Mrs. Ronit Shukar

A native of the city of Tiberias, Ronit Shukar and her husband Yosef (of blessed memory) made their home in the settlement of Shiloh in the Binyamin Region. In 1991, Ronit and her husband were among the partners in the establishment of the community Shvut Rachel near Shiloh, a zionist response to the murder of Rachela Druk, a mother of seven and resident of Shiloh who was killed in a terrorist attack. At the time, Yosef was the director of a teaching institute at the Hesder yeshiva in Shiloh and taught at the pre-army academy in the town of Tzofim. Ronit became the community nurse and guidance counselor at the women’s seminary in Shvut Rachel.

An olive grove planting operation was initiated by Yosef as an expansion of Shvut Rachel and an expression of the vision to develop Jewish agriculture in the area. It continued to develop into an agricultural farm in the community of Achiya, east of Shvut Rachel, including an olive press for the production of oil from the olive groves that had been planted. Sadly, Yosef was critically wounded in a work-related accident at the olive press, and was not privileged to live long enough see the realization of his dream. It was Ronit decided to continue and bring their dreams to fruition.

While caring for her husband in the hospital and raising their four children on the farm, she managed to transform the farm into a community of 20 families, all farmers supporting themselves by their agricultural labor in the olive groves, at the olive press, the winery and the visitors center, which hosts thousands of visitors a year who come to learn about the land reclamation effort, Jewish agriculture, and the residents’ fulfillment of the Zionist vision at Achiya and surrounding new communities. They are led in this effort by Ronit, and Meshek Achiya is now a booming olive oil business as well, a fitting tribute to the vision and determination of Yosef and Ronit.

For her role in the pioneering Zionist enterprise of the settlement of the Shilo area; for her commitment to the renewing the Zionist dream of Jewish agricultural labor in the Binyamin Region; and for her efforts to instill these values in today’s youth by setting an example for Zionist achievement, Ronit Shukar has been awarded the Moskowitz Prize’s 2009 “Lion of Zion” award.