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Alma, Israel

Published

01In brief

Alma is a moshav in the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, situated in the Galilee Panhandle. Founded in 1949, the community is administered by the Merom ha-Galil Regional Council. A Central Bureau of Statistics locality list records 906 residents, while in November 2023 the moshav committee chair estimated the population at about 1,000. Libyan Jews established Alma as one of several moshavim founded by members of the community in Israel. A place named Almah appears in medieval Jewish sources, and Alma is also listed among Jewish villages of the Galilee inhabited into the 18th and 19th centuries, although the available sources do not establish that these references concern the site of the modern moshav.

02Overview

Alma is a moshav in the Upper Galilee, within the Galilee Panhandle of northern Israel.[2] It is administered by the Merom ha-Galil Regional Council.[3] The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics assigns the locality code 0688 and records 1949 as the year of Jewish settlement.[1]

03History

A site named Almah in the Upper Galilee appears in medieval records. The 13th-century traveler Samuel ben Samson visited Almah among several Upper Galilee localities, reporting that "in all these places there are communities of more than eight minyanim." The source explains this as more than 80 Jewish families in each village mentioned and says the evidence pointed to remnants of agricultural Jewish settlement after the Crusader conquest.[6]

In its discussion of the Crusader period, an overview of agriculture in Israel mentions Jewish settlements in Galilee, including Alma, whose populations engaged mainly in handicrafts and trade.[8] A 2020 BESA Center essay also lists Alma among Jewish villages in the Galilee where, citing descriptions by Jewish and Christian pilgrims, Jews lived until the 18th and 19th centuries.[7] Neither source establishes that its historical Alma or Almah was the site of the present-day moshav.

The modern moshav was founded in 1949, shortly after Israel's establishment.[3][1] The Religious Zionism Research Archive at Bar-Ilan University catalogs a 1949–1955 correspondence file with the Hapoel Hamizrachi agricultural center in which Alma appears among the indexed settlement terms.[9] The same archive also catalogs a file titled "Settlements: [Moshav Alma]" dated 1954.[9]

04Demographics

The CBS locality list records 906 in the "Population 31.12" field.[1] An Encyclopaedia Judaica locality table reported 727 inhabitants on December 31, 2004.[3] In November 2023, moshav committee chair Orly Jarbee estimated Alma's population at about 1,000.[4] Because these figures come from different dates and sources, they are historical snapshots rather than a current population count.

05Economy and Culture

Alma's modern community is associated with Libyan Jewish immigration. Libyan Jews contributed to Israel's development and established several moshavim, including Alma.[5]

The moshav also appears in David "Chim" Seymour's photographic record of early Israel. In 1951, Seymour photographed Miriam Trito, identified as the first child born in Alma, held up by her father, Eliezer.[10] The scene included modest houses and rocky ground in the background.[2]

06Security and the 2023 Border Conflict

In November 2023, during the Israel–Hezbollah border conflict, Alma faced serious security concerns because of its proximity to Lebanon.[4] Moshav committee chair Orly Jarbee said that only about 30% of homes had functioning protected rooms. She also said road access was restricted by two military posts and that the road was exposed to direct fire from terrorist cells operating along the border.[4]

Alma was among communities near the Lebanese border that, as of November 2023, were not included in government-approved evacuation arrangements.[4] Residents sought help from University of Haifa legal clinics in preparing a petition asking the government to explain the criteria for excluding their communities.[4] The report said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's decision relied on security assessments and did not address civilian considerations during wartime.[4]

Sources

  1. 1Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, accessed on October 14, 2026.
  2. 2The Jerusalem Post, Close to history, accessed on October 14, 2026.
  3. 3Encyclopedia.com, Land of Israel: Population, accessed on October 14, 2026.
  4. 4Ynet, Less than 5 km from the Lebanese border - and not evacuated: "We are trapped, we will petition the High Court", accessed on October 14, 2026.
  5. 5Ynet, 50 years since the end of the Libyan exile, accessed on October 14, 2026.
  6. 6Encyclopedia.com, Samuel ben Samson, accessed on October 14, 2026.
  7. 7Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, The History of the Land Is Jewish, Not Palestinian, accessed on October 14, 2026.
  8. 8Jewish Virtual Library, Agriculture in Israel: History & Overview, accessed on October 14, 2026.
  9. 9Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Jewish Studies, Religious Zionism Research Archive, accessed on October 14, 2026.
  10. 10The Jerusalem Post, Israel at 75, through the eyes of a camera, accessed on October 14, 2026.

IsraelPedia Question & Answers

  • What is Alma, Israel?

    Alma is a moshav in the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, situated in the Galilee Panhandle. Founded in 1949, it was established by Libyan Jews as one of several moshavim founded by members of that community in Israel. Alma is administered by the Merom ha-Galil Regional Council and has a population recorded at 906 by the Central Bureau of Statistics, with the moshav committee chair estimating about 1,000 residents as of November 2023.

  • What do historical sources say about a Jewish settlement called Almah in the Upper Galilee?

    A site named Almah in the Upper Galilee appears in medieval records, including an account by the 13th-century traveler Samuel ben Samson, who reported that the area's villages each contained communities of more than eight minyanim, interpreted as more than 80 Jewish families per village. Alma is also listed among Jewish villages in the Galilee where Jews lived until the 18th and 19th centuries, though neither source establishes that these historical references concern the site of the modern moshav.

  • What is the connection between Alma and Libyan Jewish immigration to Israel?

    Alma's modern community is associated with Libyan Jewish immigration. Libyan Jews contributed to Israel's development and established several moshavim, with Alma being one of them.

  • How did photographer David "Chim" Seymour document Alma?

    In 1951, David "Chim" Seymour photographed Miriam Trito, identified as the first child born in Alma, being held by her father, Eliezer. The scene included modest houses and rocky ground in the background, forming part of Seymour's photographic record of early Israel.

  • What security challenges did Alma face during the 2023 Israel–Hezbollah border conflict?

    During the November 2023 Israel–Hezbollah border conflict, Alma faced serious security concerns because of its proximity to Lebanon. Moshav committee chair Orly Jarbee noted that only about 30% of homes had functioning protected rooms, road access was restricted by two military posts, and the road was exposed to direct fire from terrorist cells operating along the border. Alma was also not included in government-approved evacuation arrangements, leading residents to seek legal help in preparing a petition asking the government to explain the criteria for excluding their communities.