In the center of Israel, amidst historical heritage sites and the national forest of Ben Shemen, lies the green and rural Modi’in region, home to the ancient Maccabees and present day Israelis who are ready to welcome you.
The Maccabees were the leaders of a Jewish rebel army that took control of Judea and founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE. They reasserted the Jewish religion and reduced the influence of Hellenism on the indigenous Jewish population.
To experience this enriching area, I was taken on a full day tour by Merav Lazar, Executive Manager of the Modi’in Region Tourism Association. “You’re in for a treat and a surprise at the end,” began Merav. She was true to her word!
Taste of Authentic Israel. Zohar Baram the Founder and Director of Hasmonean Village.
Genesis
To get a taste of “authentic Israel”, where the Maccabees once lived and worked, Merav took the writer first to a reconstructed Hasmonian village in Shilat. The founder and Director of the village, Zohar Baram explains before beginning the tour how it came about. “After a tough day of fighting in the Sinai in 1973, we turned on the radio and heard the famous British actor, Peter Ustinov say that it had been a mistake to create the State of Israel; that the Jews have no historical connection to the land – it’s a myth!” A tank commander and fearless in battle, Zohar was brought to tears. “Hearing this tirade, I made an instant decision.” It was not enough to defend the land; I needed to defend our history.” I realized in the sand dunes of Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments that I had to dedicate my life to the education of future generations of the historical connection of Jews to the Land of Israel.”
The result of this ‘revelation’ is Hasmonaim Village which he established with his late wife, Naomi. “I love working with the youth and it is so important to show and explain to Israeli children who live in apartments what the homes of their ancestors over 2000 years ago looked like. How did they dress; what furniture they have; what decorated their walls and how they made a living.” The village which has a main road and homes on either side “is typical of the size of a village at the time.” He passed me some wheat, placed it in an ancient stone grinder and then left it to me to produce grain that I placed in a plastic bag to take home. We then walked to the village mint, where Zohar hammered three coins “for your children” with motifs from ancient Judea. “The children love this and get the feel what life was like here two thousand years ago,’ said Zohar. In fact, visitors will “get a feel” from other periods well before the Maccabees. In a separate section, Zohar has recreated Noah’s Village, made entirely from wood, set in the period after ‘The Great Flood’. Fast-forward to the period of the Exodus from Egypt, there is a rock, which when you beat like Moses did with a stick, water gushes out. “These activities bring the Bible alive to people of all ages,” says Zohar.
Leaving the village, I noticed the words taken from the Bible and inscribed in Hebrew, which translated reads: “When you see it, your heart will be happy”. This writer left the village with a ‘happy heart’ and could well understand why filmmakers – mainly American – use it as a location for movies and documentaries. The most celebrated filmmaker that Zohar has worked with is the American Ken Burns noted for such documentaries as The Civil War and The Roosevelts. “When I work with such celebrated artists, I too enjoy a “happy heart’ when thinking back to that British actor in 1973 whose venomous words directed me on my life’s mission.”
Walking through the splendid landscape of Neot Kedumim. All trees , plants and herbs are from the Bible.
After the Flood. “Noah’s Village” at Shilat is an imagined reconstruction of life of the descendants of Noah.
Field of Dreams
No visit to this area is complete without a visit to the Biblical Nature Reserve called Neot Kedumim, which in Hebrew means “pleasant pastures (or habitations) of old.” Covering an area of 2,500 dunams (2.5 km2; 0.97 sq mi), Neot Kedumim is a recreation of a biblical landscape.
In 1964, land was allocated for the project with the help of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and today comprises: the ‘Forest of Milk and Honey’, the ‘Dale of the Song of Songs’, ‘Isaiah‘s Vineyard’ and the ‘Fields of the Seven Species’. Signs are posted throughout the garden quoting relevant Jewish texts in Hebrew and English. Neot Kedumim offers pre-booked organized tours but is also accessible to individuals who can roam the site on their own with maps provided by the park. Arriving here, we were met by tour guide Miriam Laor who explained that when Ephraim and Hannah Hareuveni immigrated to Palestine in the 1920s, they dreamed of developing a biblical landscape reserve that “embodied the panorama and power of the landscapes that both shaped the values of the Bible and provided a rich vocabulary for expressing them“.
