Sightseeing in Israel » Caesarea

From the charm of Zichron Yaakov to the galleries of Ein Hod

Ethan Bensinger — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:15:14 +0000

A visit to the charming village of Zichron Yaakov, with its pedestrian-only cobblestone main street lit by old fashioned street lamps, and bounded on both sides with beautifully restored homes, courtyards, galleries, boutiques, and places of historical interest, will provide the visitor with a true understanding of Edmund de Rothschild’s vision and contribution to the Jewish re-settlement of The land of Israel at the end of the 19th century. No doubt your visit to Zichron Yaakov can be one of the highlights of your Israel trip.

Several hours should be dedicated to your visit to Zichron Yaakov, especially if you plan to visit the First Aliyah Museum, tour the Aaransohn house, the Carmel Mizrahi or Tishbi winery and perhaps have lunch on the main street. As travel in Israel is relatively easy, the village can be reached within 45 minutes from Tel-Aviv or within 15 minutes from Haifa. Use Route 4 to enter Zichron Yaakov from the southwest and drive up the hill to Hakovshim St., and then turn left toward the circle, where you will again turn left in the direction of the arched entrance to Hameyasdim Street. You may find parking in front of the cemetery near the Founders’ Monument. The latter is a natural start to your walking tour and provides a brief historical sketch in ceramic relief. Here you can also pick up a map of the village as well as a list of restaurants and B&Bs. Then cross the street and enter the cemetery.

The challenges that had faced Zichron Yaakov’s first settlers will quickly become evident as you walk through the cemetery noting the large number of children’s graves entombed above ground. The village was originally settled in 1882 by Zionist pioneers, predominantly from Romania, many of whose children perished from malaria or the hardships of the winter of 1883. Though some dispirited families chose to leave immediately thereafter, Edmund de Rothschild came to the rescue of the nascent community by providing agricultural employment and subsidized housing for his workers. The relationship between Rothschild’s administrators and these pioneers at times became acrimonious, in that the deeds to their homes had to be registered in the names of the administrators in return for Rothschild’s financial assistance. However, soon thereafter vineyards were planted and by the early 1890s a winery had been established, providing the town with its financial footing.

As you pass under the arch, note at number 18 the modest home of Asher Bonstein, a founding settler/farmer of Zichron Yaakov. If you are fortunate enough to visit the village on a Friday at noon, you may wish to spend a pleasant hour listening to the harp music of Adina Har-Oz at the Hershovitch home located further up Hameyasdim St. at number 30, (04 6392 584). Moshe Hershovitch, one of the original pioneers, was a master carpenter whose wood carvings survive in the synagogue as well as in the home of Aaron Aaronsohn. Note the quaint older building to the right, the agricultural tools and equipment on display, and some of the mulberry bushes originally planted in 1900 to feed a population of silkworms. Silk manufacturing was yet another venture of the industrious Baron de Rothschild, yet short lived.

One of the most notable buildings on Hameyasdim Street, with its stone, castle-like exterior and beautiful garden, is the Aaronsohn family home. As members of one of Zichron’s founding families, the wealthy senior Aaronsohns left Romania with their furniture, crystal and china, which is still on display at the home, as if the family had just sat down to a formal meal. The exploits of two of their children, Aaron Aaronsohn and his sister Sara have become legend in Israel. Aaron was a world-renowned botanist whose research at nearby Atlit led to his discovery of specimens of wild wheat known as “the Mother of wheat”. You may tour the home and the museum which contains an explanation of his scientific research, as well as many excellent documents, photographs and an audiovisual presentation relating to the role that Aaron, Sara and others played in the establishment of the espionage group NILI. Note: It is sometimes difficult to gain entrance expeditiously because of the many school children visiting the place.(06-6390120) A visit to the museum certainly merits a stop during your tour in Israel.

