Places to visit in Kfar Daniel
Forest Ben Shemen, Kfar Daniel and Tel Hadid
Before the Israeli War of Independence, there was the Arab village of Daniel named after the prophet Daniel. Residents left it in 1948 after Israeli forces took control over the territorial integrity of the Greater Tel Aviv area and the vicinity of Lod Airport.
The biggest attraction of Kfar Daniel is the Zorfim factory. Literally, it translates as jewelers. However, in contrast to the popular notion of jewelers as jewelry makers, jewelers here produce Judaic religious items.
In the forties of the last century, three Jewish guys from Chernivtsi met at a jeweler's course in their hometown. Their names were Josef Merdinger, Wilhelm Krener and Michael Steinmitz. They survived the Romanian occupation and came to Israel after the Second World War. In 1952 they set up their first factory in Tel Aviv, and in 1983, Merdinger bought out the shares of the other two founders and became the sole owner of Atsorfim.
Having become the sole owner of the enterprise, the Merdinger family invited talented jewelers to cooperate and revive the half-forgotten tradition of making silver cutlery and tableware. Branches were opened in different cities, and the products of the factory became recognizable abroad.
A small museum tells about the achievements of Atsorfim, and only here, in the factory, they hold a master class on working with silver to create religious utensils and dishes. Miniature clown figurines occupy a special place in the modern line of manufactured items.
Once there was the largest zoo with monkeys. However, animal welfare laws banned the keeping of monkeys in captivity for the public's amusement, and instead of a zoo, they opened a primate rehabilitation center here. Today, only those monkeys who need help or rehabilitation live in the center.
Once, this place was called Park aKofim - a park of monkeys. Park Ha-Kofim was the largest monkey nursery in the country. They create a real jungle here to acclimatize animals better and recreate the conditions of their natural habitat. Aviaries are open to this day, and communication with animals occurs at arm's length and completely safe. Experienced instructors and guides are constantly present in the park. The Saimiri monkey nursery inspired this park in the north of the country. The park was founded in 1996 and quickly became a place of recreation. Families came here for the whole day. Even today, in the summer months, various attractions for children, labyrinths, cableways, and various water activities are arranged in the park. Here you can also have a picnic and buy hot and cold drinks in the small cafeteria. The park organizes various sports and interactive games for school students to celebrate birthdays and corporate events.
At the same time, the park changed its original purpose. Today, it is Israel's Monkey Shelter, a non-profit organization that rescues and rehabilitates animals. The rescue center is visited by monkeys that came out of research laboratories, monkeys smuggled into Israel and raised in cruelty, monkeys that people tried to breed in their homes in a vain attempt to turn them into pets. At the Monkey School, which is located in the rescue center, monkeys are learning to live in the monkey community, which is so important for their mental well-being. Part of the rescue center is open to visitors.
In this regard, the story of one monkey, which was forcibly separated from its human family, is unique. In the stubborn and obsessive idea of saving the monkey, she was doomed to almost death among the monkeys. A wave of public protest and the constantly deteriorating health of the animal returned the monkey to its human family.
Ben Shemen Forest is one of the largest forests in Israel. It covers about 21,000 dunams of land east of the city of Lod and west of Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut. It is mainly planted with pines, cypresses, and eucalyptus trees. This is one of the most beloved by the Israelis forests in the center of the country, where the smoke of the barbecues does not cease - after all, a BBQ is the national sport in the country. The name Ben Shemen is associated with oil presses and with a verse from the book of the prophet Isaiah, which says: "The vineyard is dear to me in the lands of Ben Shemen."
Tel Hadid is the ruins of an ancient settlement. Dating dates back to the early Iron Age. At the time of the conquest of Canaan by the twelve tribes of Jacob under Joshua's leadership, there was an urban settlement on this place, as evidenced by the remains of the fortress wall. The settlement reached its dawn in the eighth and seventh centuries BC. AD during the existence of the Kingdom of Judah. In 1955, excavations were carried out here, during which an interesting mosaic floor was discovered. It depicts the Nile River, city, and riverside vegetation with the inscription "Egyptos." The mosaic is kept in the Maritime Museum in Haifa. During the reign of the Hasmonean kings, the city was fortified by Simon of the Hasmoneans in 143 BC. Vespasian captured the city during the Jewish War. During the Mishna and Talmud period, the Jewish sage Rabbi Yakim of Hadid lived here. The city is mentioned on the map from Madaba. Ashtori aParchs, in his travel notes about the Holy Land, wrote in 1322 that the city is located near Lod, and the inhabitants call it Hadita. In 1949, the Arab population left, along with the inhabitants of Kfar Daniel, after the fall of Lod.
There is a memorial plaque at the top of the hill in honor of Roe Cohen of Beit Nehemia. He was only 22 years old when he died on his motorcycle in a car accident in the United States. From here, a wonderful view of the coastal plain opens up. It illustrates the strategic value inherent in Tel Hadid. Here, one after another, you can identify the tall towers of Tel Aviv. The space between Petah Tikva, Lod, and Ramla spread like a palm, and a large plane takes off through a transparent veil of clouds.
