Kibbutz Kfar Szold Statue Gardens

December 25th 2013

A picturesque kibbutz located on the seam that runs between northern Israel’s Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights, Kfar Szold attracts visitors for its pastoral beauty, its history as a haven for Holocaust refugees and its remarkable sculpture park.

A highlight of every visit to Kfar Szold is Zvika’s Statue Garden. Back in 1982, during the military operation known as the Peace for Galilee War, Zvi Bass, a member of Kibbutz Kfar Szold, erected a giant statue of Moses with his hands held upward, reminiscent of the posture Moses assumed as the Israelite slaves crossed the Red Sea while escaping from the Egyptians. Bass used whatever materials he had access to on the kibbutz, including clay, stones, pipes and debris from building projects.

After the war ended, Bass continued creating his engaging and uncommon sculptures from found materials that he has repurposed for art. Today, tractors, unused farm tools, machinery parts and stones from the local fields become centipedes, dinosaurs, monsters and human figures. One of Zvi’s goals is to bring humor to his sculptures and to make people smile when they see what his imagination created out of items previously destined for the trash. Entrance to the Kibbutz Kfar Szold Statue Gardens is free. The sculpture garden also offers a view of the luxurious greenery of a nearby water reserve.

The kibbutz itself carries the name of Henrietta Szold, founder of the Hadassah Zionist organization for women. During the Holocaust, Henrietta Szold was involved in rescuing European Jewish children and bringing them to pre-Israel Palestine. One of the places that took in Jewish children during WWII was Kfar Szold, which was founded in the early part of the 1940s.

Kfar Szold also houses Bakfar Country Lodging, a kibbutz-style guesthouse. The guesthouse is situated among scenic mountains and features 31 ground floor condominium-style units with kitchenettes that sleep up to six people each. Guests of the Bakfar Country Lodging can take advantage of the kibbutz lake, gardens, playgrounds for children, outdoor seating, BBQ facilities, community pool, sports facilities, a mini-market as well as many cafes and restaurants in the area.

A visit to the Kibbutz Kfar Szold Statue Gardens can be combined with tours of Mount Hermon, the Hula Valley Nature Reserve, Tel Dan National Park, the Banias, the Manara cable car and many other nearby attractions.