Bedouin

A Bedouin family in Oman
Total population
8,000,000 - 10,000,000
Regions with significant populations
Saudi Arabia 5,000,000[citation needed]  Jordan 910,000[citation needed]  Iraq 600,000[citation needed]  Libya 530,000[citation needed]  Egypt- mainly in Sinai 380,000 (2007)[1]  Israel 170,000 (1999)[2]  Syria  Tunisia  Algeria  Morocco  Western Sahara  Mauritania  Sudan  Kuwait  UAE  Bahrain  Qatar  Oman  Yemen
Languages
Arabic dialects:  Najdi • Hassānīya • Bedawi
Religion
majority adhere to Sunni Islam; small numbers adhere to Shia Islam and other religions
Related ethnic groups
Arabs

The Bedouin ( /ˈbɛdʉ.ɪn/; from the Arabic badawī بَدَوِي, pl. badū بَدْو or al-badaw البَدَوِ) are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arabian ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ʿašāʾir (عَشَائِر).

Etymology[link]

The term "Bedouin" derives from a plural form of the Arabic word badawī, as it is pronounced in colloquial dialects. The Arabic term badawī derives from the word bādiyah (بَادِية), which means semiarid desert (as opposed to ṣaḥrāʾ صَحْرَاء, which means very arid desert). The term "Bedouin" therefore means, "those in bādiyah" or "those in the desert".

History[link]

Starting in the late nineteenth century, many Bedouin under British rule began to transit to a seminomadic life. In the 1950s and 1960s, large numbers of Bedouin throughout Midwest Asia started to leave the traditional, nomadic life to settle in the cities of Midwest Asia, especially as hot ranges have shrunk and populations have grown. For example, in Syria the Bedouin way of life effectively ended during a severe drought from 1958 to 1961, which forced many Bedouin to abandon herding for standard jobs. Similarly, governmental policies in Egypt and Israel, oil production in the Persian Gulf, as well as a desire for improved standards of living, effectively led most Bedouin to become settled citizens of various nations, rather than stateless nomadic herders. Governmental policies pressing the Bedouin have in some cases been executed in an attempt to provide service (schools, health-care, law enforcement and so on—see Chatty 1986 for examples), but in others have been based on the desire to seize land traditionally roved and controlled by the Bedouin. In recent years, the Bedouin have adopted the pastime of raising and breeding white doves.

Society[link]

Bedouin Shepherd in Syrian Desert

A widely quoted Bedouin saying is "I against my brother, my brothers and I against my cousins, then my cousins and I against strangers". This saying signifies a hierarchy of loyalties based on proximity of kinship that runs from the nuclear family through the lineage, the tribe, and even, in principle at least, to an entire genetic or linguistic group (which is perceived to have a kinship basis). Disputes are settled, interests are pursued, and justice and order are maintained by means of this frame, according to an ethic of self-help and collective responsibility (Andersen 14). The individual family unit (known as a tent or bayt) typically consisted of three or four adults (a married couple plus siblings or parents) and any number of children.

When resources were plentiful, several tents would travel together as a goum. These groups were sometimes linked by patriarchal lineage, but were just as likely linked by marriage (new wives were especially likely to have close male relatives join them), acquaintance or even no clearly defined relation but a simple shared membership in the tribe.

The next scale of interaction within groups was the ibn ʿamm (cousin, or literally "son of an uncle") or descent group, commonly of three to five generations. These were often linked to goums, but where a goum would generally consist of people all with the same herd type, descent groups were frequently split up over several economic activities, thus allowing a degree of 'risk management'; should one group of members of a descent group suffer economically, the other members of the descent group would be able to support them. Whilst the phrase "descent group" suggests purely a lineage-based arrangement, in reality these groups were fluid and adapted their genealogies to take in new members.

The largest scale of tribal interactions is the tribe as a whole, led by a Sheikh (Arabic: شيخ‎ šayḫ, literally, "elder"). The tribe often claims descent from one common ancestor—as mentioned above. This appears patrimonial but in reality new groups could have genealogies invented to tie them in to this ancestor. The tribal level is the level that mediated between the Bedouin and the outside governments and organizations.

