Israeli Video: Ayalon Institute

Ayalon Institute: The Secret in the Hill -

This is the story of a secret factory built underneath a limestone hill that manufactured ammunition for the Israeli resistance. On the surface it was used for training groups of young people for Kibbutz life. It operated during the years 1946 -1948. The Ayalon Institute - Kibbutzim Hill - by Yael Zisling.

Imagine building a clandestine ammunition factory, right under the nose of the British. In 1945, the Haganah determined that at the end of the British Mandate a struggle would ensue between the Jews and Arabs of the land. A decision was made by the Haganah to establish a secret plant. In just three weeks, preparations for the factory were completed and it was code named the Ayalon Institute, a military industry factory in the early pre-state days.

Above ground, this appeared to be no more than a kibbutz. Eight meters below ground things were quite different; this was actually the largest bullet factory, where 45 people worked. Between 1946-1948, 2.25 million bullets were manufactured here. These were nine-millimeter bullets, for the Sten sub-machine gun, which was the primary personal weapon during the war. The bullets were embossed with the letters EA, E for Eretz Israel and A for Ayalon.

At the height of operations, 40,000 bullets a day were made at the institute. It has been said that the bullets manufactured at the Ayalon Institute constituted the only supply that was not in shortage during the war. The necessary manufacturing machines were lowered into the factory through an opening, which was concealed by a huge 10-ton baking oven (there was a working bakery here). The entrance stairs, used by workers to get to and from the factory was covered by a large washing machine that revolved on a pivot. The ‘kibbutz members’ also operated a commercial laundry. It is perhaps ironic that British officials stationed in nearby Rehovot used to bring their uniforms to be laundered in a place that concealed the clandestine arms factory.