Revivim

Revivim (Hebrew: רְבִיבִים, engl. (rain) showers) is a kibbutz in the Negev desert in southern Israel. Located around half an hour south of Beersheba, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council. It has a population of around 800, of which nearly 350 are members.

History

The community was formed in 1943 in Rishon LeZion by help of UK government and young immigrants from Austria, Italy and Germany, all of whom were members of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed who had been educated at kibbutz Givat Brenner. The kibbutz itself was established on 7 July 1943 as one of the three lookouts, and was initially named Tel HaTzofim (lit. Scout's hill). It was later renamed Revivim by Berl Katznelson after the magazine edited by Yosef Haim Brenner (for whom Givat Brenner was named), and its name is also taken from the Bible, Psalm 65:11: "You (Lord) ... level its ridges, you soften it with showers."

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Revivim fell behind Egyptian lines for several months. Members of the kibbutz lived in underground dugouts, and received food supplies by air and convoys that ran the Egyptian battle lines. Thirty members of the kibbutz survived the war, while eight were killed in raids and pitched battles with Egyptian forces.