Bedouin traditionally had strong honor codes, and traditional systems of justice dispensation in Bedouin society typically revolved around such codes. The bisha'a, or ordeal by fire, is a well-known Bedouin practice of lie detection. See also: Honor codes of the Bedouin, Bedouin systems of justice.

Bedouins in Israel[link]

Prior to the 1948 Israeli Declaration of Independence, when the Negev became part of Israel, an estimated 65,000–90,000 Bedouins lived in the Negev. According to Encylopedia Judaica 15,000 Bedouin remained in the Negev after 1948, other sources put the number as low as 11,000.^[3] An Israeli study in 1999 estimated a total Bedouin population in Israel of 170,000 for 1998, of which 110,000 in the Negev, 50,000 in the North and 10,000 in the "central region".^[2] This figure may include Bedouins residing in Palestinian territories who do not hold Israeli citizenship; those who do are classified by Israel as Arab citizen of Israel. After 1948, some Negev Bedouins were displaced. The Jahalin tribe, for instance, lived in the Tel Arad region of the Negev prior to the 1950s. In the early 1950s, the Jahalin were among the tribes which, according to Emmanuel Marks, "moved or were removed by the military government."^[4] They ended up in the so-called E1 area East of Jerusalem.

Successive Israeli administrations tried to urbanize Bedouins in the Negev. The first Bedouin town, Tel as-Sabi or Tel Sheva, was founded in 1967. The largest, Rahat, had a population of 28,000 by 1998; by that time, about half of all Negev Bedouins lived in urban areas.^[2] Approximately half of all Bedouins who are citizens of Israel live in so-called unrecognized villages.

Bedouin tribes and populations[link]

There are a number of Bedouin tribes, but the total population is often difficult to determine, especially as many Bedouin have ceased to lead nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyles. Below is a partial list of Bedouin tribes and their historic place of origin.

