The HaHamisha Forest and Ein Kfira Spring

 THE HIKE

 

• By the first signpost in the picnic area, take the fork in the direction of "הצבא האדום.” After a short distance you will come to an unimposing memorial to the Red Army   erected in 1950.

 

Your first thought could well be – what is this doing here? The monument and this part of the HaRuach Forest were planted in commemoration of the victory of the Red Army over the Nazis during the 2nd World War, a reminder of the high regard that many of the early socialist Zionist pioneers had for communism. The inscription reads: "This Forest was planted by the residents of Israel in honor of the Soviet Army, 1950.” On the Saturday closest to May 9, the day the Red Army was victorious over the Germans, thousands of left-wing supporters of Russia used to gather for celebrations and a picnic. As positive sentiments for communism diminished, so did the number of attendees for this picnic. Nevertheless, for many reasons, friendship with Russia is a priority for the Israeli government. There is another Red Army Victory Monument in the city of Natanya, far more imposing than this one, that was opened by Vladmir Putin in 2012.

 

• After viewing the monument, return to the signpost and take the blue-marked jeep trail in the direction “בית חיל” and “מצפור יתלה.” There are two stops to make along this trail. After about fifteen to twenty minute’s walking, on your right, is an observation area  with excellent views and a sign pointing out what you are viewing. Kiryat Sefer can be seen in the distance and on a clear day you can see all the way to Natanya and Hadera. About forty meters further along, on the left, is a stone memorial  to five young men who were murdered by Arab terrorists in 1937 while working on afforestation and paving roads for the Jewish National Fund.

 

As a result of these murders, in 1938, it was decided to establish a new settlement in their memory. It was called Ma’ale HaHamisha (Ascent of the Five) and was started by pioneers then living in Kiryat Anavim. This settlement was one of fifty-seven "tower and stockade" settlements built rapidly in Mandatory Palestine during the Arab Revolt, between 1936 to 1939. They consisted of a tower and sheds for the settlers, surrounded by barbed wire, and were intended to create defensive facts on the ground on Jewish-owned territory. This was the second settlement to be formed in this part of the Judean Mountains. Over time, the lack of good agricultural land forced the kibbutz to develop sources of income other than agriculture. One of their ventures was a hotel. This hotel is still operative, although is no longer under the management of the kibbutz.

During the War of Independence, Ma’ale HaHamisha was attacked twice by the Jordanian Arab Legion, and these attacks were successfully repulsed. The women and children were evacuated and the kibbutz became the command center for the Palmach. Fighters set out from here for actions at the Castel and other places in the Judean Mountains. Some of the fighters slept in part of the hotel. After the War of Independence, Ma’ale HaHamisha found itself close the armistice line between Israel and Jordan. The kibbutz was privatized in 2005.

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•  At the next intersection and signpost, turn left on the footpath following the sign to "נחל יתלה.” A short distance from the intersection, you will come to another observation area . There is a sign here indicating what you are viewing, as well as a picnic area with picnic benches and play equipment. 

 

• Return to the intersection and turn onto the red trail, which is now a paved road, in the direction of “חוות עזים.” As you descend on this trail, you will see the entrance to a goat farm   on the right. The Har HaRuach Goat Cheese Farm can be visited on Friday 10 am–4 pm and Saturday 11 am–5 pm. Organic cheeses can be purchased. Their telephone numbers are: (054) 466-3353, (054) 493-4566, and (02) 534-5660.

 

•  At the end of the red trail, cross over the main road to the parking area and look for the black-marked footpath. 

 

• To visit Ein Kfira, turn left onto the green-marked trail a short distance from the beginning of the black trail. This footpath descends gradually into the valley. If you are not visiting Ein Kfira, just continue on the black-marked trail.

 

• After about forty-five minutes on the green trail, you will pass the ruins of a Sheik’s tomb on your left, some distance from the trail. Shortly after this is a stone wall and just before a solitary palm tree there is a footpath to the right. Take this footpath. The pool of Ein Kafira   is just before the rock face. It is fed by two sources of water, one near the pool and the other higher up. Whether there is water in the pool depends on the season.

 

•  Tel Kfira is ahead of you, but this is as far as you need go on the green trail. Turn around and go back to the black-marked trail and then turn left. As you walk along the black-marked trail you will see below you the prominent hill of Tel Kfira  and at its base the Arab village of Katana. 

 

•  The black trail passes the outskirts of Ma'ale HaHamisha and ends on the main road. Turn left and you will soon see the brown signs to HaHamisha Forest and Mt. HaRuach. Turn down this road to return to your car.