Showing posts with label Beit El. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beit El. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

                                                     

                                                           Interview with Tuvia Victor of Havat Efraim

Havat Efraim, the Beit El Children’s Zoo, comes upon one like a surprise. My friend had said “I’m going to the petting zoo in Beit El. Do you want to come with?”

I eagerly accepted. It’s not that I cared so much about seeing a “petting zoo” but I really, really wanted to go to Beit El. Somehow in 43 years of living in Israel, I had never managed to see this important biblical city. Here was my chance and I was taking it with or without the animals.

It was a magical day.

Havat Efraim, or “Efraim’s Farm” is not really a “petting zoo” (or “pinat chai” as the Hebrew-speaking locals call it), though there is a bunny pen for this purpose. It’s a proper children’s zoo, albeit small, nestled inside a wooded area, with numerous water features and proper benches to sit on. Some of the animals roam free, while others are in cages, and the place just seems to wind on and on, as you constantly come upon yet another interesting species of animal, just around the corner.

The man who runs this impressive—and impressively-sized—children’s zoo is Tuvia Victor. It is doubtful that Victor ever expected to become a zookeeper. Born in South Africa, the

Tuvia Victor with a deer at Havat Efraim, Efraim's Farm
accountant/insurance and pension agent has lived in Beit El since he was married, now nearly 37 years ago. Today, the Victor family is a living representation of the Ingathering of the Exiles, as its ranks swell with Israeli grandchildren of Yemenite, Tunisian, Moroccan, Polish and Ethiopian ancestry.

Tuvia took time from his busy schedule to answer some questions about his labor of love, Havat Efraim, Efraim’s Farm:

Varda Epstein: What event was the inspiration for the expansion of the pinat chai? When did you become involved?

Tuvia Victor: On the last night of Chanuka in 1996, there was a terrorist attack and I went in the ambulance as a medic to the scene of the attack. A family on its return from lighting candles with family was shot, and the mother and the 12-year-old son were seriously wounded. The son died from a head wound at the site of the attack and the mother passed away later that night in the hospital. The Tzur family were neighbours of mine. The young boy, Efraim, together with his friends had tendered a spot where they kept some ducks and a goat His friends made a sign which read: “Efraim’s Farm – in memory of our friend.” I was moved by their action and started to help them improve and enlarge the cages which they had built. From there Efraim’s Farm grew and grew until it became what it is today.

The story of Efraim Tzur, HY"D. Memorial plaque at Havat Efraim.

Varda Epstein: Is there something special about the location of the pinat chai? Why do you think Efraim chose this spot?  

Tuvia Victor: The pinat chai is located in the valley below the settlement—I imagine that the children wanted to tend to animals but their parents (mothers?) were not so keen for that to happen in their garden!

A boy feeds a red deer at Havat Efraim, the "pinat chai" or petting zoo of Beit El 

Varda Epstein: What kind of animals do you have at the pinat chai today, and how many of them are there altogether? How big a part does your location play in determining the types of animals you bring in? How much space do you have in which to house them all?

Tuvia Victor: We have a variety of animals – mammals, birds and fowl, small carnivores, reptiles and fish. We house about 250 animals in about 12 dunam.  We have deer, sheep, goats, coatimundi, horses, donkeys, peacocks, guinea fowl, a variety of ducks and geese, Sulcata tortoises and a number of species of birds. 

Sulcata tortoises 

Varda Epstein: What does it take the feed all those animals? Is the feed delivered?

Tuvia Victor: Each animal is fed with a diet suitable to it. We feed with hay and prepared dry feed mixtures, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables. The community leaves leftover fruit, vegetables and bread in a special crate built at the entrance to the pinat chai. The hay is delivered by truck (about 8 tons) while I collect the dry food every 2 weeks.

Cameroon sheep, goats, and horses at the Pinat Chai in Beit El

Varda Epstein: Talk to us about the expansion. Who does the work? What kind of improvements have you made?

Tuvia Victor: We employ any worker that needs work – over the years we have employed unemployed, under-employed and those needing to supplement their income. The Jewish National Fund (JNF) built the duck pond and the caves for the farm animals. Together with the employees we spoke about before, volunteers (both adult and children), and myself, we built the rest of the structures. We use recycled materials wherever possible, like equipment from children’s parks etc.

Mandarin Ducks 
                                   The duck pond
                                                              

Varda Epstein: What are some of your favorite animals at the pinat chai, and why?

Tuvia Victor: Each and every one is special to me! Naturally when we get new animals they are the most exciting and challenging – learning what they need in terms of feeding, housing and "entertainment". Our latest residents are the Jacob Sheep. Some believe that the modern breed is actually the same one mentioned in the Bible (although there is little genetic evidence). We have two males and are hoping to begin breeding them by bringing female ewes. Some of them have 4 horns!

A Jacob sheep is fed a treat of lavender from a visitor 

Varda Epstein: What can visitors expect to find on arrival at the pinat chai? Is there an entry fee? Is there a way to visit on Shabbat? 