Their son, Nogah Hareuveni, a physicist, dedicated his life to implementing his parents’ dream. To build the park, thousands of tons of soil were trucked in, reservoirs were built to catch runoff rain water, ancient terraces, wine presses and ritual baths were restored, and hundreds of varieties of plants were cultivated. “It started in 1964 with Nogah and we teach what he taught us. Working with the Bible in one hand and a spade in the other – he made the connection between the scriptures and nature.” Noting how Jewish festivities have to do with a certain time of the year and a particular type of fruit, “he planted only those trees and plants that were indigenous in biblical times. He wanted visitors to understand the text of the Bible better by using their senses – seeing, smelling, touching, hearing and tasting.”
He reasoned that because the Bible conveys abstract ideas through parables using images from everyday life thousands of years ago, it had less traction in the 20th century, where people are more attuned to the imagery of consumerism. The idea of Neot Kedumim is to ‘experience’ the Bible in the context of an authentic Biblical landscape. Nogah wanted Neot Kedumim “To be the photo album of the bible.” It was not surprising that in 1994, Neot Kedumim and Nogah Hareuveni, were joint recipients of the ‘Israel Prize’ – Israel’s most prestigious civilian award. “I always tell my groups that while Israel today is known for its innovative start-up companies, it emanates from our past. To survive in this harsh land one had to come up with ideas; so, the tour will stop at the cistern and see how water was stored; different types of oil lamps and how someone had to think of the idea that one could extract oil from the olive to fuel the lamp, and the type of plant that provided the wick. Here at Neot Kedumim we see how ideas were nurtured in nature and how the ancient Israelites survived and thrived. Here is the beginning of Israel’s status as ‘The Start-Up Nation’.”
Tour & Taste
Neot Kedumim welcomes over 205,000 tourists a year from abroad – Jews, Christians and Muslims. It is popular for Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, schoolchildren, “and companies who are attracted to our leadership program,” says Miriam. “We cater too for seniors who can take the tour on a ‘Choo Choo train’ that stops at all the sights and where visitors can stand under the shade.” On the way, we meet Zachariah Ben Moshe who stops in his tractor. In charge of tree planting, he points to a branch on a sage tree. “What does this remind you of?” he asks. “The Menorah,” I answered. “Exactly”, he replies. “The Menorah was taken from the sage. We read how God instructed Moses on how to build a Menorah who said: “Go out to the mountain and see its image.” Clearly, it was the sage he saw.” The next hour was spent seeing and leaning about different trees, bushes, plants and herbs. After tasting much of what I saw, “You see,” said Miriam, “We offer here what we call a Biblical Snack!” The last plant I learned about before leaving Neot Kedumim was the caper, a type of shrub with long, thorny, branches. Noted for its durability, the caper – which reappears, flowers, and provides food without any care – is found between the giant stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It is little wonder then that the caper is seen as a metaphor for the Jewish people’s determination to survive in the harshest of conditions. The caper has also been likened to studying the Torah. A learned rabbi once explained: “Every day a new flower, every day you discover a new idea.”
Wild life in Ben Shemen forest
A Taste of Honey
Leaving Neot Kedumim, we stop over at Moshav Kfar Rut, where we enter the shop of Shai Spector, a beekeeper for the last 33 years. The largest apiary in Israel with over 3000 beehives stretching across the country, all this are just facts until you taste his boutique honey – all 12 flavors – such as citrus, zatar, tamarisk and onion. “Unbeelievable,” I respond leaving with half a dozen jars of honey.
Musician and the Artist. Ben Zion Solomon (Left) and Yitzchak Ben Yehudah who pained the interior of the famous Carlebach Synagogue at the farming village of Mevo Modi’in.