• Al-Abbadi One of tribes in Jordan.
• Al Adwan One of the tribes in Jordan.
• al-Ajman from eastern Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf States.
• Aniza, some Anizes are of Bedouin tribes that lives in northern Saudi Arabia, western Iraq, the Persian Gulf States, and the Syrian steppe.
• al-Awazem, mostly located in Kuwait, with a small section in north-eastern Saudi Arabia.
• 'Azazme, Negev.
• Al-Baggara, in Syria, Iraq.
• Bani Hajer (Al-Hajri or Al-Hajeri) a large and powerful tribe in Saudi Arabia and the eastern Persian Gulf States.
• Beni Hamida East of Dead Sea.
• Bani Khalid, a large tribe spanning Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, UAE, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Iraq and other countries, said to be descendants of Prophet Mohamed's companion "Khaled ibn Al-Waleed".
• Bani Rasheed Rashaida in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Jordan, Lebanon, Persian Gulf States and North Africa.
• Bani Truf in Ahwaz which is located in southwest of Iran near Iraqi border.
• Bani Arak or Al-arkiyon or Al-Arakiya or Al-Boaraki (Bahrain & Kuwait) a large tribe that originates from Yemen but now a minority in the country currently the tribe is found in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, West Bank, Bahrain, Sudan and Egypt. The tribe is of qahatanite origin but the tribe was first known as Al-araki in Iraq as the name Araki is a diversion of the word Iraqi, the tribe is a sub-tribe of the ancient tribe Juhayna.
• Banu Yam centered in Najran Province, Saudi Arabia.
• alatwy a tribe (also known as Beni Ateyah), live in north-western part of Saudi Arabia, Tabuk province.
• Beni-Hasan One of the largest tribes in Jordan.
• Beni Sakhr One of the largest tribes in Jordan.
• Beni Sakhr in Sudan (Shokriya), Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
• Al Buainain
• Al Bu Romaih
• al-Da'ajah Bedouin of Balqawi Amman in Jordan.
• Dulaim, a large tribe in Al Anbar western Iraq.
• al-Duwasir, south of Riyadh, and Kuwait.
• Ghamid, large tribe from Al-Bahah Province, Saudi Arabia, mostly settled, but with a small Bedouin section known as Badiyat Ghamid.
• Al-Hadid Large Bedouin tribe found in Iraq, Syria and Jordan. Now mostly are settled in cities such as Haditha in Iraq, Homs & Hama in Syria, and Amman Jordan. Yet tribal law still exists within their families as their Sheikh still governs the tribe. Sheikh Barjas Al-Hadid now leads the tribe in Jordan and previously Sheikh Raslan Al-Hadid in Syria.
• Al-Hajaya One of the largest tribes in Jordan (Al-Hesa).
• Harb, a large tribe, centered around Medina, but also extending northwards towards Tabuk and eastwards towards Al-Qassim.
• Hareeb 100 Miles South of Marib in Yemen.
• Hajaya in al-Qatarneh, and al-Hasa, Jordan.
• Al-Howaitat One of the largest tribes in Jordan (Al-Hesa).
• Al-Khassawneh One of the largest tribes in northern Irbid Jordan and well known for the long history dominating the north
• Ja'alin tribe found in north Sudan they are Hashemite Arab tribe tracing their origin to ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib.
• Al Jalahma.
• Juhayna (tribe), a large tribe, many of its warriors were recruited as mercenaries during World War I by Prince Faisal, surrounds the area of Mecca, and extends to Southern Medina and can also be found in Sudan as the biggest Qahtani tribe.
• Al-Magableh One of the largest tribes in Jordan and well known for the long history dominating the north.
• Khawalid in Jordan, Israel, Lebanon and Syria.
• Al-Majali South Jordan Majalis have long dominated Karak Bedouin society, Strongest tribe in Karak one of the largest political power in Jordan
• Makki tribes from banu Abdul Qays they live in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar,Sudan and Oman.
• Manasir a large tribe found the Persian Gulf region and eastern Sudan.
• al-Mawasi, a group living on the central Gaza Strip coast.
• al-Massaed tribe found in Jordan.
• Al-Matheel also spelled Mathil, a prominent Yemeni tribe based in the Damt region of Yemen, most have spread to the capital Sana'a.
• al-Murrah in Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Upper-Egypt.
• Murad, a tribe living 150 miles south-east of the capital of Yemen.
• Mutair, estimated at about 1,200,000 members;^{[citation needed]} live in the Nejd plateau, many families from the Mutair tribe live in the Persian Gulf States (especially Kuwait).
• Muzziena tribe in Dahab and South Sinai (Egypt).
• Al Nuaim a large tribe in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan (Noaymat), Palestine, Iraq,Sudan (Noaymayen), United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain.
• al-Rashaydah, a large international tribe, originally centered around Medina, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait but also extending in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, Libya and Mali, see also Bani Rasheed
• Riyalat, it now resides in Sult, Jordan.
• Rwala, a large clan from the Aniza tribe, live in Saudi Arabia, but extend through Jordan into Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, in the 1970s, according to Lancaster, there were 250,000–500,000 Rwala.
• al-salaita,An ancient tribe in Jordan.
• Shahran Al-Ariydhah, very large tribe from Bisha city to Khamis Mushait and Abha cties Al-Arydhah 'wide' is a famous name for Shahran because it has a very large area, Saudi Arabia.
• Shaigiya a tribe found in the north of Sudan, they share the same origin with the ja'alin, a Rubattab tribe.
• Shammar in Saudi Arabia, central, and western Iraq, eastern Syria, Jordan and Lebanon
• Subay', central Nejd, and Kuwait.
• Swellat,A Large Bedouin tribe, found in Lebanon and Syria.
• Al-Tarabeen One of the largest tribes in Jordan and Israel. They include many families like Al-Sanea'.
• Tarrabin, Negev
• Tuba-Zangariyye, Israel near Syria.
• Ubeidah, 150 miles west of the capital of Yemen.
• Ummur tribe of around 1,200 persons near Palmyra, Syria.
• Utaybah large tribe in western and central Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.
• Yahia, a group from Morocco of about 96,000 people.
• Zaab, a small tribe, live with the Al-Ajman, in eastern Saudi Arabia.
• Al-Zinati Bedouin of Northern Jordan Valley.
• Al-Araqeeb, a small farming village in Israel (demolished)

See also[link]

