Happy TravellerWelcome to Kfar Saba, a vibrant city located in the Sharon region of the Central District of Israel. With a population of over 110,000, Kfar Saba is the 16th-largest city in Israel and is known for its rich history, beautiful landmarks, and thriving economy. Let’s take a closer look at what makes Kfar Saba such a unique and exciting destination.
History of modern Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba has a fascinating history that dates back to ancient times. The Palestinian village of Kafr Saba was considered to be ancient Capharsaba – an important settlement during the Second Temple period in ancient Judea. It is mentioned for the first time in the writings of Josephus, in his account of the attempt of Alexander Jannaeus to halt an invasion from the north led by Antiochus, appears in the Talmud in connection to corn tithing and the Capharsaba sycamore fig tree.
In 1898, the Jewish town of Kefar Sava (Kfar Saba) was established as a moshava on 7,500 dunams of land purchased from the Arab village. It was located approximately 3 km to the west of the Palestinian town of Kafr Saba, after which it was named. Despite attractive advertisements in Jerusalem and London, attempts to sell plots to private individuals were unsuccessful, as the land was located in a desolate, neglected area far from any other Jewish settlement. Starting in 1903, Jewish workers resided on the site of Kfar Saba. The Ottoman pasha of Nablus, to whose governorate the land belonged, refused to give building permits, therefore the first settlers lived in huts made of clay and straw. They earned their living by growing almonds, grapes and olives. A well was dug in 1906. Most of the manual laborers on the land were peasants from Qalqilya. In 1910, an Arab guard employed by the landowners shot at a group of almond thieves from Qalqilya, killing one. An Arab mob then descended on Kfar Saba, beating residents, breaking and looting equipment, and taking two Jewish guards prisoner. The situation was defused when reinforcements from Petah Tikva arrived, and a peace was negotiated. This attack drew widespread public attention among Jews in Palestine and around the world, and it was subsequently decided to turn Kfar Saba into a permanent settlement, even without building permits. In 1912, the construction of twelve single-story permanent houses began along a route that is now Herzl Street. The houses were camouflaged due to the lack of building permits. Construction was finished in 1913.
During World War I, the Ottoman authorities harassed the residents, confiscating work animals and crops. The 1915 Palestine locust infestation destroyed vegetation in the area. Before Kfar Saba had fully recovered, about a thousand Jewish refugees of the Tel Aviv and Jaffa deportation who were seeking shelter arrived. The towns few houses could not accommodate the large number of refugees, and many died due to the harsh sanitary conditions. In the Palestine Campaign of the war, Kfar Saba was on the front line between British General Edmund Allenbys Egypt Expeditionary Force and the Ottoman Army for almost a year, and by the time of the British victory in September 1918, it had been destroyed.
Following Kfar Sabas destruction in World War I, residents began rebuilding the town. During the 1921 Jaffa riots, Kfar Saba, then a small and isolated town, was evacuated on orders of the Haganah. It was attacked during the riots. In May 1921 the original residents returned and found their homes had been looted and burned. They began to rebuild the town for a third time, and it slowly recovered. In 1924 additional settlers joined Kfar Saba. In this period the moshava began to redevelop as cultivation of citrus fruit began, replacing almonds. The first elections for the local council were held.
In May 1948, when Israeli independence was declared, Kfar Saba had a population of approximately 5,500. Following the war, it rapidly expanded as many Jewish immigrants from Arab and Muslim countries settled there, and new housing projects were built to accommodate them. The town found itself at the narrowest point of Israeli territory, with just 14 km from the sea to the West Bank village of Qalqilya. It expanded over the deserted Arab village of Kafr Saba, the site of which is today located in the Shikun Kaplan area of the
