Yad Mordechai is a communal farm (Kibbutz) in southern Israel, 7 miles south of Ashkelon and 2 miles from the Gaza Strip. Established in 1943, the Kibbutz gained its national fame for impeding the Egyptian army from advancing towards Tel Aviv in 1948.

History of Yad Mordechai

Yad Mordechai was established in 1943, 2 miles north of the Gaza Strip. It was named in memory of Mordechai Anielewicz, the commander of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, which broke earlier that year. Five years later, in the midst of the 1948 Israeli-Arab war, the Egyptian army attacked the kibbutz. It held out for six days of continuous fighting, and by the end of the war, it was liberated and rebuilt.

Touring Yad Mordechai

The Kibbutz still operates as a communal farm. Being only 2 miles from the Gaza Strip, safe rooms are a reminder of the rocket threats from Gaza. On the southern edge of the kibbutz, a unique exhibit presents the Egyptian assault on the kibbutz in 1948. Silhouettes of Egyptian soldiers dot the fields, viewed from the original kibbutz bunkers. An Egyptian tank is also on display.

On a hilltop of the Kibbutz is a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of Mordechai Anielewicz clutching a grenade. Placed in front of the kibbutz water tower destroyed in the 1948 battle, these monuments merge the Jewish struggle durign the Holocaust and the battle to create the state of Israel.

The kibbutz is also known for its honey, jams, and olive oil. The bee activity visitor center allows visitors to open a hive and taste honey directly from the honeycomb – a natural, sweet way to end a great tour!

A tour of Yad Mordechai can be combined with a day tour of the surroundings of the Gaza Strip.