• Bedouin music
• Ardha
• Ghinnawa

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Brous, Devorah. "The 'Uprooting:' Education Void of Indigenous 'Location-Specific' Knowledge, Among Negev Bedouin Arabs in Southern Israel;" International Perspectives on Indigenous Education. (Ben Gurion University 2004)
• Chatty, D Mobile Pastoralists 1996. Broad introduction to the topic, specific focus on women's issues.
• Chatty, Dawn. From Camel to Truck. The Bedouin in the Modern World. New York: Vantage Press. 1986
• Cole, Donald P. "Where have the Bedouin gone?". Anthropological Quarterly. Washington: Spring 2003.Vol.76, Iss. 2; pg. 235
• Falah, Ghazi. “Israeli State Policy Towards Bedouin Sedentarization in the Negev,” Journal of Palestine Studies, 1989 Vol. XVIII, No. 2, pp. 71–91
• Falah, Ghazi. “The Spatial Pattern of Bedouin Sedentarization in Israel,” GeoJournal, 1985 Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 361–368.
• Gardner, Andrew. The Political Ecology of Bedouin Nomadism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In Political Ecology Across Spaces, Scales and Social Groups, Lisa Gezon and Susan Paulson, eds. Rutgers: Rutgers University Press.
• Gardner, Andrew. The New Calculus of Bedouin Pastoral Nomadism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Human Organization 62 (3): 267-276.
• Gardner, Andrew and Timothy Finan. Navigating Modernization: Bedouin Pastoralism and Climate Information in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. MIT Electronic Journal of Middle East Studies 4 (Spring): 59-72.
• Gardner, Ann. "At Home in South Sinai." Nomadic Peoples 2000.Vol.4,Iss. 2; pp. 48–67. Detailed account of Bedouin women.
• Jarvis, Claude Scudamore. Yesterday and To-day in Sinai. Edinburgh/London: W. Blackwood & Sons; Three Deserts. London: John Murray, 1936; Desert and Delta. London: John Murray, 1938. Sympathetic accounts by a colonial administrator in Sinai.
• Lancaster, William. The Rwala Bedouin Today 1981 (Second Edition 1997). Detailed examination of social structures.
• S. Leder/B. Streck (ed.): Shifts and Drifts in Nomad-Sedentary Relations. Nomaden und Sesshafte 2 (Wiesbaden 2005)
• Lithwick, Harvey. "An Urban Development Strategy for the Negev’s Bedouin Community;" Center for Bedouin Studies and Development and Negev Center for Regional Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, August 2000
• Mohsen, Safia K. The quest for order among Awlad Ali of the Western Desert of Egypt.
• Thesiger, Wilfred (1959). Arabian Sands. ISBN 0-14-009514-4 (Penguin paperback). British adventurer lives as and with the Bedu of the Empty Quarter for 5 years

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bedouins

Wikisource has the text of The New Student's Reference Work article Bedouins.

Jools Holland
Holland at the British Academy Television Awards 2009
Background information
Birth name	Julian Miles Holland
Born	(1958-01-24) 24 January 1958 (age 54) Blackheath, London, England
Genres	Boogie-woogie, jazz, blues, R&B
Occupations	Musician, composer, television presenter, bandleader
Instruments	Piano, keyboard, guitar
Years active	1974–present
Associated acts	Squeeze Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
Website	Official site

Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze (1974-1980 & 1985-1990) and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Magazine and Bono.

Holland is a published author and appears on television shows besides his own and contributes to radio shows. In 2004, he collaborated with Tom Jones on an album of traditional R&B music. He currently hosts Later... with Jools Holland, a music-based show aired on BBC2, on which his annual show Hootenanny, is based.^[1]

Life and career[link]

His great grandfather came from Ireland.^[2]

Holland played as a session musician before finding fame, and his first studio session was with Wayne County & the Electric Chairs in 1976 on their track "F*ck Off."^[3]

Holland was a founding member of the British pop band Squeeze, formed in March 1974, in which he played keyboards until 1981 and helped the band to achieve millions of record sales, before pursuing his solo career.^[3]

Holland began issuing solo records in 1978, his first EP being Boogie Woogie '78. He continued his solo career through the early 1980s, releasing an album and several singles between 1981 and 1984. He branched out into TV, co-presenting the Newcastle-based TV music show The Tube with Paula Yates. Holland achieved notoriety by inadvertently using the phrase "groovy fuckers" in a live, early evening TV trailer for the show, causing it to be suspended for six weeks.^[4] He referred to this in his sitcom "The Groovy Fellers" with Rowland Rivron.

