Ben Shemen

Infobox_Kibbutz
kibbutz_name = Ben Shemen
foundation = 1911 (original)
1952 (re-establishment)
founded_by =
region =
council = Hevel Modi'in
industry =
affiliation = Moshavim Movement
website =

Ben Shemen ( _he. בֶּן שֶׁמֶן, "lit." Fruitful) is a moshav in central Israel. Located around four kilometres east of Lod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Modi'in Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 627.

The moshav was originally founded in 1911, its name taken from Isaiah 5:1;

Let me sing of my well-beloved, a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard in a very fruitful hill. [ [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1005.htm Isaiah Chapter 5] Mechon Mamre]

In 1923 it was split in two, with a group of trial farms eventually becoming a separate moshav, Kerem Ben Shemen. The moshav was refounded in 1952 by immigrants from Romania. Some houses in the moshav were built by Bezalel Academy of Art and Design founder Boris Schatz.

The Ben Shemen Youth Village, a large agricultural boarding school, is situated adjacent to the moshav.

References