Tour of the German colonies in the Jezreel Valley – Bethlehem of Galilee and Aloni Abba

Waldeheim – "Forest Grove," or as it is known today, the cooperative settlement of Aloni Abba, is a colony where Templers who returned to the Protestant Church lived. As in any community and religion, there are arguments and divisions, which is what happened here.

The colony is beautiful, the church has just completed eight months of renovation and restoration and has been closed to visitors again because there is no budget left to complete the restoration. You can still admire the European-style construction from the outside, with its ornate windows made entirely of wrought iron without any welding, stone cladding (sourced from Samaria), and tile roofs brought from France. The church was used to celebrate holidays, special occasions, and funerals.

Here is a picture of a couple at their wedding, with bridesmaids and groomsmen dressed up for the occasion behind them. But notice that they are barefoot.

The photo was taken in front of the Evangelical Church in Waldheim and reflects the asceticism that was inherent in the German Templers who came to Israel, along with their daily routine here.

Where are those Germans today? Most of them were transferred by the British authorities to Australia, but some tried their luck in Germany as well. I will elaborate on this topic during the tour.

In all German Templer colonies except Aloni Abba, there are no churches. The community center served as a meeting place, a place where people gathered to discuss matters important to the community and make community decisions.

The reason there were no churches was due to the formation of the Templar movement. Temple means hall in English, and the background to the formation of the Templar movement is that the hall is located in the human body (according to their belief). It is possible to pray from anywhere, at any time, and there is no need for the mediation of a church, and therefore no need for the mediation of a priest, and therefore no need for clergy.

The Ayman House is up for sale. If you have 7.5 million shekels available (as of today), it's yours.

Before you buy, you should know that during the War of Independence, the defense forces stormed the colony to take control of Waldheim, when only a few Templer families remained there.

Two shots were fired into the air. It later transpired that the shots were fired at the Ayman couple who lived in that house. After a brief investigation, it became clear that the fighters thought it was the Eichmann family, which led to the shooting.

Avi Zitterspieler's spice farm is perhaps one of the pioneering places for growing spice and medicinal plants.

A second-generation spice farmer, Avi explains with charm that there is no summer for spice plants, naturopathy, and what it's like to be the son of Polish parents who survived the Holocaust.

Breakfast at the spice farm under the vine arbor is an extraordinary, super authentic, and Israeli experience.

At the farm, you can buy every spice you've ever thought of, coffee beans, special blends for cooking and drinking, beautiful baking and cooking utensils, and it's simply a place that's fun to be in every day of the week.

In winter, there are also foraging workshops.