Holland at the Tsunami Relief concert in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, 22 January 2005

In 1983 Holland played an extended piano solo on The The's re-recording of "Uncertain Smile" for the album Soul Mining. In 1985, Squeeze (which had continued in Holland's absence through to 1982) unexpectedly regrouped including Jools Holland as their keyboard player. Holland remained in the band until 1990, at which point, he again departed Squeeze on amicable terms to resume his solo career as a musician and a TV host.

In 1987, Holland formed The Jools Holland Big Band which consisted of himself and Gilson Lavis from Squeeze. This gradually became his 18-piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.^[3]

Between 1988 and 1990 he performed and co-hosted along with David Sanborn during the two seasons of the music performance program Sunday Night on NBC late-night television.^[5] Since 1992 he has presented the music program Later... with Jools Holland, plus an annual New Year's Eve Hootenanny.

In 1996, Holland signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records,^[3] and his records are now marketed through Rhino Records.

Holland has a touring band, The Rhythm And Blues Orchestra, which often includes singers Sam Brown and Ruby Turner. In January 2005 Holland and his band performed with Eric Clapton as the headline act of the Tsunami Relief Cardiff.

Personal[link]

Holland lives in the Westcombe Park area of Blackheath in South East London, where he had his studio, Helicon Mountain, built to his design, inspired by Portmeirion, the setting for the 1960s TV series The Prisoner.^[6] Holland owns costumes and props from the series and occasionally appears wearing the trademark brown-with-white-pipe blazer featured in the series. In 1987, Holland demonstrated his love of the series and starred in a spoof documentary, The Laughing Prisoner, with Stephen Fry, Terence Alexander and Hugh Laurie.^[6] Much of it was shot on location in Portmeirion, with archive footage of Patrick McGoohan, and featuring musical numbers from Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magnum and XTC. Holland performed a number towards the end of the program. His younger brother, Christopher, also plays organ in the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, as well as being a singer-songwriter.

Holland was an interviewer for The Beatles Anthology TV project, and appeared in the 1997 film Spiceworld as a musical director.

He received an OBE in 2003 in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, for services to the British music industry as a television presenter and musician. In September 2006 Holland was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Kent.^[7] He is also known for his charity work: in June 2006 he performed in Southend for HIV/AIDS charity Mildmay,^[8] and in early 2007 he performed at Wells and Rochester Cathedrals to raise money for maintaining cathedral buildings.^[9] He is also patron of the Drake Music Project^[10] and has raised many thousands of pounds for the charity.

Holland was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University at a ceremony held at Canterbury Cathedral on 30 January 2009.^[11]

On 29 August 2005 Holland married Christabel McEwen, his girlfriend of 15 years (between 1983 and 1995 she had been married to Edward Lambton, 7th Earl of Durham, before they divorced). The wedding, at St James's Church, Cooling near Rochester, was attended by many celebrities, including Ringo Starr, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry, Noel Gallagher, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.^[12]

Holland is also a patron for The Milton Rooms, an Arts centre in Malton, North Yorkshire, along with Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Kathy Burke.^[13]

Writing[link]

His 2007 biography, Barefaced Lies and Boogie Woogie Boasts was BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" in the week beginning 8 October 2007 and was read by Holland. He is the author or joint author of four other books.

Discography[link]

Albums that have charted and gained Certifications[link]

Releases[link]

• 1978 "Boogie Woogie '78" (EP)
• 1981 Jools Holland and His Millionaires
• 1984 Jools Holland Meets Rock 'A' Boogie Billy (U.S. release only)
• 1990 World Of His Own
• 1991 The Full Complement
• 1992 "Together Again" (single with Sam Brown)
• 1992 The A-Z Geographer's Guide To The Piano
• 1994 Solo Piano
• 1994 Live Performance
• 1996 " Jazz & Rock & Roll
• 1997 Lift The Lid
• 1998 Best Of
• 1999 Sunset Over London
• 2000 Hop The Wag
• 2001 Small World Big Band
• 2002 SWBB Volume Two: More Friends
• 2003 Jack O The Green (SWBB Friends 3)
• 2004 Tom Jones & Jools Holland
• 2005 Beatroute
• 2005 Swinging the Blues, Dancing the Ska
• 2006 Moving Out To The Country
• 2007 Best of Friends
• 2008 The Collection
• 2008 The Informer (With Ruby Turner)
• 2008 "The Informer" (single with Ruby Turner)
• 2009 "I Went By" (single with Louise Marshall)
• 2010 Rockinghorse

