01In brief
Nir Eliyahu is a kibbutz in the Southern Sharon region of central Israel, located northeast of Kfar Saba and accessible via Road 554. Founded in 1950, the kibbutz was named after Eliyahu Golomb and established by a group combining immigrants from Turkey with Youth Aliyah members from Romania and Poland. It is administered by Drom HaSharon Regional Council. A 2005 CBS publication lists it as affiliated with the Kibbutz Movement, and the National Library of Israel's Archive Network lists a dedicated archive under the identifier IL-NELY-001.
02Overview
Nir Eliyahu sits northeast of Kfar Saba in the Southern Sharon area of central Israel and is reached via Road 554.[1] A Government of Israel mapping document places the kibbutz under Drom HaSharon Regional Council.[2] A 2005 Israel Central Bureau of Statistics publication classified it under locality code 808 in the Petah Tikva Subdistrict and listed its organizational affiliation as the Kibbutz Movement.[3]
An Institute for National Security Studies map addressing Israeli and Palestinian territorial-border options places Nir Eliyahu among the localities of central Israel, alongside neighboring communities such as Eyal and Ramat HaKovesh.[4]
03History
04Demographics
Nir Eliyahu's population grew substantially through its first decades. The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded 114 residents in 1961, rising to 216 in 1972 — a growth rate of 89.5% — and reaching 323 by 1983, a further increase of 49.5%.[3] Growth slowed considerably in the following period, with the population reaching 379 in 1995, a 17.3% rise from 1983.[3]
The kibbutz then experienced a modest decline: by the end of 2005, the population stood at 344, representing a drop of 9.2% from the 1995 figure.[3] The age breakdown at the end of 2005 showed 53 residents aged 0–14, 56 aged 15–24, 111 aged 25–44, 76 aged 45–64, and 48 aged 65 or older.[3] A separate source recorded 341 inhabitants as of December 31, 2004,[5] while the kibbutz's Yizkor memorial page notes approximately 400 residents.[1]
05Economy & Culture
The National Library of Israel catalogs a local Hebrew-language newspaper, Ba-Nir (Nir Eliyahu), as comprising 35 issues and 873 pages, available online from 2 March 2011 through 1 October 2018.[6]
The library also lists a dedicated Nir Eliyahu archive in its Archive Network under the identifier IL-NELY-001[7] and catalogs material titled "Garden and Landscape of Kibbutz Nir Eliyahu."[8]
06Notable Sites
At the center of the kibbutz, beside a lawn and children's playground, stands a memorial commemorating kibbutz members who fell in Israel's wars.[1] The memorial complex is situated next to the dining hall and is publicly accessible.[1] It consists of a sloping basalt plaque, carved stones bearing details of the fallen and the circumstances of their deaths, a sculptural element resembling a severed tree trunk, and a memorial-torch installation.[1]
Sources
- 1Yizkor, Israeli Government Memorial Website (accessed September 16, 2026)
- 2Government of Israel — Eruvin Mapping (accessed September 16, 2026)
- 3Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, The Kibbutzim and Their Population (accessed September 16, 2026)
- 4Institute for National Security Studies (accessed September 16, 2026)
- 5Encyclopedia.com, Land of Israel: Population (accessed September 16, 2026)
- 6National Library of Israel — Ba-Nir Newspaper (accessed September 16, 2026)
- 7National Library of Israel — Archive Network (accessed September 16, 2026)
- 8National Library of Israel (accessed September 16, 2026)
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What is Nir Eliyahu?
Nir Eliyahu is a kibbutz in the Southern Sharon region of central Israel, located northeast of Kfar Saba and accessible via Road 554. Founded in 1950, it was established by a group combining immigrants from Turkey with Youth Aliyah members from Romania and Poland. The kibbutz is administered by Drom HaSharon Regional Council and is affiliated with the Kibbutz Movement.
Who was Nir Eliyahu named after?
Nir Eliyahu was named in memory of Eliyahu Golomb.
How has the population of Nir Eliyahu changed over time?
Nir Eliyahu's population grew substantially through its first decades, rising from 114 residents in 1961 to 323 by 1983, and reaching a peak of 379 in 1995. The kibbutz then experienced a modest decline, with the population standing at 344 by the end of 2005, representing a drop of 9.2% from the 1995 figure.
Did Nir Eliyahu have its own local newspaper?
Nir Eliyahu had a local Hebrew-language newspaper called Ba-Nir (Nir Eliyahu), which is cataloged by the National Library of Israel as comprising 35 issues and 873 pages, available online from 2 March 2011 through 1 October 2018.
What is the war memorial at Nir Eliyahu like?
The war memorial at Nir Eliyahu stands at the center of the kibbutz, beside a lawn and children's playground, next to the dining hall. It consists of a sloping basalt plaque, carved stones bearing details of the fallen and the circumstances of their deaths, a sculptural element resembling a severed tree trunk, and a memorial-torch installation.