Herzl House

The sun is not shining today, as it is in these pictures, and because of our current grisly weather we will most certainly not be going out to explore new places for a little while. The good thing about it is that I can play catch-up a bit and show you these pictures of Herzl House in the Hulda Forest which we visited just a few short weeks ago.

Theodor Herzl, the man who envisaged the establishment of a Jewish State, never actually inhabited the delightful stone house from the 1920's found in the forest next to Kibbutz Hulda, even though it bears his name. He was, in fact, never even there!

There is, however, a connection.

In 1909 an agricultural farm named Hulda was established on the plot of land which would soon become known as the Herzl Forest. The forest was planted to commemorate Herzl, who died in 1904. Herzl House, with its two floors, colourful decorated tiles, large windows and green iron shutters, served as the residence for the manager of the farm and later for members of Hulda. Olive trees, fruit trees and shrubs were planted on the farm, and there was a chicken coop, a cowshed and grain fields, making it quite a diversified place.

In 1929 the farm was attacked by Arabs and destroyed. The fighting was fierce but the Jewish settlers defended the settlement from within Herzl House. Eventually a contingent of British forces arrived on the scene to evacuate the settlers. Hulda was resettled again in 1931 but was again attacked several times during the years 1936-1939. The last group of settlers left in 1937 and went on to establish Kibbutz Hulda on a nearby hill, where the land was more suitable for farming.

In the 1948 War of Independence Hulda was the last stop, and a base for supplies, for the convoys of Jewish soldiers on their way to Jerusalem. The large round pool made of concrete opposite the house, below, stored the water that was so desperately needed in Jerusalem after its main water supply was cut off. Water was conducted to the pool from the pipeline that was installed along the Burma Road. There is a remnant of the original pipeline near the pool.

Herzl House was renovated in 1996 and the small museum about the history of Hulda and the Jewish National Fund is run by members of Kibbutz Hulda. The house is surrounded by pine trees, china berry, cypress and pepper trees, sycamores, plums, carobs and dates, and is a delightful place for a picnic... though not on a day like today!