Film and television[link]

• 1981 Urgh! A Music War
• 1982 Police: Around the World
• 1982 - 1987 The Tube (Host for 121 editions)
• 1983 Rebellious Jukebox: Compere
• 1984 The Young Ones: Punk (Episode entitled "Summer Holiday")
• 1985 Walking To New Orleans (Jools Holland in New Orleans)
• 1987 Eat the Rich: Sun Reporter
• 1987 Filthy Rich & Catflap: Strip Show Pianist (Episode #1.3)
• 1987 The Laughing Prisoner: No. 7
• 1987 French and Saunders (Episode 1.5)
• 1988 Sunday Night: Host (unknown episodes)
• 1989 Juke Box Jury: Host (unknown episodes)
• 1989 The Groovy Fellers Himself, 6 episodes
• 1991 Mr Roadrunner (Jools Holland in Memphis)
• 1994 There's No Business: Pianist
• 1994 - 1995 Don't Forget Your Toothbrush
• 1995 The Beatles Anthology
• 1997 Spice World: Musical Director
• 1997 Name That Tune: Host and Pianist
• 2003 Jool's History of the Piano : Presenter
• 2006 Top Gear: Star in a reasonably priced car.
• 2007 Fairport@Forty: Interview
• 2009 Chop Shop Rover Concept: The Jet 1 Car : Customer

Current television programmes[link]

• 1992–present Later... with Jools Holland
• 1993–present Hootenanny

Books[link]

• "Rolling Stones": A Life on the Road, (with Dora Loewenstein), Viking/Allen Lane (1998), (ISBN 0-670-88051-5)
• Beat Route: Journeys Through Six Counties, Weidenfeld & Nicholson (1998), (ISBN 0-575-06700-4)
• Ray Charles: Man and Music, (with Michael Lydon), Payback Press (1999), (ISBN 0-86241-929-8)
• Hand That Changed Its Mind , International Music Publications (2007), (ISBN 1-84328-645-9)
• Barefaced Lies and Boogie-woogie Boasts , Michael Joseph Ltd (2007), (ISBN 0-7181-4915-7)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Jools Holland at the Internet Movie Database
• Jools Holland's Radio 2 show at BBC Programmes
• Later...with Jools Holland at BBC Online

Mountain Top
—  Census-designated place  —
Mountain Top Location within the state of Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 41°8′7″N 75°54′16″W / 41.13528°N 75.90444°W / 41.13528; -75.90444Coordinates: 41°8′7″N 75°54′16″W / 41.13528°N 75.90444°W / 41.13528; -75.90444
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Luzerne
Area
• Total	15.1 sq mi (39.0 km2)
• Land	15.1 sq mi (39.0 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	10,982
• Density	730/sq mi (280/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	18707
Area code(s)	570
FIPS code
GNIS feature ID

Mountain Top is a census-designated place (CDP) in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 10,982.^[1]

Mountain Top is located along Pennsylvania Route 309 south of Wilkes-Barre in Fairview Township, Wright Township and a small part of Rice Township.

Name[link]

Though it is generally accepted that the area's proper name is "Mountain Top", there has been some debate about whether it should actually be "Mountaintop". The local historical society uses the spelling "Mountain Top".^[2] The United States Postal Service uses the spelling "Mountain Top" for ZIP Code 18707, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spells it Mountain Top on a Pennsylvania driver's license. The local newspaper, however, the Mountaintop Eagle,^[3] uses the Mountaintop spelling in both its title as well as any reference to its location

Geography[link]

Mountain Top is located at 41°8′7″N 75°54′16″W / 41.13528°N 75.90444°W / 41.13528; -75.90444 (41.1353022, -75.9044749). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 15.1 square miles (39.0 km²), all of it land.^[4]

Mountain Top is located 8 miles (13 km) northwest of White Haven and 10 miles (16 km) south of Wilkes-Barre on Pennsylvania Route 309.

Mountain Top is elevated at 1,558 feet (475 m) above sea level.

