A city on the coastal plain of Israel northeast of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878 as an agricultural settlement, developed into the first modern Jewish moshava in the country, and became known as the "mother of moshavot." It has become a growing and thriving city with a population of 182,800 in 2006.
Historical Dictionary of Israel. Bernard Reich David H. Goldberg. Edited by Jon Woronoff..