Yad Binyamin

Infobox Israel municipality
name= Yad Binyamin


imgsize=
hebname=Hebrew|יד בנימין
arname=
meaning=
founded=1962
type=Yishuv
typefrom=
stdHeb=
altOffSp=
altUnoSp=
district= center
population= 3500
popyear= June 2008
area=250
areakm=
mayor= Eli Eskezido

Yad Binyamin ( _he. יד בנימין, lit. "Binyamin Memorial") is a communal settlement located in central Israel and the seat of Nahal Sorek Regional Council. Yad Binyamin is located adjacent to the junction of three major thoroughfares; Highway 3, Highway 6 and Highway 7 and a thirty minute drive to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Beersheba. The railroad from Tel Aviv to Beersheba passes nearby. The nearest cities and commercial areas are Gedera and Rehovot.

History

Yad Binyamin was originally founded as a religious settlement and educational center in 1962 by Agudat Israel Workers in partnership with the municipality of Nahal Sorek and named after the former Minister of Postal Services, Binyamin Mintz who had died the previous year. For many years, the community was a center of higher Jewish learning based around the yeshiva.

After the disengagement plan, around 200 families from Gush Katif moved into temporary pre-fabricated housing in Yad Binyamin. Some of them, the families of the Ganei Tal community, are slated to move en masse to Hafetz Haim, [ [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1131043737147&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull 1,100 evacuee families to stay together] The Jerusalem Post, 7 November 2005] 100 families will be moving to Netzer Hazani adjacent to Yesodot, while others will be building permanent homes in Yad Binyamin.

Transport

Yad Binyamin is located convert|3|km|mi from the Re'em Junction on Highway 3 and one kilometer from the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. Israel Railways plans to upgrade the tracks of nearby Tel Aviv-Beersheba line and build a station at Kfar Menahem to serve the area. A number of Egged bus routes provide transport links to Jerusalem, Ashkelon and other cities.

References