Ben Shemen Forest - Archaeology & Hiking in Central Israel

Ben Shemen Forest is the largest “green lung” in Central Israel, with 22,000 dunams of forested areas, hiking routes, bicycle paths and picnic areas, and is the main leisure site for residents of Israel’s central region. The scenic roads in the forest are marked and feature landscapes and historical sites. The forest has many recreation areas, charming spots, archeological sites and a profusion of wildflowers in winter and spring. In the fall and spring migrating seasons, one can watch the storks that land to look for food in the farmed fields near the forest.

Ben Shemen Forest exemplifies the Zionist dream and its realization. Theodore Herzl understood the essence of the redemption of the land and said, “When the plow returns to the strong hand of the Jewish farmer, the Jewish problem will be solved.”

KKL-JNF, turning this dream into reality, began purchasing lands in Israel in 1907 and proceeded to prepare them for afforestation and for inhabitation. Ben Shemen Forest was the first and the largest afforestation initiative in the history of the State of Israel and at present covers an area of 22,000 dunams east of the city of Lod. It is adjacent to Modi’in Forest, and both forests together cover a total area of around 30,000 dunams.

The first people to recognize the importance of the Ben Shemen area were Eliahu Sapir and Yehoshua Henkin, who were looking for land in the vicinity of Lod in 1904. The acquisition was made about a year later, and the land became Jewish property. A hundred dunams of the land was allocated for founding a factory for producing oil, which is how the place got its name. The factory employed fifty workers and was successful, until 1915, when it burned down.

When KKL-JNF purchased the land in 1907, olive groves were planted there, but the yield fell short of expectations, so the experts decided to plant pines and cypress trees. Along with tree planting, KKL-JNF undertook land development for settling the area.

The National School for Agriculture was established at the site on the initiative of Israel Belkind, but it closed after a short time, and in 1908 an educational farm was founded. In 1911, Professor Boris Schatz, one of the founders of the Bezalel Art Academy, established a village for silversmiths and goldsmiths. KKL JNF granted a two dunam plot to each of the ten families who came from Jerusalem to live there, with the intention of combining small industries with agriculture. This novel attempt to establish a community failed, however, but a few of those houses can still be seen.

In 1913 the Ben Shemen Courtyard was established, with the assistance of a Jew from Rumania, as the marble sign at the entrance states: “Baruch Kahana from Ploesti, Rumania, donated the sum of £6,000 to the Jewish National Fund in 1910 to build Moshav Ben Shemen.” Another stage in the settlement of the area was the establishment of the Ben Shemen Youth Village in 1927, which is still functioning today. There were fierce battles in the area during the War of Independence and the entire region was under siege until Lod was conquered by the IDF. After the establishment of the State of Israel, Moshav Ben Shemen was founded anew on the foundations of the abandoned moshav.

In the 1950s, KKL-JNF increased foresting activities thanks to the manpower of new immigrants in the vicinity, and new roads were paved. KKL JNF helped establish new communities, among them Gimzo, Kfar Daniel, Beit Arif and Beit Nehemia. The infrastructure for the Patrol Road was constructed in the 1960s, and next to it the nahal settlement of Mevo Modi’im. In addition, a hilltop stronghold was established, an amphitheatre, and the Maccabim Forest was planted. In the 1970s and the 1980s an active recreation area was constructed as well as a tree planting center for tourists.

Additional communities were established, including Kfar Ruth, Shilat, Nili, Matityahu, Maccabim, Re’ut and the city of Modi’in. Ne'ot Kedumim Park, a botanical reserve on the edge of the forest, which focuses on ancient farming methods and flora from biblical times, was created. In the 1990s, Ben Shemen Forest became the largest “green lung” in Central Israel serving the residents of the Dan metropolitan area as a recreational and leisure zone for spending time in the great outdoors.

The marked scenic roads and trails traverse the forest and lead to a variety of landscapes and sites. The forest roads are suitable for all kinds of private cars, for bicycles and for pedestrians, and they offer an opportunity to be in nature in Central Israel and away from the noise of the city. The large expanses in the forest contain solitary, quiet spots, picnic areas, playground equipment and sports facilities.

