History and heritage
The Birka
A small spring on the mountainside was the first water source found by the settlers of Zichron Yaakov. It sprung from an antique well with stone arches, called “Bir el Hanzir” by the Arabs who lived in the area.
The immigrant families were religious and they needed a Mikveh ritual bath. They built it further away from Zamarin hill, next to the water source. Wooden barracks that were shipped from Romania were erected Right next to it, and during the early years the settlers lived on the two hills connected by the “water-way,” which is now Ha-Meginim St. During 1912, new immigrants from Yemen arrived. They lived in the barracks next to the Mikveh (currently Tar’ab St.) and dubbed the place “The Birka”.
The purification immersion Mikveh is located in a small stone building and utilizes the spring water. The features of this Mikveh are very rare and, therefore, atract orthodox and ultra religious men from all over Israel. The place is not equipped for immersion of wemen.
How to get there: Drive northbound on Pineles St. (Samuel Pineles was a zionist leader in Romania,) after passing Tar’ab St. And the roundabout, park on the left side. An iron arch leads to a winding cobbled path through an orchard.
The visitors are requested to respect the privacy of the immersing persons and keep the site clean.
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