Members of this group used NILI, an acronym for a biblical verse from the Book of Samuel, as a password. Their purpose was to help facilitate a British victory in World War I in Ottoman controlled Palestine by gathering intelligence on Turkish military installations and troop movements. The group used carrier pigeons to relay information to the British, but to the ring’s great detriment, one such pigeon decided to land at the home of the Turkish governor in Caesarea as it made its way from Atlit to British headquarters in Cairo Egypt. With the exposure of the espionage ring, Turkish authorities surrounded Zichron Yaakov and arrested members of the NILI group, including Sara Aaronsohn. Sara was brutally tortured by the Turks, but refused to divulge any information regarding the group. Asking to be returned to her home one last time to change her clothes, she went to the bathroom and shot herself, rather than giving the Turkish authorities the satisfaction of hanging her. The pistol’s hiding place (known as a “slick”), and the bathroom can be visited on the tour of the home. Aaron, whose accomplishments also included the preparation of a detailed map of Palestine for use at the Versailles Peace Conference, mysteriously perished in an airplane accident over the English Channel in 1919.

The remains of Avshalom Feinberg, another resident of Zichron Yaakov, and member of NILI, were discovered in the Sinai desert after the Six Day War. Beduins had murdered Avshalom during his attempt to reach Aaron Aaronsohn and the British in Cairo. At the time of his death he must have had a date in his pocket as a large date tree sprouted with his remains entwined in it’s roots. Bedouin tradition held that this tree was the resting place of the Jew. After the war, Avshalom Feinberg was returned to Israel and given a formal state funeral.

Across the street from the Aaronsohn home you will note the restaurant/bar of the Tishbi family, with it’s comfortable outdoors seating area. The elegant stone house was originally the home of Shmuel Sternberg who designed the Carmel winery’s first iron gates. It was in the cellar of the Sternberg home that Shmuel’s son David hid from the Turks, Sara Aaronsohns’s final letter and will.

As you meander through the many shops and galleries make a point to stop at the water reservoir, known as Brechat Binyamin. At first glance you may think that the façade is that of an ancient synagogue, but the true purpose at the time of its construction in 1897 was to provide continuous flowing water to a central point in the village. The design of this otherwise utilitarian structure again reflects the careful planning undertaken by Rothschild’s administrators. Your next stop will be the synagogue at the corner of Hameyasdim and Hanadiv streets.

The village was originally known as Zammarin, but at the request of Edmund de Rothschild its name was changed to “ In Memory of Jacob,” in honor of his Father. His Father’s name is further enshrined in the name of the town’s synagogue, Ohel Yaakov, which was built in 1886. The size and architectural quality of the Synagogue, with its elegant crystal chandeliers, reflect Rothschild’s vision for the growth of the community and his commercial enterprise.

Immediately past the synagogue and opposite Rothschild Park one will find the First Aliyah Museum (04-629-4777). The subject matter of this museum is unique, in that it focuses on the Aliyah from 1882 to 1904, rather than on the more frequently discussed subsequent waves of immigration to the Land of Israel. Spread over three floors of a building constructed in 1892, the museum presents a moving multi-media presentation of the travails of one family’s journey from the Diaspora to Palestine. Tracing the movement of a family unit is especially poignant, in that this Aliyah was comprised primarily of entire families escaping the pogroms of the East or those otherwise inspired by the opportunity to work the land. The video is supplemented by large photographs, sculptures depicting the First Aliyah’s pioneers and metal relief maps of sister villages of Zichron Yaakov built with the assistance of Edmund de Rothchild. The museum is also a repository for one of the first movies filmed in Israel depicting life in Tel Aviv in 1913.

As you exit the museum, turn right into Hanadiv Street and proceed down the hill to the visitor’s center of the Carmel Mizrahi winery for a tour. If you previously visited the winery founded by Rothschild in Rishon Le Zion, you may instead wish to tour the smaller winery at the nearby Tishbi Estate (04- 638- 0435.) The Tishbi family was commissioned by Rothschild in 1882 to plant a vineyard near to Zichron Yaakov and they continue to be in business to this day. You may even find proprietors Johnathan and Nili Tishbi busily at work on the property.

Their visitors’ center offers tours of the winery, a Kosher dairy restaurant, a wine and cheese shop as well as the ability to bring your own container from home for a fill up. The winery is unique in that much of its state-of the-art equipment is located outside for easy viewing. An exception of course is the oak barrel wine aging facility and the cognac plant, which utilizes a magnificent antique Remy Martin processor. To reach the estate, follow the signs on Aahron Street, South of the Founders’ Monument, directing you toward Binyamina.

