Zichron Yaakov Travel Forum

I was told that there is an active Templar community in Zichron? Where is it located? My family and I would like to visit.

I haven\t heard of such there but maybe due to the none use of power, their web site is down.

Not quite the same as Amish. The German Templars (nothing to do with the Knights Templar/Holy Grail) came from Wuttemburg in 1868 to Haifa, puchased land and developed a planned agricultural community.

http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/T460.html

http://www.gemsinisrael.com/e_article000001257.htm

In Haifa there is a (?restored?)area built by German 'Templars' in the 19th century ('the German Colony') and (from one of the tips on the link below) I believe there is a similar area in Zichron but have been able to find no further detail.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Middle_East/Israel/Haifa_District/Haifa-1708915/Things_To_Do-Haifa-The_German_Colony-BR-1.html

There is an area in Zichron Ya'akov where the architecture was influenced by the Templers who lived in Haifa in the beginning of the 20th century. But the Templers never lived there.

There is another town in the Haifa area where the Templers of Haifa moved to and established a community -- Beit Lechem HaGlilit (Bethlehem of the Galilee). The old buildings of the town are built in Templer fashion. The Templers, as mentioned, were German, and were banished from the country when the British captured it during WWI. There are no Templer communities left.

I assume you refer to the "Beit El" German community in Zichron (they have nothing to do with the Templer's: they only got to Israel in the 60's), sometimes known as the "Amish" here.

They own a famous bakery in Zichron (Beit El Bakery): yellow pages gives its number as 972-4- 6299986. At this late hour (here in Israel) I cant check more then that. They do exists, and even were mentiond lately when their status as citizens was established.