Netanya
052-2452457 tractor.org.il www.ereztractor@gmail.com
Details
Recommended by:
Debbie Werbeloff
‘No rides – but lots of tractors to climb on, “drive”, “repair” etc’
Description:
They say:
In our country, there are a number of collectors of old tractors and agricultural equipment. The collectors are all very keen and spend a great deal of time and money acquiring and repairing this equipment much to the enhancement of their surroundings. One of the best-known collectors is Erez Milshtein from Ein-Vered where tractors have been collected since the beginning of the last century – those tractors used by the farmers to redeem the country. When Erez left farming he began to collect item after item discovering what was hidden in the beautiful scenery and the rubbish dumps of the moshavim, the kibbutzim and settlements. In one decade Erez has succeeded in saving more than a hundred items of motorized equipment and dozens of allied items most of which have been repaired to a mobile state or are still being reconstructed. The volunteers Erez is not alone…he has a group of people from all over the country and abroad who help to categorize the equipment, some who are occupied with organization and others with reconstruction. Mechanics, electricians, metalworkers, and even people who are interested in the project .Two years ago Ami Katz was persuaded to add his collection. A week doesn’t pass without him inspecting ‘the fleet of tractors’ lined up in the garage. With a cup of coffee in his hand he says, ‘there’s work to be done’. Erez even arranged to organize a public association and to interest people who were willing to find a building suitable for housing the huge collection for future generations. This collection is the basis of a national museum of the Hebrew people who conquered the land by cultivation. Today you and your guests are able to visit, to feel and be in contact with the return of previous generations to Eretz Israel. Every piece of equipment bearing an amazing story. You will be able to see the metal wheels ‘1948 Steyr’ which was the property of the Silberman family from Herut. This tractor was the first item that Erez and his friend Motty Goldstein the mechanic restored; a track ‘Fiat’ of the Lubowski family who drained the marshes of the Hullah valley and were among the founders of Yesud Hama’aleh; ‘Macormack Daring’ from 1920: ‘John Deere’ from 1938 from kibbutz Neot Mordechai: a track ‘Bristol’ from 1935: ‘David Brown’ from 1954: ‘Ford N-8’: ‘Ferguson T-21’ of the Sammet and Stechman families from Ein Vered: ‘Ferguson 35’; a ‘Fordson Major’ petrol-kerosene of Moshe Lubish from Even Yehuda; the German ‘Panzer’ from moshav Orot; the ‘Zatut’ of the Farhing family from moshav Tsur Moshe; the ‘Lanz Bulldog’ of Schenlar, the German who was extradited from the country, after that the tractor was owned by the Effendi of Ramle until the War of Independence and later served kibbutz Revadim. Facing it is the Polish version of the ‘Ursus’ which was used by the settlement to operate a water-pump and from there was moved to kibbutz Ein Harod Meuhad. You won’t believe how they made it work. First of all they heated the engine head for 15 minutes with a kerosene burner (Primus) and then hit the wooden wheel from the right and left. A steering-wheel which had been dismantled was used as a crank-handle on the side of this strange tractor!! The plug and the piston will amaze you… In addition to tractors and allied equipment, you will be able to view parts of a wooden flour-mill. It is amazing to see what has been saved. A Swiss mill ‘Bouler’, the first in Israel which served the inhabitants of the Galilee in Kfar Tabor from 1925 was found in Kfar Yona in 2001 after having been used as a regional mill. It was activated by the Yitzhaki family until 1977. The Yitzhaki family bought it in 1948 from Kfar Tabor and added parts from a similar mill in kibbutz Sha’ar Haamakim. To promote the vision we established, in 6 October 2003, the association (number: 040-311-1): “Lev-Hasharon Museum (private) for the history of tractors and agricultural machinery in Israel” aiming: To operate, maintain and establish a house and carry out activities for the acquisition, maintenance and display of agricultural tractors equipment and tools that fit into the objectives of the association.