Return to Route 4 for the short drive in the direction of Haifa to the village of Ein Hod, which for art lovers is a must-see stop during their travel in Israel. Turn right at the Ein Hod/ Ein Hud sign that directs you up a winding road through the scenic foothills of the Carmel Mountains. The village was founded in 1953 by Marcel Janko at the site of abandoned Arab homes in what was then known as Ein Hud. Because of its proximity to the main road connecting Tel-Aviv and Haifa, the villagers of Ein Hud were evacuated to higher ground during Israel’s War of Independence. Today, most of these former Arab residences have been reconstructed and enlarged, becoming home to a thriving artist colony. Try to avoid the crush of the weekend crowds to more fully enjoy meandering through the alleys, courtyards and in and out of artists’ studios.

At the main square, across from the Dona Rosa Argentine restaurant, you will find a communal gallery displaying a sampling of the works of most of Ein Hod’s artists. Opposite is the Janko Dada Museum (04-984-2350), whose permanent display is dedicated to the seventy years of the artist’s world-renowned creations. Those of you with an adventurous artistic streak can try your hand at creating your own Dada masterpieces in the Dadlab interactive exhibition.

If you care to enjoy more traditional, hands on artistic experiences, Ein Hod offers the visitor a number of interesting venues. Pottery making, including wheel techniques, glazing and kiln firing, can be studied with Naomi Verchovsky (04 984-1107). A demonstration of linoleum cutting, lithography and etching can be observed at the studio of Ora Lahau-Shaatiel (04 -984-2018). The studio of Helena Markson (04-984-1171) can offer you a glimpse into the world of printmaking techniques and etching on copper and zinc.

After attending a workshop or just wandering through Ein Hod’s galleries, a brief stop for some homemade beer at the Art-Bar might be just what you may need on a hot summer day. There you will meet it’s colorful proprietor Danny Shlyfestone, who with his wife Analia, runs the mini brewery/art gallery. Danny serves a variety of stouts and ales, Yemenite style pizza is made on an outdoor Taboon on Fridays, and on Tuesday evenings it’s jazz from 6 p.m. onwards. If you stay long enough you’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about the intricacies of beer making and the history of beer, with a few of Danny’s jokes thrown in between. Before you leave Ein Hod, ask Danny to point you in the direction of the Nisco Museum of Mechanical Music.

Nisan Cohen will greet you at the door of his museum which is jam packed with his collection of music boxes, hurdy gurdies, an automatic organ, a reproducing player piano, and much more. No doubt, one of the more unusual attractions in Israel! Cohen, a native of New York, spent a lifetime as a documentary filmmaker while collecting music boxes and accumulating a vast archive of Yiddish records. One of his most prized possessions is the 1918 rendition of Hatikva on the Edison label, which he will play for you on an original RCA windup gramophone. Also, if you are visiting Ein Hod on a Friday, you can attend the 1 p.m. concert presented at the Nisco Museum using Cohen’s original mechanical instruments. However, you may wish to call first as the concert is dependent on the number of guests attending.(052-4755-313).

At the conclusion of your visit you can return down the hill to Route 4. Turn right, and at the sign, left towards Atlit where you can rejoin Route 2 toward Tel-Aviv.

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Sources:

First Aliyah Museum;

The Aaronsohn House;

Municipality of Zichron Yaakov;

Gidonim Society For The Promotion Of Tourism

Tags: Aaronsohn Family, Ein Hod art galleries, Israeli History, Tour Israel, Vacation in Israel, Zichron Yaakov Synagogue

Aqueducts and tunnels: wonders of Roman technology that brought water to the people

Ethan Bensinger — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:53:39 +0000

In antiquity, as today, providing drinking water to a growing population in the land of Israel proved to be a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. Several types of well-preserved Roman era aqueducts that had brought water from springs on the Carmel Mountains to Caesarea can be found in easy driving distance of each other. If you are taking this tour during the summer, bring a change of clothes and shoes suitable for walking in water, as you will get wet!

