mykerem.com/articles/teperberg-1870-my-annual-visit-tasting-notes-k |first=Daniel |last=Rogov |title=Teperberg 1870: My Annual Visit - With Tasting Notes |date=February 10, 2011}}

Tzora operates a dairy in partnership with Tzova and Netiv HaLamed-Heh.{{cite journal | pmc = 1555681 | pmid=17017653 | volume=47 | title=A field investigation of the use of the pedometer for the early detection of lameness in cattle | journal=Can Vet J | pages=883–6 | last1 = Mazrier | first1 = H | last2 = Tal | first2 = S | last3 = Aizinbud | first3 = E | last4 = Bargai | first4 = U| year=2006 | issue=9 }} Tzora Active Systems produce advanced lightweight wheelchairs.{{cite web|url=http://www.tzora.com/ |title=Tzora Active Systems website |publisher=Tzora.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-17}}

• Samson
• Moshe Harif
• Yair Tzaban
• Eliezer Schweid

File:Zor'a ii.jpg|View of fledgling kibbutz from the road to Jerusalem

File:Zor'a iii.jpg|Construction of first cabins, 1948

File:Zor'a iv.jpg|First buildings, 1948

File:Zor'a i.jpg|Kibbutz goat herd in its early days

File:111891 kibbutz tsora general appearance PikiWiki Israel.jpg| Tzora 1949

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.tzora.co.il Official website (Hebrew)]
• Wikipedia (Hebrew)

{{Mateh Yehuda Regional Council}}

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Category:Ancient Jewish settlements of Judaea

Category:Kibbutzim

Category:Kibbutz Movement

Category:Populated places established in 1948

Category:Populated places in Jerusalem District

Category:1948 establishments in Israel

Category:Zorah