Kibbutz Hills Artshelter ~ Kibbutz Yas’ur ~ Doug Legum

Yas’ur (Hebrew: יַסְעוּר, lit. petrel) is a secular kibbutz in northern Israel. Located east of Acre in the Western Galilee, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council. The kibbutz was established in 1949 by Jewish immigrants from Hungary. The name “Yasur” symbolizes the vision of the original pioneers who planned to make their living in the fish industry. ‎”Yas’ur” is a type of seabird that excels in both swimming and diving. Also, when seen from the air, the kibbutz is shaped similarly to the shape of a bird. Another story says that several of the original Hungarian members first reached Cyprus and were forced to wait there before being allowed to sail to Palestine. When they reached their homeland safely, they never forgot the Petrel bird (similar to Albatross) that flew over their boat, which they were convinced, had protected them during their rough journey. When several of these Zionist refugee/pioneers became the founding members of this kibbutz, they remembered the Petrels that watched over them as they sailed the rough sea, struggling to reach their destination, and decided to call their new home “Yasur” in reference to those beautiful and magical and protective sea birds. Adapted from Wikipedia and Kehilnet