To the Woods
In the heart of the Ben Shemen forest, is located the picturesque moshav (unique farming village) of Mevo Modi’in, the home of the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Considered by many to be the foremost Jewish religious songwriter of the 20th century, “Reb Shlomo” was a religious teacher, composer, and singer who was known as “The Singing Rabbi”. He created his own style combining Hasidic Judaism, warmth and personal interaction, public concerts, and song-filled synagogue services. His influence continues to this day in “Carlebach Minyanim” and Jewish religious gatherings in many cities and remote pristine areas around the globe. One such place is the unique synagogue – now a famous tourist attraction – at Mevo Modi’in, where we met two of Carlebach’s followers, one of whom is a renowned artist, who painted the synagogue’s interior walls. A colorful depiction of nature and animal life, Yitzchak Ben Yehudah’s unique brushwork draws the eye and touches the heart. Little wonder visitors flock here. “I arrived here with my young wife and child twenty years ago on a visit,” says Yitzchak. “We arrived during the festival of Passover – all the more special as my family had fled as refugees from Egypt in 1956 following the Suez War. Carlebach was ‘in full swing’ with over 150 people in this synagogue jumping up and down to the music. It was a visit I thought would be twenty minutes and here I am twenty years later.” Hardly a tree in sight when he arrived “I have since planted over 4,000 trees,” contributing to the rich forestation of the area. No less impressive, “We have 25 grandchildren.” Matching the vibrant color of the synagogue’s décor, are its no less colorful congregants. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Ben Zion Solomon dropped out studying for his Masters in musicology at Berkley and joined with his wife a commune in the woods of California. “It was the hippy age and we were like so many others trying to find ourselves. We were both very spiritual people but just not connected to our Jewish roots.” While in the forests, “I jumped in my truck and drove to Carlebach’s House of Love and Prayer in San Francisco. Before even speaking to him, I listened to him teaching a group and realized he had answered all my questions. I had found my rabbi!” The Solomon family immigrated to Jerusalem and shortly thereafter, joined an American group of immigrants headed by Rabbi Carlebach that were offered a baron piece of uninhabited land that is now the rich fertile moshav of Mevo Modi’in. “Because our marriage was not halachically (officially) recognized in Israel, Shlomo married us again. He composed a beautiful piece of music for our wedding ceremony that is to this day, sung every Shabbat (Sabbath) in our synagogue.” “Can we hear it?” I asked. Out came the guitar and for the next five minutes, Ben Zion played and sang the melodious composition that so captured the love of two people and the eternal love between Jews and their God. It was little wonder to hear that this synagogue “is packed every Shabbat.”
Shifra Chai at the Chai Goat Farm where you can try your hand at making cheese.
Say Cheese
Our next stop – still in Mevo Modi’in – was the Chai Goat Farm run by Ben and Judy Avraham Chai. Judy was abroad in her native England so we were met by her husband Ben – who immigrated to Israel from India with his family in 1962 at the age of seven – and their daughter, Shifra. They were expecting shortly a busload of fifty who were coming to try their hand at making their own cheese.
Visitors here – apart from meeting and milking the goats – will learn how to make a variety of soft, semi soft and hard cheeses. You will learn the ins-and-outs of creating Labane, Tzfatit, Bulgarit, Camembert, Tomme and Edam cheeses, all of which you can take home. “We offer different workshops, from a quick half hour hands-on experience as part of the farm tour, to a fully fledged training course that can turn you into an accomplished cheese maker,” said Shifra. “This farm is entirely organic, where our goads feed on natural grass away from poisonous herbicides and pesticides,” says Ben proudly. On the way out, we heard in perfectly pitched English: “So, did you have a nice time?” I turned around and saw no-one. Then I heard: “Do you like it here?” It was a parrot in a cage jabbering away in a north-end London accent. After assuring my new-found feathered-friend that “I loved her place”. Merav drove me to Moshav Ben Shemen for the final “big surprise” of the day.
Touring Ben Shemen forest in a buggy
On and off track
Ben Shemen Forest is the largest “green lung” in Central Israel, with 22,000 dunams of forested areas, offering hiking routes, bicycle paths and picnic areas. In the migrating seasons, one can watch the storks that land to look for food in the farmed fields near the forest. On Saturdays, the park’s trails are packed with hikers, horseback riders and off-road cyclists. However, there is another way to experience this enchanted forest which I discovered when Merav introduced me to ‘Tom’ – not a person but a BUGGY! The Tomcar is an off-road two-seater utility vehicle, invented by an Israeli engineer Yoram Zarchi, and was named after his son ‘Tom’. Originally designed for children, over 30 years on and far more complex, it is adults today that enjoy its rugged and robust charms in this charming location. The company running it, is ‘Buggy Bashetach’, and offers rides from one hour up to a full day. For adrenalin junkies this is a must. My driver for the hour was Gideon Sandler, who by his own words – “I am an extension of this car”. Within minutes I did not doubt him as he made the vehicle behave in a way I thought not possible along tracks that were hair-raising. He also ‘drove’ me to wonderful lookout points and advised on the topography and history of the area. Breathing in the fresh air from the last lookout, I gazed in wonderment at the scenic terrain around. It was the most exciting way to end a day of travelling routes to explore one’s roots!
Some of the best off-road forest rides in Israel
