Yad Binyamin

Yad Binyamin
Hebrew	יַד בִּנְיָמִין
Name meaning	Binyamin Memorial
Founded	1962
Council	Nahal Sorek
District	Center
Coordinates	31°47′49.92″N 34°49′16.68″E
Population	3,200 (2009)
Yad Binyamin

Yad Binyamin (Hebrew: יַד בִּנְיָמִין‎‎, lit. Binyamin Memorial) is a communal 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 2009 it had a population of 3,200.

History

Yad Binyamin was originally founded as a religious settlement and educational center in 1962 by Poalei Agudat Yisrael, in partnership with the municipality of Nahal Sorek. It was named after the former Minister of Postal Services, Binyamin Mintz who had died the previous year. 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 of them, the families of the Ganei Tal community, are slated to move en masse to Hafetz Haim. A further 100 families will move to Netzer Hazani, adjacent to Yesodot, while others have already started to build permanent homes in Yad Binyamin. A further 100 families will move to Netzer Hazani

Transport

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. Israel Railways plans to upgrade the tracks of nearby Tel Aviv–Beersheba line and build a station at Kfar Menahem to serve the area which is scheduled to be completed in 2011. A number of Egged bus routes provide transport links to Jerusalem, Ashkelon and other cities.