Sa’ad
established
Regional Council
Population (Pre 7/10/2023)
Distance From The Gaza Border
Type Of Community
Economy
Kibbutz Sa’ad was founded by graduates of the B’nei Akiva movement. It was the first religious kibbutz to be founded by native-born Israelis, also known as “sabras.” During the 1948 War, the kibbutz was almost entirely destroyed by the Egyptian army. It was heavily shelled, so for months the kibbutz members lived in bunkers and underground tunnels. As a result of the shelling, all buildings above the ground were destroyed, with the exception of the “security house” – the only building made of concrete. Today, the “security house” building serves as a museum called, “Fortress in front of Gaza.” The kibbutz runs and participates in several unique educational frameworks such as “Youth Education”, a school and dormitory framework for teenagers from broken homes; Foster Family, for grade school children; “Conversion Ulpan,” for families and young people who are converting to Judaism; and Nativ, the USY year program in Israel for American teens.
Kibbutz Sa’ad’s economy is based primarily on agriculture, growing carrots; potatoes; avocadoes; almonds; and citrus fruit. They also have a large dairy farm and a poultry farm. The kibbutz also has several industries and businesses including: a manufacturing plant that makes plastic wrap; a manufacturing plant that makes popcorn and pet food; Kav LeKav, a clothing outlet serving adults and children; Ahinoam Jewelry, making handmade jewelry; Kesem, a graphic design studio; an auto service center; a kosher catering service; and Beit Shikma, a convalescent and geriatric home for patients who require full-time care.
KKL-JNF and Kibbutz Saad
The Events of October 7, 2023
At the beginning of the surprise attack, a group of Hamas terrorists tried to enter Kibbutz Sa’ad, but the kibbutz gate was hermetically sealed, and the kibbutz’s civil defense team fired at the terrorists. Since the militants were unable to enter the kibbutz, they left and went to attack to another community. No residents of Kibbutz Sa’ad were killed. Instruction documents classified in Arabic as “top secret” were found on the bodies of Hamas terrorists sent to Kibbutz Sa’ad and revealed that the Hamas fighters’ mission was to take control of the kibbutz, to murder as many people as possible, and to kidnap prisoners and take them back to the Gaza Strip. According to these documents, the terrorists had clear instructions to try to kidnap children from school, even though it was Saturday.
The document lists detailed, accurate information about the kibbutz and its security, including information about the number of guards protecting the community as well as in-depth satellite image maps of the kibbutz and the surrounding area. Sarah Pollack, a resident of Kibbutz Sa’ad who spent Saturday holed up in her family’s safe room, said that seeing the extensive details that Hamas had about Kibbutz Sa’ad in the planning documents was chilling. “Shockingly, the details are very accurate… horribly accurate,” she said. She said that the attack had deeply shaken Kibbutz Sa’ad residents’ sense of safety. “We thought there was a physical barrier between the Gaza Strip and Israel to protect us. We thought we were safe,” she said. “We were very wrong.”
