Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba (literally “Grandfather’s Village) is situated in the south Sharon area, northeast of Tel Aviv. It was established in 1903 and currently is home to approximately 85,000 inhabitants. It is named after the ancient city of Capharsaba, which was an important settlement during the Second Temple Period.
History
The community took its name from Rabbi Abraham Saba, author of the book “Bundle of Myrrh” or in Hebrew “zeror ha mor”, a rabbi of inspiration, fortitude and tolerance.
Kfar Saba (ancient Capharsaba) was an important settlement during the Second Temple period, 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 with the tithing of corn tithing and the Capharsaba sycamore fig tree.
Excavations on the site have revealed the remains of a large Roman bathhouse. In the Byzantine periods the ruins of the bathhouse were first converted into fish pools, and later into industrial installation.
Ottoman Era
In 1596, the Arab village of Kafr Saba was inhabited by 42 Muslim families. In the 1870s it was described in A Survey of Western Palestine as “a mud village of moderate size with mud-ponds around it and good water in the wells of Neby Yemin, to the east.”
The Jewish town of Kfar Saba was established in 1898 on 7,500 dunams of land purchased from the Arab village. Despite attractive advertisements in Jerusalem and London, 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 Ottoman pasha of Nablus, under whose govornorship the land belonged, refused to grant building permits; therefore the first settlers lived in huts made of clay and straw. They earned their living by growing almonds, grapes and olives. Most of the manual laborers on the land were peasants from Qalqilya. Only in 1912 were permits given and the settlers moved to permanent housing.
In the Palestine campaign of World War I, Kfar Saba was on the front line between General Allenby’s British Army and the Ottoman army. Unfortunately the town was destroyed. At the same time about a thousand residents of Tel Aviv and Jaffa came to live in the town after having been forcibly deported from their homes by the Ottomans.
British Mandate
Due to the Jaffa riots 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 residents of the town began cultivating citrus fruits as a viable agricultural product.
State of Israel
In the months leading up to the 1948 War of Independence, Kfar Saba was attacked by the local Arab militia from the village of Kafr Saba. The Arab Liberation Army (ALA), an army consisting of volunteers from several neighboring Arab countries, sent troops to aid in these attacks. In 1962 Kfar Saba was awarded city status, with head of the local council, Mordechai Surkis, becoming its first mayor.
Located just across the 1949 Armistice line (“Green Line”) from Kalkilya, Kfar Saba has been a frequent target of terrorist attacks. In May 2001, a Palestinian Arab bomber wearing an explosive belt killed a doctor and wounded 50 others at a bus stop in Kfar Saba. In March 2002, a Palestinian opened fire on passersby at a major intersection, killing an Israeli girl and wounding 16 before being shot. In April 2003, a Palestinian bomber blew himself up at the Kfar Saba train station during the morning rush hour, killing a security guard and wounding 10 innocent bystanders.
Great Landmarks in Kfar Saba
Nabi Yamin – A Mamluk caravanserai complex, including the mausoleum of Nabi Yamin, is located on the Kfar Saba – Qalqilyah road. The site contains an inscription dated to the 14th century. The site has been associated with the tomb of Benjamin, son of Jacob. North of this complex is a smaller tomb whose cupola has been painted green and is being maintained by local Palestinian Muslims, who consider it the “real” tomb of Benjamin, who is venerated by Jews and Muslims alike.
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.
First Well – The modern development of Kfar Saba started when water was discovered in the early 1920s. The first well was excavated at this time, followed by many others over the next twenty years. The Kfar Saba Water Plant was founded to centralize the water supply system. The city’s first well is located in the courtyard of Kfar Saba City Hall.
Nordenstein House – Due to the lack of security during World War I, the settlement was abandoned. In 1922, the Nordenstein family returned and built the first defensible stone house. It took another two years for other families to return (mostly from Petah Tikva). The Nordenstein House is still standing on HaEmek Street, near the central bus station.
Amrami’s Dairy Farm – The site of the dairy farm of Baruch Amrami, who transferred the administration of the Kfar Saba settlement from Petah Tikva to a local committee and founded the water company and the first bank in the village in the 1920s, is on the corner of Amrami and Rothschild Streets. The cowshed and Amrami’s “office” are still standing.
Kibbutz HaKovesh Dining Hall – A stone house on Tel Hai Street designed for defense (outlooks and sharp-shooting parapets) served as the communal dining room of Kibbutz HaKovesh. The members of the kibbutz themselves lived in tents. In 1948, the kibbutz moved north to secure the Kalkiliya front. The building now houses the Kfar Saba Civil Guard.
City’s Park – Kfar Saba’s Park is one of the biggest parks in the Sharon area. It has an area of 250,000 m2 The park includes: several children’s play areas, water fountains, Roller Skate Area, fitness facilities, garssy areas, and shaded dining areas. The park is open daily between 6:30AM and 11:00PM.
Eva Fischer Fund – Located in the Kfar Saba Municipal Center, the fund s a collection of artwork that Eva Fischer, an Italian artist, donated to the city. The artworkmis primarily themed on the Holocaust.