Kfar Saba
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| Kfar Saba | ||
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| Hebrew | כְּפַר סָבָא | |
| Name meaning | Grandfather's village | |
| Founded in | 1903 | |
| Government | City (from 1962) | |
| District | Center | |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: | |
| Population | 81,100 (2006) | |
| Jurisdiction | 15,000 dunams (15 km²) | |
| Mayor | Yehuda Ben Hemo | |
| Website | www.kfar-saba.muni.il (Hebrew) | |
Kfar Saba (Hebrew: כְּפַר סָבָא, Kfar Sava, lit. "Grandfather's Village" or "Saba's Village") is a city in the Sharon region, of the Center District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2006, Kfar Saba had a total population of 81,100.
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[edit] History
Kfar Saba (ancient Capharsaba) was an important settlement in the southern Sharon during the Second Temple period.[1] It is mentioned for the first time in the writings of Josephus, in his account of the attempt of Alexander Jannaeus to halt an invasion from the North led by Antiochus (Antiquities, book 13, chapter 15). Kfar Saba also appears in the Talmud in connection to corn tithing and the Capharsaba sycamore tree.[1]
The land that became the modern city of Kfar Saba was purchased by a Jewish settlement society in 1892. Attempts to sell plots to private individuals were unsuccessful, as the land was located in a desolate, neglected area far from any other Jewish settlement. The land was finally purchased in 1896 by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. In 1903, the Baron sold the land to the farmers of Petah Tikva to be populated by the 2nd generation - the immediate descendants of the farmers. However, they in turn sold the land to others, mostly new immigrants. The Ottoman government refused to give building permits, therefore the first settlers were forced to live in huts made of clay and straw. They earned their living by growing almonds, grapes and olives. Only in 1912 the settlers moved to permanent housing.
In World War I, Kfar Saba was on the front line between the British army and the Ottoman army, and was destroyed. At the same time about a thousand residents of Tel Aviv and Jaffa came to live in the town. They had been forcibly deported from their homes by the Ottomans. Due to the pogroms of 1921 these deportees returned to their original cities. In 1922 the original residents returned and in 1924 additional settlers joined them. In this period the cultivation of citrus fruit developed. In 1937 Kfar Saba was declared a local council.
In the time of the Arab Revolt, in 1936-1939, as in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Kfar Saba's population suffered from attacks by Arabs from the Arab, Saba village and other villages in the area. A short time before the Israeli declaration of independence these villages were taken in Operation Medina. In 1962 Kfar Saba was awarded city status. At the time of the Six day war Kfar Saba suffered attacks from the neighboring town of Qalqilyah that is located just over the 1949 armistice line with Jordan.
[edit] Landmarks
[edit] Benjamin's Tomb
A burial complex on the outskirts of Kfar Saba is believed by some to be the tomb of Benjamin, son of Jacob. North of this complex is a smaller tomb whose kippah (cupola) has been painted green and is being maintained by local Palestinian Muslims, who consider it the "real" tomb. Jews and Muslims venerate Benjamin. Kfar Saba is in the heart of Dan's tribal area, but there are traditions that explain why Benjamin's tomb is located in the land of the tribe of Dan. The traditional burial place of Simeon, son of Jacob, lies close to Kfar Saba. It is a small domed structure that sits in a field not far from kibbutz Eyal.
[edit] The first well
The development of Kfar Saba started when water was discovered by Jewish settlement institutions. The machinery is conserved in the khan (the first "hostel" built in Kfar Saba which serves as City Hall). The borehole exploits the Mountain Aquifer, providing excellent quality drinking and irrigation water to the early farmers. The nearest natural surface flow is the Shiloh river, which drains Western Samaria (from biblical Shiloh, nowadays a Ramallah neighborhood) into the Yarkon River, but its waters had been contaminated since historical times by the "kadachat" ("fever" in Hebrew, malaria). Kfar Saba, therefore, was built on higher land, healthier but waterless.
[edit] Amrami's Dairy Farm
The dairy farm of Kfar Saba's first mayor still stands in the Amrami and Rothschild Street Corner. No memorial plaque signals the place, but the cowshed and Amrami's "office" is still standing.
[edit] Archeology
Within the framework of sewage infrastructure works for the Eliezer Neighborhood, ancient remnants of an Israelite village were discovered east of the city, probably the remnants of the biblical Capharsaba. The discoveries were kept secret as its announcement would have made the completion of the sewage works dependent from Israel's Antiques Authority licence. Some of archeological remnants may be observed near the abandoned steel factory (Tzomet Pladah).
[edit] Nordenstein House
During WWI the area became lawless and the settlement was abandoned. The first family to return (in 1922) was Nordenstein, who built Kfar Saba's first defensible stone house. It took another two years for other families take courage and return (mostly from Petah Tikva). The Nordenstein House can be seen on the HaEmek Street near the Bus Station. Currently houses an Insurance Agency's office.
[edit] Kibbutz HaKovesh Communal Dining House
A high two stage stone house on Tel Hai Street, designed for defense (outlooks and sharp-shooting parapets) that served as the Kibbutz's communal dining room in "normal" times. The pioneers themselves and their children lived in tents. Following the 1948 border exchange, the "Triangle" became Israeli territory and the Kibbutz moved north to secure the Kalkiliya front. The House serves as Kfar Saba's Civil Guard Station.
[edit] Demographics
- See also: Population groups in Israel
According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), in 2001, the ethnic makeup of the city was 99.9% Jewish and 0.1% Others. Additionally, there were 523 immigrant residents. Also according to the CBS, there were 37,000 males and 39,600 females in 2001. The population of the city was spread out with 31.1% 19 years of age or younger, 16.3% between 20 and 29, 17.7% between 30 and 44, 20.2% from 45 to 59, 3.5% from 60 to 64, and 11.3% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate was 2.0% for that year.
[edit] Income
According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 31,528 salaried workers and 2,648 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 7,120, a real change of 10.1% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 9,343 (a real change of 9.9%) versus ILS 5,033 for females (a real change of 9.7%). The mean income for the self-employed is 8,980. There are 1,015 people who receive unemployment benefits and 1,682 people who receive an income guarantee.
[edit] Economy
In May 2004 the exploration company Givot Olam said that the Meged-4 oil well, located northeast of Kfar Saba, has exceeded original predictions and contains an extremely valuable deposit of oil.[2]
[edit] Education
According to CBS, there are 37 schools and 15,598 students in the city. They are spread out as 20 elementary schools and 6,684 elementary school students, and 21 high schools and 8,914 high school students. 72.2% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001. Kfar Saba has 10 high schools (grade 10-12).
[edit] Health
Meir Hospital is located in Kfar Saba.
[edit] Notable residents
- Gabi Ashkenazi, current IDF Chief
- Miki Berkovich, former basketball player
- Galit Chait, ice skater
- David Klein, governor of the Bank of Israel
- Idan Raichel, musician
- Pinchas Sapir, politician
- Harel Skaat, singer
- Shelly Yachimovich, journalist-turned-politician
[edit] Sister cities
Beit Jann, Israel
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Delft, Netherlands (since 1968)
Mülheim, Germany
San José, Costa Rica- Wiesbaden, Germany
[edit] References
- ^ a b The Origin of the Name Capharsaba Kfar Saba Municipal Council
- ^ Welcome to Givot Olam Oil Givot Olam
[edit] External links
- Official municipal website (Hebrew)
- Official Kfar Saba's Youth Council website (Hebrew)
- Kfar Saba Museum (Hebrew)
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