Binyamina Colony

Binyamina is a settlement founded in 1922 south of Zikhron Ya’akov, east of Or Akiva, and north of Pardes Hanna. It was declared a local council in 1950. However, in 2003, the local councils of Binyamina and Giv’at Ada were unified into a single municipality under the name Binyamina–Giv’at Ada.

Binyamina was established south of the depopulated Palestinian village of Khirbat al-Shuna and near Khirbat al-Burj to the north—though not directly on the lands of either village—by descendants of first-wave Zionist immigrants from neighboring colonies (Zikhron Ya’akov and Giv’at Ada), along with third-wave immigrants who settled there in 1922.

The ceremonial inauguration of the new settlement was held on Tu BiShvat in 1887. The land for the settlement was acquired by the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (PICA). Initially an agricultural colony, Binyamina later benefited from Baron Rothschild’s offices, which brought early settlers, including families from Georgia, to assist in agriculture and perfume production. Perfume manufacturing for export began in 1925. Additional groups soon arrived, contributing to the colony’s rapid development.

Work brigades, such as the Menorah Group led by Gershon Schatz, also came to the area to carry out projects such as swamp drainage near the wells. In October 1927, the cornerstone for a synagogue was laid. By the end of 1928, Binyamina had a settler population of 381.

In 1940, with the outbreak of World War II and the North African campaign, the British army established Camp 101 on the road to Zikhron Ya’akov near the train station. The camp received wounded soldiers for treatment and rehabilitation, as well as soldiers from disbanded or restructured units. After the war, the soldiers primarily engaged in guarding railway facilities and coastal areas against unauthorized immigration and the smuggling of illegal arms. The camp was evacuated in 1948 with the end of the British Mandate and became known as the Binyamina Junction. Today, the area houses Yeshurun Congregation, the Warburg Neighborhood, and part of the industrial zone.

In 1952, Yosef Tzvi Tzelzer, a Hungarian immigrant and professional winemaker, established the Eliaz Winery, now known as the Binyamina Winery, on the site of the former perfume factory. By the 1960s, it had become the second-largest winery in Israel.

A large portion of Binyamina’s population works in the Gush Dan area and commutes via the local train station. A major renovation of the station in the late 1990s transformed it into a key transfer hub between suburban and intercity trains, drawing passengers from neighboring communities. This upgrade accelerated local development, and today a small industrial area exists nearby.

The local basketball team played in the Israeli National Basketball League during the years 2007–2009.

Sources:
Due to the limited availability of Arabic-language sources, we relied on Israeli sources, including the official Hebrew website of the settlement and the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.
Information on the villages of Khirbat al-Burj and Khirbat al-Shuna was taken from the Palestine Remembered website.