The first stop on our Israel tour to study ancient water systems is a visit to Ramat HaNadiv Park, about 45 minutes North of Tel-Aviv. Travel in Israel is relatively easy, so from Route 2 follow Route 70 and turn right into Route 4 to enter Zichron Yaakov from the southwest. Drive up the hill, following the signs to Ramat HaNadiv, proceed toward the old town, but at the circle turn right and drive down the hill toward Binyamina.

You may wish to begin your tour of Ramat HaNadiv by visiting the beautiful gardens and the Rothschild family tomb. The map provided at the park’s entrance will then guide you to the En Zur spring. The excavation of the spring and aqueduct by the late Professor Hirschfeld of the Hebrew University in the 1980s permitted water to flow for the first time since its Roman inhabitants enjoyed the spring and baths 2000 years ago.

The fresh spring water originates inside an almost 50 meter tunnel, which can be partially accessed by foot. The water runs along a narrow, low aqueduct hewn into the stone and is covered by angled roof tiles, which in ancient times prevented the accumulation of debris in the clean spring water. The water flows into a large swimming pool, which together with the adjoining bathhouse, was built at the end of the 1st century CE and was used by the Roman inhabitants of the hilltop manor house until the great revolt in 70 CE. Steps leading up to the bathhouse make for easy viewing of the beautifully preserved caldarium, which was heated by hot air flowing between the pillars beneath the floor.

The spring water was also used to irrigate the lush agricultural area immediately below the bathhouse. These fields were fertilized by pigeon droppings, which were collected in the columbarium, whose circular foundations are also visible near the spring and manor house. Professor Hirschfeld theorized that the entire estate belonged to someone closely associated with King Herod, the builder of nearby Caesarea.

After the site was abandoned, a second aqueduct was used to bring water from the pool 1700 meters down the hill to the former Talmudic village of Shuni, today known as Park Jabotinsky. The spring at Shuni, as well as the overflow from En Zur, served as the source of the high level aqueduct, a main water carrier for the people of Caesarea. At the park, archaeologists have excavated a theater for the water cult Maiumas, as well as a large 4th century pool, which today serves as an outdoor sculpture garden. The theater and pool are part of a larger complex, which was built by Baron de Rothschild to house an agricultural training center for new settlers of the Betar movement. Decades later, the training facility served as a clandestine officers school for the Irgun, as well as a home base for many of their operations. Memorial markers for these underground fighters can be viewed at Jabotinsky Park as well.

You can easily reach Park Jabotinsky at the conclusion of your visit to Ramat HaNadiv by continuing 4 kilometers down the road into the village Binyamina. After exiting the park, continue to follow Route 652 toward Givat Ada, turn left into Route 653 and follow the signs to Alona Park/ Me Quedem to explore the Roman era tunnel. You may wish to call ahead to ensure the park is open on the day of your visit (04-638-8622). The 13 kilometer drive from Park Jabotinsky to Me Quedem is one of the more beautiful attractions in Israel as the road meanders through a lush valley of vineyards and fruit trees.

Local farmers who had always suspected that a spring ran under their fertile soil rediscovered the tunnel system in 1967. In fact the Romans were well aware of the spring at Ein Tzabarin and carved a magnificent 6-kilometer water carrier horizontally into the hillside. This tunnel then intersected with several aqueducts further down the hill to provide the growing population of Caesarea with fresh spring water. Today, with the assistance of a guide, you can traverse a 280 meter restored section of this tunnel, which most times of the year is about a meter deep. The water carrier is well lit permitting you to observe chisel marks as well as the diagonal piers that permitted the Roman excavators access to the tunnel and fresh air.

After returning to dry clothes in the changing room, retrace your drive toward Route 652 and then turn right toward the circle in Binyamina. Proceed under the viaduct and follow the signs to Route 4. Then turn right and proceed north for 2 kilometers to the brown sign “Taninim Springs”. Immediately thereafter a sign will direct you to the Taninim aqueduct at Moshav Beth Hanania. Drive into the moshav, park your car at the front gate and proceed by foot several yards to the right along the aqueduct. In 2010 a new bridge is scheduled to open at Route 652, near the Ada Junction, to facilitate travel to Route 4.

