Amirim

Amirim
View from Amirim View from Amirim
Amirim
Coordinates:
Council	Merom HaGalil
Population (2014)	744

Amirim (Hebrew: אֲמִירִים‎, lit. Treetops) is a moshav in northern Israel. Located 650 metres above sea level on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, it was established by vegetarians. In 2014 it had a population of 744.

History

Early attempts by Jewish immigrants from Morocco to establish a settlement in the 1950s were not successful. The original name was Shefa Bet. In 1958, a group of people of various backgrounds banded together to create a moshav based on a vegetarian, vegan, and organic lifestyle and ideology. Among them were numerous Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventist families under the leadership of Ben and Lois Roden. The founders of Amirim were among the pioneers of the vegetarian movement in Israel. The Rodens established "The Branch Organic Agricultural Association," one of the first organizations to encourage organic gardening in Israel, which produces an abundance of crops for the area and for Europe.

Economy

One of the moshav's main sources of income is tourism. The moshav runs guesthouses and restaurants featuring vegetarian and vegan food. In the early 1960s, the Jewish Agency helped 10 families build the first zimmerim, as the guest chalets are known.

Notable residents

• Mika Karni

See also

• Jewish vegetarianism