Even Yehuda

Even Yehuda lies in the Sharon region, with Kadima-Tzoran to the east and Netanya to the west. Nearby localities include Tel Mond, Tel Yitzhak, Kfar Neter, and Bnei Dror.[2] It is situated between Highways 4 and 2, and Beit Yehoshua railway station is a short drive away.[2] Its coordinates are approximately 32.266° north and 34.872° east.[7] Road access is available from Highway 4 or from the Poleg interchange via Highway 553.[3]

The locality covers approximately 8.3 square kilometers (3.2 square miles).[1] Its position near the Bnei Dror junction and major highways helped make it attractive to high-tech workers employed in Ra'anana and Kfar Saba.[4] The main roads can become congested during rush hours.[2]

Even Yehuda was founded at Hanukkah in 1932 by members of Benei Binyamin. Active from 1921 to 1939, the association promoted the economic and cultural interests of second-generation farmers in Palestine's established moshavot, as well as security and self-defense.[8][3] It also encouraged agricultural development through a cooperative bank opened in 1924.[8] Oved Ben-Ami, who served as the association's secretary from 1924 to 1928, is credited with founding the settlement, which was named for Eliezer Ben-Yehuda.[9][3]

The first expansion took place in 1948, when Be'er Ganim, also called Kfar Tzur, and Tel Tzur were incorporated as neighborhoods. Be'er Ganim included former Dead Sea Works employees, while Tel Tzur had been founded in 1932 by teachers from the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium.[4] Hadassim youth village was also included within Even Yehuda's boundaries.[1][4] The settlement received municipal council status in 1950.[1][10]

Citrus orchards formed the backbone of the local economy through much of the twentieth century.[1] A decline began in the early 1970s, followed by an influx of residents after the Yom Kippur War; the population rose from 4,000 in 1968 to 8,480 in 2002.[1] Even Yehuda subsequently changed from a small agricultural moshava into a community settlement. A 2010 report said most homes were detached houses on plots of 375–500 square meters, around 10 percent of buildings were apartment blocks, and most land was privately owned rather than held by the Israel Land Administration.[4]

The National Library of Israel catalogs a map titled "Even Yehuda," published by Israel's Department of Surveys in 1961. The catalog describes it as based on a Survey of Palestine map compiled in 1944 and partially updated in 1960, at a scale of 1:20,000.[11]

The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded Even Yehuda's population at 14,400 at the end of 2022, with a density of 1,764.3 people per square kilometer.[5] Its historical series records 1,500 residents in 1948, 3,500 in 1961, 7,400 in 1995, and 10,000 in 2008.[5]

A 2015 profile described a population weighted toward families with older children and older residents. Roughly one-third were aged 19 or younger, while most residents were aged 40 or older; most were described as secular, alongside a smaller core of religious and traditional families.[2] That profile gave the locality an economic index score of 8 out of 10, while a 2024 report placed it in socioeconomic cluster 9 out of 10.[2][6] A January 2026 report estimated the population at approximately 15,400.[10]

Even Yehuda's economy evolved from citrus agriculture into that of a residential community serving professionals employed across the broader Sharon region.[1][4] Construction remains predominantly detached and low-rise, with some low-density apartment buildings of up to four stories.[6]

Reports have described different stages and targets for the locality's comprehensive expansion plan. A 2021 account proposed 4,120 additional housing units beyond the existing and approved stock, with a long-term population target of 46,900.[12] A January 2026 account described approximately 3,800 additional homes, an initial population target near 27,000, and possible longer-term growth to about 47,000. It reported that the Central District Commission had decided in November 2025 to deposit the plan subject to conditions.[10]

The 2021 proposal included denser construction in the town center, urban renewal in the Ben Gurion neighborhood with 287 additional homes and in the Maccabi neighborhood with 293, and three new western planning areas containing buildings of up to nine stories and land for affordable housing.[12] It aimed to expand commercial space from 28,000 to 49,000 square meters and building rights in the northern industrial and employment area from approximately 182,500 to 353,000 square meters.[12]

Transport proposals included a clearer street hierarchy, park-and-ride facilities at the locality's edges, improved public transit, bicycle routes, and stronger connections to national roads.[12] A preparatory report said many neighborhoods had been planned in a patchwork fashion without adequate transport consideration and that Even Yehuda did not meet the minimum public open-space provision per resident.[12]

Separately, the Central District Planning and Building Commission approved for deposit the first Even Yehuda urban-renewal plan to reach the commission. The roughly 17-dunam Ben Gurion complex, at Hameyasdim and Ha'atzmaut streets, would replace 114 apartments in eight three-to-four-story blocks with 364 apartments in eight ten-story buildings. Of the new homes, 110 would be apartments of up to 80 square meters.[13] The plan also allocates approximately 2.5 dunams for public buildings and open space and about 700 square meters for commercial frontage. It was initiated by Aura Investments and the Israel Urban Renewal Authority and designed by Miloslavsky Architects.[13]

Even Yehuda's local war memorial stands at Gan HaMeginim on HaMeyasdim Street, near the local council building.[3] The monument bears the names of residents who fell in Israel's wars and stands on a two-level platform. A stone arrangement and flagpole are positioned in front, while steel helmets on either side serve as memorial torches.[3] It carries the Hebrew inscription "במותם ציוו לנו את החיים"—"Through their deaths, they commanded us to live."[3]

Three childhood friends from Even Yehuda—Ilay Nachman, Matan Eckstein, and Addir Masika—were killed during the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack at the Nova Music Festival near Kibbutz Re'im. According to the Jewish Agency account, the three went outside unarmed and prevented terrorists from entering shelters, while a fourth friend, Sela Maagan, was severely injured.[14] Addir's girlfriend, Yuli, said, "They saved my life."[14]

The four had grown up and attended school together in Even Yehuda and shared a passion for surfing.[14] A condolence visit at the home of Addir's parents brought together the families of the three murdered men and representatives of the Jewish Agency and Keren Hayesod. The Jewish Agency's Fund for Victims of Terror provided support to the bereaved families.[14]