Alma, Israel 2.67

Alma is a religious Jewish moshav in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council. In it had a population of. It is built on the basaltic plateau north of Safed.HistoryUnder the Judaea Province, a Jewish town was situated at this spot. The name Alma is first mentioned in the crusader era. The Jewish community existed until the 17th century. Benjamin of Tudela said that during his visit, he found 50 Jewish families living in Alma.Modern Alma was founded on 1 September 1949 by immigrants to Israel from Libya. In 1953 a group of converts to Judaism, known as the Jews of San Nicandro, arrived from Italy. They later abandoned Alma to live in other nearby moshavim. After the Italians left, Cochin Jews arrived from India. By 1968, Alma's inhabitants were mostly from Libya and Tunisia. The economy is based on hillculture (vineyards, deciduous fruit, vegetables) and beef cattle. Alma, in its early years of development, was associated with Ha-Po'el ha-Mizrachi.ArchaeologyNear the moshav's cemetery lie the remnants of what has been identified as a synagogue, perhaps dating to the 3rd century, though it has never been systematically excavated or properly researched. Also nearby are several tombs, including that of Eleazar ben Arach, and one which is traditionally recognized as Eliezer ben Hurcanus' tomb.