Demographics[link]

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 15,269 people, 5,556 households, and 4,394 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 224.0 people per square mile (86.5/km²). There were 5,774 housing units at an average density of 84.7/sq mi (32.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.02% White, 0.54% African American, 0.03% Native American, 1.62% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.

There were 5,556 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $51,655, and the median income for a family was $58,588. Males had a median income of $41,271 versus $26,346 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,480. About 2.9% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education[link]

Mountain Top is located in the Crestwood Area School District which covers over 110 square miles (280 km²). In this area is included Dennison Township, Dorrance Township, Fairview Township, Nuangola Borough, Rice Township, Slocum Township, White Haven Borough, Wright Township, and Penn Lake Borough.

The Crestwood School District consists of five schools:

• Rice Elementary School - Rice Township (Grades K-6). The principal is Kevin Seyer.
• Fairview Elementary School - Fairview Township (Grades K-6)
• Crestwood Middle School - Mountain Top (Grades 7 and 8) The teaching teams are Wildcats, Thunderbees, Red team, and White team. The Principal, as of 2007, is Mr. Brian Baddick.
• Crestwood High School - Mountain Top (Grades 9-12).

St. Jude's Catholic School in Wright Township serves grades K-8, after which students can continue Catholic education by attending Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre, or can enter Crestwood High School.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mountain Top Historical Society
• Mountaintop On The Move, volunteer community organization
• NEPA309.Com, live-motion camera view of Route 309 in Mountain Top
• Crestwood School District
• Crestwood High School

v t e Municipalities and communities of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States County seat: Wilkes-Barre Cities Hazleton Nanticoke Pittston Wilkes-Barre Boroughs Ashley Avoca Bear Creek Village Conyngham Courtdale Dallas Dupont Duryea Edwardsville Exeter Forty Fort Freeland Harveys Lake Hughestown Jeddo Kingston Laflin Larksville Laurel Run Luzerne Nescopeck New Columbus Nuangola Penn Lake Park Plymouth Pringle Shickshinny Sugar Notch Swoyersville Warrior Run West Hazleton West Pittston West Wyoming White Haven Wyoming Yatesville Townships Bear Creek Black Creek Buck Butler Conyngham Dallas Dennison Dorrance Exeter Fairmount Fairview Foster Franklin Hanover Hazle Hollenback Hunlock Huntington Jackson Jenkins Kingston Lake Lehman Nescopeck Newport Pittston Plains Plymouth Rice Ross Salem Slocum Sugarloaf Union Wilkes-Barre Wright CDPs Beech Mountain Lakes Browntown Chase East Berwick Georgetown Glen Lyon Harleigh Hickory Hills Hilldale Hudson Inkerman Lattimer Mocanaqua Mountain Top Nuremberg‡ Pardeesville Pikes Creek Plains Shavertown Sheatown Silkworth Trucksville Upper Exeter Wanamie West Nanticoke Weston Unincorporated communities Back Mountain Breslau Drifton Drums Ebervale Glen Summit Huntington Mills Japan Kis-Lyn Koonsville Korn Krest Milnesville Old Boston Port Griffith Suscon Sybertsville Tomhicken Wapwallopen Waterton Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

David Broza
Background information
Born	(1955-09-04) September 4, 1955 (age 56)
Origin	Haifa, Israel
Genres	Pop rock Rock Folk rock Blues
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1977—
Labels	NMC, Hed Arzi, RGB
Website	davidbroza.net

David Broza (דויד ברוזה, born September 4, 1955) is a multi-platinum Israeli singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Personal life[link]

The son of an Israeli–British businessman and a folk singer, Broza was born in Haifa, Israel. He was raised and educated in England and Spain, where he was schooled at Runnymede College, in Madrid. Broza's grandfather, Wellesley Aron, co-founded the Arab-Israeli peace settlement, Neve Shalom – Wāħat as-Salām (The Oasis of Peace)^[1] and the Habonim youth movement. Young David Broza originally planned to become a graphic artist, and by age 17 he was selling his paintings in the Rastro, Madrid's Sunday flea market. Following high school, and while serving in the Israel Defence Forces, he began playing guitar in cafes to earn extra money. Eventually he was offered a record deal, but as he still hoped to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, he declined. He later recorded a tape to promote his live shows.