A most surprising find will await you; two beautifully preserved inscriptions from the Roman era. The first is a high relief of the Roman Empire’s 10th Legion with an eagle perched over a wreath, and there under, a Nike standing on a crouching Atlas. The adjacent stone plaque names Emperor Hadrian, through a detachment of the 10th Legion, as the builder of the aqueduct.

The arches of this beautifully preserved high aqueduct carried a second channel parallel to the first built by Herod decades earlier. When this secondary channel stopped functioning , a third channel made of clay pipes was built on top of it, and can be easily viewed near the plaques. The aqueduct can be followed by foot as it meanders its way through the fields of the moshav toward the coastal road, or you can continue to admire it from your car as you drive toward the sea to the entrance of the Nahal Taninim Nature Reserve. There you can observe a low level aqueduct with its sophisticated system of dams and locks that regulated the flow of water to Caesarea.

Taninim in Hebrew means crocodiles. In fact it was up to the early part of the 20th century that crocodiles could still be spotted in the river that envelopes the nature reserve. Today, the banks of the river and surrounding wetlands provide the visitor with a cacophony of sounds from heron, cormorants and storks who feed in the nearby fishponds. The Taninim is a clean coastal river, which provides nutrients to the plentiful water lilies, grasses, turtles and fish in the reserve. The reserve ensures that the visitor experiences a wonderful combination of archeology in a peaceful natural setting which can be easily explored by foot within an hour.

The Romans realized the benefits of plentiful fresh water in the Kabara valley and accordingly designed various methods by which to channel this water to the citizens of Caesarea, nearly five kilometers away. During the renovation of the preserve, excavators discovered a dam, which utilized three wooden floodgates to elevate the water, and control its flow through the ground level aqueducts chiseled out of stone by Roman laborers. The 200 meter long dam created a reservoir of 6000 dunams, creating a large lake in the Kabara valley with a virtual unlimited supply of fresh water fed by the stream, springs and runoff from the nearby Carmel mountains. In fact the excavation of the area has permitted more than 3000 springs to once more burst into life!

But even the Romans were fallible. An aqueduct that leads to no where can be found near the dam and can be explored by younger family members until its uncompleted end. The other aqueducts can be traced by following wooden bridges suspended over the wetlands. As you do so, you will no doubt come across a reconstructed vertical water wheel , the original of which was used by local residents, who had built about a dozen gristmills on the site during the Byzantine period. Another method to harness water in order to move the large grinding stones was developed by the Ottomans. They constructed stone slides which permitted water to quickly flow from the top of the dam down to the flour grinding area. These slides have been restored and can be easily viewed on the side of the dam.

In the early part of the 20th century, Edmund de Rothschild purchased much of the surrounding land and constructed a pipe factory near the Roman quarry. Though the purpose of the project was to lay thousands of pipes to drain the swamp, the effort failed. Today you can view some of the remaining pipes at the quarry.

You can end your visit to the Taninim Nature Reserve with a walk over the dam where you may see children from the nearby Israeli-Arab village splashing in the stream, fishing or grazing their livestock.

From Taninim it’s a short drive to Caesarea to view another portion of the high level aqueduct visited at Moshav Beth Hanania. Return to Route 4 and drive about 10 kilometers in the direction of Tel-Aviv. Turn right at Route 65 and head toward the sea following the signs to Caesarea harbor. Once inside the residential community, brown signs will direct you toward the aqueduct.

The aqueduct remains a most imposing structure with its series of arches set in the sand against the backdrop of the blue Mediterranean. You can explore the beauty of the aqueduct by walking its length until it once more becomes buried in the sloping sand dunes. If you look northeast toward the Carmel mountain ridge you can just imagine a very long row of arches that carried drinking water to the residents of Caesarea and the marvels of Roman engineering that achieved this feat. If time and energy permit, you can complete your day by touring the Caesarea National Park, immediately south of the aqueduct. The site is certainly a must-see stop during your Israel trip.

Travel in Israel is relatively easy. Just follow the brown signs in Caesarea directing you back to Route 1 toward Tel-Aviv.