Ranen ( he, רנן, lit. ''Singing'') is a moshav in southern

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. Located in the north-western

Negev The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its sout ...

two kilometres north of

Ofakim Ofakim ( he, אֳפָקִים ''ʾŎfāqīm'', or אוֹפָקִים ''ʾŌfāqīm'', ''lit.'' "horizons") is a city in the Southern District of Israel, 20 kilometers (12.4 mi) west of Beersheba. It achieved municipal status in 1955. I ...

, it falls under the jurisdiction of

Merhavim Regional Council Merhavim Regional Council ( he, מועצה אזורית מרחבים, ''Mo'atza Azorit Merhavim'') is a regional council in the Southern District of Israel. It covers 14 moshavim, a community settlement, a youth village and an educational instit ...

. In it had a population of .

History

The moshav was established in 1950 by

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, a ...

from

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

and was originally named ''Bitha''. In 1952 the residents moved to the site of the Hakam Ha-107

ma'abara Ma'abarot ( he, מַעְבָּרוֹת) were immigrant and refugee absorption camps established in Israel in the 1950s, constituting one of the largest public projects planned by the state to implement its sociospatial and housing policies. ...

and converted it to a moshav, taking the name

Bitha Bitkha ( he, בִּטְחָה) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in the north-western Negev near Ofakim, it falls under the jurisdiction of Merhavim Regional Council. In it had a population of . History Moshav Bitkha was established in 195 ...

. A group of

Karaite Jews Karaite Judaism () or Karaism (, sometimes spelt Karaitism (; ''Yahadut Qara'it''); also spelt Qaraite Judaism, Qaraism or Qaraitism) is a Jewish religious movement characterized by the recognition of the written Torah alone as its supreme a ...

from

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

moved onto the moshav, renaming it Ranen, which like the names of two other moshavim (

Tifrah Tifrah ( he, תִּפְרַח, ''lit.'' heshall blossom) is a religious moshav in southern Israel. Located in the north-western Negev to the west of Eshel HaNasi with an area of 5,000 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Merhavim Regional ...

Gilat Gilat ( he, גִּילַת, , Joy) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in the western Negev desert between Beersheba and Ofakim, it falls under the jurisdiction of Merhavim Regional Council. In it had a population of . History The moshav ...

) in the area, is taken from the Book of Isaiah 35:2,

(The desert,) ''it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice, even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God.''

References

{{Merhavim Regional Council Moshavim Populated places established in 1950 Populated places in Southern District (Israel) Yemeni-Jewish culture in Israel 1950 establishments in Israel