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Ofra

Ofra is a prominent Israeli communal settlement in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria, established in 1975 as one of the first modern Jewish communities in the area. It serves as a significant cultural and educational hub for the religious Zionist movement.

The Zioneer Intelligence Desk
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Ofra is located on the central ridge of the Samarian hills, north of Jerusalem. Established in May 1975 by members of the Gush Emunim movement, it was the first settlement founded in the heart of Samaria following the Six-Day War. The community was initially housed in a former Jordanian military camp and has since grown into a large, established town with thousands of residents.

Beyond its demographic weight, Ofra holds a central place in the ideological landscape of the religious Zionist movement. It is home to several influential institutions, including the Ofra Field School (Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel) and various educational seminaries. The settlement's development has often been at the center of legal and political debates regarding land ownership and the status of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, yet it remains a flagship of the Binyamin Regional Council.

Recent developments highlight a shift toward leveraging the area's unique natural and geological features for national tourism. The Binyamin Regional Council, in collaboration with the settlement and academic institutions, has initiated plans for a major subterranean tourism park centered on the Jubilee Cave (Me'arat HaYovel). This site is part of Israel's largest karst field and features a massive natural hall. The proposed project, which includes a glass elevator descending 80 meters and professional rappelling routes, reflects an effort to transform Ofra into a major destination for domestic and international visitors, emphasizing the deep historical and geological connection of the Jewish people to the Samarian landscape.

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