Visitors may combine recreation with a tour of archeological sites and, in the right season, may hike among an abundance of wildflowers such as cyclamens and anemones. In the fall and in the spring, visitors can watch flocks of migrating birds and storks that winter in Israel and look for food in the fields farmed nearby. In the vicinity of Tel Hadid, there is an olive grove that bears fruit at the end of the summer and a grove of ancient jujube trees.

The Active Recreation Area

There are many picnic areas and playgrounds for children in the vicinity. KKL JNF has been maintaining the olive grove there for years and plants new trees there annually.

On the western edge of the forest, not far from the Ben Shemen Interchange, an active recreation area was constructed with hundreds of meters of sports equipment for the whole family. It is also a good place for a picnic and has benches, tables, and water faucets. Near the recreation are there is a large white monument commemorating the Jewish community of Mexico, which was donated by that community.

About 200m north of the recreation area there is a forest grove of Brutia pines that were planted in 1929. The Brutia pine, also known in Israel as the Cypress pine, was brought to Israel in the 1920s as a complementary tree to the Jerusalem pine. It is less resistant to aridity but has a straight trunk, neat foliage and tends to live long. There are about fifteen big, beautiful trees left there, which survived all the fires and other misfortunes that transpired since they were planted.

There are marked hiking trails that go into the forest from the recreation area. A central route goes to the different forest areas, leads to Mitzpe Modi’in and wends its way to the memorial commemorating the community of Zaglembia next to Highway 443.

How to get there: From the road that branches east from the road to Moshav Gimzo (4314).

Mitzpe Modi’in (Modi’im)

As soon as you arrive in Mitzpe Modi’in you see a watchtower that looks like a flaming torch and symbolizes the Hasmonean revolt. From the great height of the tower there is a beautiful panoramic view toward the cities of the Coastal Plain, from Netanya in the north to Ashkelon in the south. You can see the city of Elad, the forest of Givat Ko’ah, Shoham, the slopes of the Samarian Hills, the Shilat communities, Canada Park and Modi’in Forest.

The hilltop stronghold was built in 1963, and an amphitheatre was constructed below it, which is used for festivals and different performances. During the War of Independence there was an IDF post there called Deir Abu Salam. At the foot of the tower there is a big lawn with olive trees. Nearby, there is picnic area that was constructed by KKL JNF, with picnic tables, bathroom facilities and colorful playground equipment, a slide and swings.

How to get there: From Highway 443, by following the brown sign to Mitzpe Modi’in.

The Electricity Trail

Although electricity and nature seem to contradict each other, the Israel Electric Company has a major power line that crosses the forest, so it was decided to create an artistic connection to it and name it the Electricity Trail. The power line passes between the trees in a straight line and creates a kind of waterfall of wires on the slope of the hill. Around it, a sculpture garden was initiated by KKL-JNF, which is also a combination of modern abstraction and local boulders.

As a result, you can see metal sculptures with sharp angles and phosphorescent colors next to huge stone sculptures inspired by the forest and the surroundings. Among the stone sculptures you can see a giant hand carved in the rock holding a stone, salamanders in relief, a row of deer engraved on a huge boulder recalling Nabatean wall paintings in the Negev, a woman’s face carved in stone, a train of ants, even a takeoff on Rodin’s Thinker in the shade under some trees.

How to get there: By continuing east from Mitzpe Modi’in about 1 km and following the signs.

The Dan Cooperative Recreation Area

This recreation area is in a section of the forest commemorating members of the Dan Cooperative who fell in Israel's wars. It has picnic tables and a scenic terrace facing northwest toward Nahal Modi’im and the Coastal Plain. There is playground equipment nearby and a fire watchtower. The watchtower was manned prior to the construction of the security fence, when the forest suffered from frequent arson. The tower is unmanned nowadays, and entering it is forbidden.

The Sounds and Voices Recreation Area

This recreation area adds a dimension of art and music to the experience of being in nature, with large scale interactive sculptures. Big, colorful pipes of different sizes and diameters installed under and above ground serve as a device for telephonic communication. Another sculpture has large gates standing in a row and a huge pole that goes through them with a gong at the end of it. The gong can by rung by a group of people who can move the pole together. There is a sculpture shaped like a giant harp, which produces musical sounds that can be heard from a great distance. The sculpture garden was founded by the Morris Philip Arnold family, England.

How to get there: From the Kedumim Gate.