There have been many good reasons to celebrate in Metula, Israel’s northernmost community, lately: the dedication of Hamayan Park (Spring Park), which was donated by friends of KKL-JNF in Belgium; a cornerstone laying ceremony for a new neighborhood; the opening of an exhibition with historical photos from the KKL-JNF archive, and a festive celebration in honor of Metula’s 120th anniversary and KKL-JNF’s 115th anniversary.Participating in the festivities were KKL-JNF World Chairman Danny Atar, Minister of Housing and Construction Yoav Galant, Metula Mayor David Azulai and the local residents, who turned out in full force.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of this challenging job is the opportunity to help build new neighborhoods and
strengthen communities,” said KKL-JNF World Chairman
Danny Atar, at the cornerstone laying ceremony for the Har Tzefia South neighborhood in Metula. “It’s not simple to promote building plans like this. I am certain that very soon, we’ll meet again for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the first house that will be built.”
The new neighborhood faces the magnificent scenery of Ayun Valley and Mount Hermon. For many years, this rocky mountain was manned by security forces who protected Israel’s northern border. Among the participants in the ceremony were young families from Metula, who have been waiting a long time for the chance to build their homes in the town.
“Thanks to working together, we finally reached this day,” said Metula Mayor
David Azulai. “I am happy to say that on the way, we overcame a lot of challenges. Developing communities is one of KKL-JNF’s highest priorities, and this is an opportunity to thank KKL-JNF for believing in us. Today, Metula is beginning its 120th anniversary celebrations, and by laying this cornerstone we are getting ready for the next 120 years.”
Housing Minister
Yoav Galant, a retired general who served many years in the IDF, said that for him, Metula was always a military objective to be defended. “When people who live on the country’s edge plant trees and harvest their fruit, they are not only providing agricultural produce to Israel, they are also keeping a hold on the land and determining where our border runs,” he said. “When we merit to see the day when Metula will have 10,000 inhabitants, not only Metula’s situation will have improved, but also that of the entire country.”
At the end of the ceremony, the honored guests signed on the neighborhood’s founding scroll, buried it in the ground and covered it with cement, as a symbol of the future.
Afterwards, they continued to the Borders Gallery for the opening of a new exhibition of historical photos from the
KKL-JNF archive that depict how Metula was first settled. A look at how desolate the mountains were over a hundred years ago made it very clear just how long a road has been travelled since then.
Hamayan (Spring) Park, Then and Now
Towards the evening, hundreds of Metula residents assembled at Hamayan Park to dedicate the site, which was renovated thanks to the support of friends of
KKL Belgium. New trails were paved and steps down to the spring’s source were built in the park. A lawn was planted around the spring, which serves as an amphitheater for shows. Trees were planted, benches were installed, and a rest area and observation point that faces the direction of Hula Valley and Ayun Valley were built.
In the past, the spring flowing in the park was a source of water for Metula residents. The first residents used to walk to the edge of the town, draw water from the spring and bring it back to the town on donkeys and horses. Later on, a storage pool and a canal were dug. The renovation of the park included uncovering the pool and restoring the canal.
“From the first day Metula was built, this spot was the heart of the community,” said Mayor Azulai. “During the park renovation work, the old spring was uncovered. When I see all the guests in our beautiful park, I feel as if we’ve renewed the past. Thanks to the very special KKL-JNF community, we’re here now at this magical site, which is a source of life for us. I can only hope that this friendship lasts and grows stronger over during many years to come.”
Jacky Benzenou, President of KKL Belgium, recalled
visiting the site a few months ago, when he found it abandoned and neglected. “It’s very exciting to see a green and beautiful park here today, with so many people who came to enjoy it,” he said. “Young and old meet in the park, and that’s exactly what it’s about – a site rich in history that is also attractive for the young generation.” Benzenou told the audience that there are about 20,000 dedicated Zionist Jews currently living in Belgium. “Don’t thank us for developing the park, because we are the ones who wish to thank you for the privilege of helping you,” he concluded.
Housing Minister
Galant enumerated three foundations for the future of the state of Israel: security, economic prosperity and narrowing social gaps. “If we act wisely in these fields, the state of Israel will continue to be an island of success, sanity and democracy in the heart of the Middle East. When we look 120 years back, we feel a great sense of pride towards our extraordinary achievements. Metula symbolizes security, agriculture and settlement, and these are the very foundations that the country is built on.”
KKL-JNF World Chairman
Danny Atar added that we are currently marking the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, the 69th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel, the
115th anniversary of KKL-JNF, 120 years since the First Zionist Congress and 120 years since the founding of Metula. “A Zionist continuum of love of the land connects these diverse events,” he said.
At the end of the speeches, local residents enjoyed a number of performances by local residents – song, dance and drama sequences put on by community seniors, Metula youth and of course the town’s children. A special video clip followed a journey from Metula to Eilat, along which there are many KKL-JNF sites, since after all, this was a celebration shared by both KKL-JNF and Metula.
As Danny Atar put it: “People who were full of faith and permeated by love of the homeland built Metula, and they were a symbol of the type of Zionism common to the early settlers of the land of Israel and also an inspiration for present-day Zionism.”