THE SHVIL HAMAAYANOT AND YAD KENNEDY MEMORIAL
The Schvil Hamaayanot is one of the most popular trails in this part of the Judean Mountains - and with good reason. The views throughout the trail are quite spectacular. You will pass several springs on the trail, and this accounts for its name - "Trail of the Springs". Also consider visiting the impressive Yad Kennedy, a monument to former President John F. Kennedy. The starting point of the hike is only a short distance from Hadassah Medical Center-Ein Kerem and is easily reached by Jerusalem's public transport.
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Time: Almost 3 hours
Distance: Almost 8 Km
Type of hike: circular
Difficulty: Easy hike on a mainly smooth dirt trail, although the footpath to Yad Kennedy is moderately steep and minimally difficult.
Starting point: The parking area for the Aminadav Forest on the road to Even Sapir.
Driving directions and parking: Enter "יער פדווי השבי אדום" into Waze. Head towards Hadassah Medical Center Ein Karem. At the four-way intersection at the entrance to the hospital, take the exit to the left in the direction of Tel aviv. After a short distance, turn left at the first roundabout. Within a few minutes, you will see an asphalt road on the left leading to a gravel road. This is the parking area for the Aminadav Forest.
Public transport: The bus stop for Hadassah Medical School in Ein Karem is about 1 Km and a 15-minute walk from the start of the hike. Enter "Hadassah Ein Kerem" into Moovit. A number of buses go to the hospital. If using the light rail, alight at its last stop, Mount Herzl, and take 27 or 27A to the hospital. Alight at the first stop within the campus. From the bus stop, walk back towards the 4-way intersection at the campus entrance. Take the exit in the direction of Tel Aviv. At the first roundabout turn left in the direction of the signpost to Even Sapir. When the sidewalk ends, walk on the footpath on the right-hand side of the road adjacent to the railing. You will soon see an asphalt road on the left leading to a gravel road and the parking area for the Aminadav Forest.
BACKGROUND
THE SPRINGS OF THE JUDEAN MOUNTAINS
"For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, a land with streams of water, of springs and underground water coming forth in valley and mountain." (Deuteronomy 8:8)
The Judean Mountains are composed of hard limestone, a sedimentary rock containing mainly calcium carbonate formed about 200 million years ago from the skeletal remains of marine organisms when this area was a vast sea.
During the country's rainy season, surface water seeps through the earth and dissolves the underlying rock through a process known as karst. As the erosion continues, cracks develop, and rainwater seeps through these cracks and forms underground caves. When the surface water encounters a softer layer of rock that cannot be dissolved, such as marl, which is a calcium carbonate-containing rock with variable amounts of clay or silt, water collects inside the caves to form a natural water tank called an aquifer.
The many springs in this area came about because of erosion of the sides of the valley and exposure of the aquifer. The amount of water seen at the surface may have been no more than a few water droplets, or the unexpected growth of a fig tree, but this would have been enough to indicate the proximity of an aquifer. Villagers would then dig a tunnel into the rock towards the aquifer to obtain a greater flow of water. These tunnels were often of considerable length, and would need to be lengthened even further if the aquifer retracted. The pools you see in front of the entrance to the tunnels were small reservoirs used to supply drinking water to livestock and humans. Sometimes, the water would be directed downhill from the pool by aqueducts to irrigate vegetable gardens.
The hike:
On this circular hike you will be walking along two sides of a mountain ridge; at the beginning of the hike you will be overlooking Nahal Sorek and its tributaries, and then the Emeq Refaim valley on the other side of the mountain ridge. From the Recreation Area , the walk continues to Yad Kennedy
, although if you are short on time this part of the hike can be skipped. On your return, you will be hiking along a jeep trail and descending to Ein Tamar
via an extremely pretty wadi. However, if you want to visit the pools again, just go back the way you came.
To Yad Kennedy (optional):
Yad Kennedy is a memorial to John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963 at age 46. This memorial was built 3 years after his death. It is shaped like the stump of a tree to symbolize his life cut short. The memorial has 51 pillars representing the 50 states of the union plus Washington DC. The emblems of the states are on the outside of each of the pillars. Inside the memorial is a bronze facial outline of John F. Kennedy, and in the center of the memorial an eternal flame.
Returning to Ein Tamar:
From Ein Tamar to the parking lot:
Nearby places of interest:
The Sa’adim Ruins Nature Reserve . This reserve close to the Recreation Area has been adopted by the staff of Hadassah Hospital. However, it is not particularly exciting and can easily be given a miss. The ruins were called “Khirbet Sa’ida" (the ruins of the happy woman)” in Arabic and are the remains of a Byzantine agricultural farm and Christian monastery. To get there from the Recreation Area, turn left on the main paved road towards its intersection with the Schvil Hamayaanot and continue a short distance on this road. The entrance to the reserve is on your right.
Hadassah Medical Center is worth a visit – even if you are not sick! The Chagal windows in the hospital synagogue are famous. There is also a shopping mall (!) in a lower floor of the hospital. It has stores for clothing, phones, a bakery, pharmacy, and many reasonably priced eating establishments – all kosher and many mehadrin. Many of the stores are open from fairly early in the morning until late in the evening. Enter the campus as for the Chagall windows and then ask for directions to the mall.
Get your feet wet in Ein Tamar or take a short rest under the shade of the palm tree.
For getting more than your feet wet and brewing a cup of black coffee after a refreshing dip, Einot Ozi is the pool for you.
An incredible view of Nahal Sorek, the moshav of Even Sapir and the Judean Mountains.
Nahal Sorek winds its way to the coast for about 70 Km.
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