Binyamina-Giv'at Ada


Binyamina-Giv'at Ada is a town in the Haifa District of Israel. It is the result of the 2003 merger between the two local councils of Binyamina and Giv'at Ada. In its population was. Prior to the merger, the population of Binyamina was 6,600.

History

Binyamina

Binyamina was founded in 1922 and named after the Baron Abraham Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild. According to the Jewish National Fund, Binyamina was founded on PICA land by members of the Third Aliyah. According to a census conducted in 1922 by the British Mandate authorities, Binyamina had a population of 153 inhabitants, consisting of 137 Jews, 13 Muslims and 3 Christians. The original economy of the village was citrus-based. In 1947, Binyamina had a population of 2000.

Giv'at Ada

Giv'at Ada, named for Baron Edmond James de Rothschild's wife Adelaid, was established in 1903 by eight families from Zikhron Ya'akov. Giv'at Ada was established as an agricultural settlement. The main farming branches were field crops and vegetables, and later, grapes.

Economy

The area is home to both the Binyamina Winery, producers of 2.8 million bottles of wine annually, and the Tishbi Winery, founded by Yonathan Tishbi in 1985. Tishbi now produces one million bottles annually. Plans have been drawn up to build a wine park on the slopes between Binyamina and Zichron Ya'akov to promote wine tourism in Israel.

Transport

The busy Israel Railways Binyamina Railway Station is the last stop on the Binyamina-Tel Aviv suburban line and a transfer point on the Tel Aviv-Haifa intercity line which makes it a transportation hub for the area. A direct non-stop train from Binyamina reaches Tel Aviv or Haifa in 30 minutes.

Notable residents

Binyamina is the birthplace of the Israeli songwriter Ehud Manor, and is referenced in a number of his songs. It is also the birthplace of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Four-time Olympian and world-record-holder in shooting, Guy Starik, lives there.

Sister cities