What is "moshava"

n. An early Jewish agricultural settlement in pre-Israeli Palestine

A moshava , plural: moshavot , is a form of rural Jewish settlement in Ottoman Syria, established by the members of the Old Yishuv since late 1870s and during the first two waves of Jewish Zionist immigration - the First and Second Aliyah.

In a moshava, as opposed to later communal settlements like the kibbutz and the moshav, all the land and property are privately owned. The first moshavot, described as "colonies" in professional literature, were established by the members of the Jewish community and by pioneers of the First Aliyah arriving to Ottoman Palestine. The economy of the early moshavot was based on agriculture. Petah Tikva, known as the "Mother of the Moshavot" (Em HaMoshavot), was founded in 1878 by members of the Old Yishuv, as well as Gai Oni, which later became Rosh Pina with the arrival of the First Aliyah. The first four moshavot of the First Aliyah period were Rishon LeZion, Rosh Pinna, Zikhron Ya'akov and Yesud HaMa'ala.