Broza was married to Ruti, from whom he is divorced. He has three children. He lived in Cresskill, New Jersey, United States for 17 years.^[2] He resides in Tel Aviv and is a member of Kehilat Sinai, a Masorti synagogue.^[3]

Musical career[link]

Critics have labelled Broza as "a post-modern Leonard Cohen" and the "Stevie Ray Vaughan of folk rock".^[4] He has also been compared to Bruce Springsteen^[1] as well as Gordon Lightfoot and Jackson Browne.^[5] Broza's American debut album, Away From Home, was praised by The New York Times as one of the best pop albums of the year.^[4] Time of Trains, his second American release, gained him recognition as one of the most important^{[citation needed]} artists on the international music scene.

Broza's concert tours included Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Ecuador, Germany, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil and the United States. As an artist-in-residence at Bennington College in Vermont, he gained respect in American literary circles.^[4] Broza has made a mission of studying the work of American writers for the past several years, haunting libraries and bookstores, "always reading with a melody in my head." He continues to record albums in Hebrew for his Israeli fans. He travels frequently all over the world. His popularity achieved new heights with the success of his 5x platinum album The Woman By My Side. His live albums recorded at the top of Masada in 1994 and 1999 went platinum. His Spanish language release, Isla Mujeres (Woman Island, named after a song written by Javier Ruibal), was released in Spain. His Hebrew recording, "All or Nothing" was released in 2002 and went gold within one week, as well as its Spanish version, "Todo o Nada". David Broza at Masada, a special concert featuring Broza, Jackson Browne and Shawn Colvin, aired in America on September 6, 2007 on PBS.^[6] In 2009, Broza recorded the song "V'ulai" for the organization Pioneers For A Cure, with the proceeds benefiting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Peace activism[link]

An activist who is committed to several humanitarian causes, Broza was appointed a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. His song "Together" (co-written with Ramsey McLean) was the theme song for the UNICEF 50th anniversary celebration in more than 148 countries.^[1]

He toured the Middle East with Jordanian musician Hani Naser to promote peace through music. They were invited by the Israeli and Jordanian governments to perform in concert during the peace signing between the two countries.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

• Third Language (Hebrew, 2011)
• Night Dawn: The Unpublished Poetry Of Townes Van Zandt (English, 2010)
• Broza 5 (Live at Zappa Tel Aviv, 2007)
• Parking Completo (Spanish and Hebrew, 2006)
• Hameitav (Best Of in Hebrew, 2004)
• Parking Completo (Spanish, 2004)
• Todo O Nada (Spanish version of All or Nothing, 2002)
• All Or Nothing (Hebrew, 2002)
• Painted Postcard (English & Hebrew, 2002)
• Spanish Heart (English, 2001)
• Isla Mujeres (The Women's Island), DRO East West/Warner Records Spain (Spanish, 2000)
• Matchil Linshom (Starting to Breathe), Hed Artzi/RGB Records Gold (Hebrew, 1999)
• Sodot Gdolim (Big Secrets), RGB Records (Hebrew, 1995)
• Stone Door, RGB Records (English, 1994)
• Second Stree, RGB Records (English, 1994)
• Elements of Love, RGB Records (Hebrew, 1994)
• Masada Live, RGB Records Platinum (Hebrew, 1994)
• Time of Trains, RGB Records (English, 1993)
• Neshika Gnuv (Stolen Kiss), NMC Music (Hebrew, 1992)
• First Collection, NMC Music (Hebrew, 1990)
• Away From Home, RGB Records (English, 1989)
• A Poet In New York, Sony (English, 1987)
• Broza, NMC Music (Hebrew, 1984)
• Haisha Sheiti (The Woman By My Side), NMC Music Quadruple Platinum (Hebrew, 1983)
• Klaf (ACE), NMC Music (Hebrew, 1981)
• David Broza, NMC Music (Hebrew, 1979)
• Hakeves Ha Shisha Asar (The Sixteenth Sheep), NMC Music (Hebrew, 1978)
• Sikhot Salon (Small Talk), Phohokol (Hebrew, 1977)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Broza.com
• David Broza at aviv2.com
• American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam
• David Broza: Making the Music the Poem Wants
• David Broza's recording of 'V'ulai' for Pioneers For A Cure