Tuvia Victor: Efraim’s Farm is open from dawn to dusk. The information center at the entrance offers a map of the pinat chai as well as its story. The expected code of behavior is also displayed there. The entry fee is 5 NIS per visitor. Entrance fee can be paid by bank transfer (Bank Leumi, Branch 902, Account 20880098), by credit card via the website, or cash which is fed to the stone rabbit at the entrance. Visitors on Shabbat are requested to pay on a weekday.

Kids enjoy "feeding" this stone rabbit their 5 NIS entry fee. 


Me speaking bastard Yiddish nonsense to an Emu

Varda Epstein: Do you offer any activities for children? Is the pinat chai a safe place for them? Are all of the animals caged?

Tuvia Victor: We welcome schools, nursery schools and groups to visit and enjoy pita-making, a petting area, and other activities – all with prior arrangement. We also offer animal therapy for children. Although most of the animals are in their own areas, the smaller goats do wander around. We do suggest parents look after their children in the pinat chai – for both their safety and to ensure they treat the animals with the expected respect and without hurting them.



Coatimundi at Havat Efraim, the Pinat Chai of Beit El


                                                        Tuvia feeds the coatimundis 

Varda Epstein: Tell us more about your location. Are there other local attractions to see in Beit El?

Tuvia Victor: Beit El is a vibrant and growing community with about 1300 families. In addition to visiting the pinat chai, one can walk back in history by visiting the spot of Jacob’s dream, the remains of Jerobam’s altar, and ancient burial caves. There are restaurants, springs and parks. A new visitors’ center is soon to be opened.


Just a rock or the rock where Jacob slept and had his dream? 


Varda Epstein: What are your future aspirations for the pinat chai? What’s next on the agenda?

Tuvia Victor: Our next project is to complete a reptile house which will include snakes, iguanas, lizards etc. Donations will help us tremendously to continue employing the unemployed, providing for the animals and improving our unique place for the benefit of all the visitors – children and adults alike.

To make a donation to Havat Efraim/Efraim’s Farm, and for more information, please visit the website of the Beit El Children’s Zoo.



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Tuesday, October 18, 2022

From Ian:

Australia revokes recognition of western Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
The Labor Party-led Australian government on Tuesday officially revoked the country’s recognition of western Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, confirming a Guardian report the previous day revealing that Canberra had walked back the language adopted by former Liberal Party prime minister Scott Morrison.

The Australian Cabinet instead agreed that Jerusalem’s eventual status must be resolved via peace negotiations with the Palestinians that lead to a two-state solution.

“We will not support an approach that undermines this prospect,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong was quoted by the Associated Press as saying on Tuesday.

The Labor Party, with Anthony Albanese as prime minister and Wong as the top diplomat, rose to power in May 2022.

According to Monday’s Guardian report, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recently dropped the following two lines of text from its website:
“Consistent with this longstanding policy, in December 2018, Australia recognized West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of the Israeli government.

“Australia looks forward to moving its embassy to West Jerusalem when practical, in support of, and after the final status determination of, a two-state solution.”
The lines were deleted after the Guardian Australia asked the current government questions about the matter.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid denounced Canberra’s move, saying in a statement that, “Jerusalem is the eternal undivided capital of Israel and nothing will change that.

“In light of the way in which this decision was made in Australia, as a hasty response to an incorrect report in the media, we can only hope that the Australian government manages other matters more seriously and professionally,” Lapid added.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that it would summon Australia’s ambassador over the issue.
Has Australia's Jerusalem reversal harmed Israel? - analysis
Even the United States failed until recently to recognize that Jerusalem was part of Israel. US citizens who wanted to register the birth of their children in that city could not have Israel as the country of birth on their passports.

Barack Obama, when he was president, might have flown to Jerusalem to eulogize veteran Israeli leader Shimon Peres. But the text of the speech he delivered at Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in the western part of the city, did include Israel as the location in which the address was delivered.

Former US president Donald Trump’s decision in 2017 to declare that Jerusalem was Israel’s capital and to relocate the American embassy there from Tel Aviv in 2018 was seen as a significant step in support of Israel’s hold on its capital city.

Only three other countries have followed the US example; Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo. Liberia, Togo and Malawi are expected to open embassies in Jerusalem.

Australia’s decision in 2018 to declare that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel helped shore up that move, even if the embassy remained in Tel Aviv. To shore up that declaration it opened a trade office in the city. Some eight other countries have done so as well, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid as well as his predecessors Benjamin Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett, all campaigned to change Jerusalem’s status in the international arena, with what appeared to be initial successes.

Last year, for example, support for the Jerusalem resolution at the UN dropped; it passed with only 129 votes.


Australia drops recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital
Michael Danby, Former Chairman and Member of the Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee of Australian Parliament, says the hasty decision by the Australian cabinet to revoke its recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel's capital was driven by local political considerations.


Israel slams Australia on 'hasty' Jerusalem reversal
Israel is slamming Australia the administration reversed its recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - a decision made by former prime minister Scott Morrison.

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