Nir Am (Hebrew: נִירְעָם, ניר עם, lit. Nation Meadow) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located near Sderot and covering 20,000 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. In 2019 it had a population of 611.[1]

Nir Am ניר עם‎
Nir Am in 1950
Etymology: Nation Meadow
Nir Am Show map of Northwest Negev region of Israel Nir Am Show map of Israel
Coordinates: 31°31′10″N 34°34′51″E
Country	Israel
District	Southern
Council	Sha'ar HaNegev
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement
Founded	19 August 1943
Founded by	Bessarabian Gordonia Members
Area	20,000 dunams (20 km2 or 8 sq mi)
Population  (2019)[1]	611
• Density	31/km2 (79/sq mi)
Website	www.nir-am.org.il

History

The village was established on 19 August 1943 by immigrants from Bessarabia who were members of the Gordonia youth movement, including Zvi Guershoni, later a member of the Knesset. Over the years the kibbutz has also absorbed immigrants from Argentina, France and South Africa. During the 1948 war it was the headquarters of the Negev Brigade.[2] In a report written in March 1948 by Yaakov Riftin investigating abuses in Haganah and Palmach units, it emerged that an Arab was seized, tortured and killed. [3]

• 
  Nir Am 1947
• 
  Palmach Pilots at Nir Am, 1948
• 
  Kibbutz Nir Am after fighting in 1948
• 
  Kibbutz Nir Am during Operation Yoav, October 1948

Economy, culture and landmarks

An innovative work area was created in Kibbutz Nir Am (Incubator),[4] Offices and workplaces for rent to start-ups, small companies in high-tech activities).

The "Museum of Water and Security in the Negev" is located at Nir Am, next to Mekorot's Nir Am Reservoir.

The Assaf Siboni Scenic Lookout and memorial, at a vantage point near the Nir Am Reservoir, offers excellent views of the Gaza Strip and especially of Jabalia.[5]

Notable people

• Zvi Guershoni (co-founder, 1943)
• Baruch Kamin (1914–1988), Israeli politician, member of the Knesset for Mapai (1953–55)
• Adam Neumann (born 1979), Israeli-American businessman, co-founder of WeWork

References

External links

• Kibbutz website (in Hebrew)
• Nir Am Negev Information Centre
• SouthUp innovation-center for the Gaza envelope and Israel's "periphery" (disadvantaged regions, mostly near the borders); offices in Sha'ar Hanegev and Nir Am
• Wikimedia photos from the Museum of Water and Security in the Negev