Yad Binyamin
Community settlement in central Israel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yad Binyamin (Hebrew: יַד בִּנְיָמִין, lit. Binyamin Memorial)[2] is a community settlement in central Israel. The seat of Nahal Sorek Regional Council, it is located adjacent to the junction of three major highways: Highway 3, Highway 6, and Highway 7. In 2024 it had a population of 4,338.[1]
Yad Binyamin
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Etymology: Binyamin Memorial | |
  Yad Binyamin  Yad Binyamin | |
| Coordinates: 31°47′50″N 34°49′17″E | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Central |
| Council | Nahal Sorek |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Population (2024)[1] | 4,338 |
History
The land had been used as a Ma'abara Nativa which was abandoned as a religious settlement and educational center in 1962 by Poalei Agudat Yisrael, in partnership with the municipality of Nahal Sorek.[3] It was named after the former Minister of Postal Services, Binyamin Mintz, who had died the previous year.[4] For many years, the community was a center of higher Jewish learning, based around the yeshiva.
Following the disengagement plan, around 200 families from Gush Katif moved into temporary pre-fabricated housing in Yad Binyamin. Some later moved to a new village named Ganei Tal after the former settlement by the same name.[5] Many other families have moved to Netzer Hazani.[6]
The community has a neighborhood, called Ahuzat Yonatan, that is for people ages 55 and older. The neighborhood has approximately 160 apartments as well as a shared building containing a synagogue.[7]
Transportation
Yad Binyamin is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the Re'em Junction on Highway 3, and one kilometer from the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. In September 2018, Israel Railways opened the nearby Kiryat Malachi-Yoav station, connecting the area to the Nahariyah–Beersheba line.[8] A number of Egged bus routes provide transport links to Jerusalem, Ashkelon, and other cities.