Kadoorie Agricultural Youth Village

Kadoorie agricultural high school was founded in 1933 thanks to the estate of the philanthropist, Sir Eliyahu (Elias) Kadoorie, who ordered in his will that part of his fortune be dedicated to education in the Land of Israel and Mesopotamia (today’s Iraq). From the day of its establishment the school gained an extraordinary reputation among the Jewish population. The pupils were proud of the Kadoorie heritage which was manifested in their responsibility and involvement in the school’s life, the independent management and tests of honour. The graduates integrated into the agricultural settlement, the military and academic life. The most famous of them were Yigal Allon and Yitzhak Rabin. Following the establishment of the State of Israel the school was widened, many more pupils were accepted each year and institution changed from a bi-annual school into a governmental youth village with more the 1,650 pupils. Even today the youth village is an exceptional phenomenon in our country, combining pupils from the region and boarding school pupils – Israeli-born and new immigrant Jews, Circassians, Druze, Muslims and Christians. Out of this reality rose the “Multiculturalism – a Way of Life” experimental programme, aimed at preparing the pupils for life in a multicultural society, which encourages tolerance and respect for different cultures. The main building and the agricultural farm have undergone a preservation process in the last years, which was initiated by the youth village, the graduates association and the Lower Galilee Regional Council – aided by the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites.

What’s at the site: the school’s main building, designed by mandatory architect Austen Harrison, containing a visitor center and a thematic exhibition depicting the story of the school and photos of its graduates, a presentation and a film; a monument to the fallen graduates of the youth village, with the names of the deceased engraved on a glass board facing Mount Tabor alongside a statue by sculptor Batya Lishanskhy “In Memory of the Boys”; the historic agricultural farm, a wildlife reserve and the modern farm.

For the general public: guided tours and an introduction to the site’s fascinating history; the Kadoorie heritage and its special way of life since from the early days until today, the figures and ideas that grew up in it, an impression of the restoration and reconstruction works performed on the main building and the farm.