Udim

Udim is situated in the Southern Sharon, also called the Netanya Region, and was built around a hill east of the Coastal Highway, north of Kibbutz Yakum, and south of the Poleg interchange.[2][7] The moshav lies close to the Udim and Nahal Poleg nature reserves.[3] Some homes overlook the Nahal Poleg Nature Reserve or the sea, while the newer section overlooks Nahal Poleg and the Coastal Highway.[7][6]

The surrounding landscape includes dunes and seasonal wildflowers, including narcissi, cyclamens, and anemones.[3] The Wingate Institute is also nearby.[3] In September 2025, Globes reported that a pedestrian and bicycle bridge measuring 70.7 meters long and 4.4 meters wide was planned to connect Udim with Netanya's Ramat Poleg neighborhood, improving local connectivity and providing a safer route for pedestrians and cyclists.[8]

Udim was established in 1948 by Holocaust survivors, primarily immigrants from Poland and Hungary.[1] The moshav's name — glossed as "Embers [i.e., Drawn from the Fire]" — was chosen as a tribute to its founders, invoking the biblical image of a survivor rescued from destruction.[1][4] Over time, the community grew as Israeli-born residents and immigrants from Yemen and Iraq joined the original settlers.[1]

The area around Udim carries layers of history reaching back to antiquity. A nearby sandstone ridge contains a feature long known as the "Roman Breach," which was once believed to have been cut during the Roman period to drain the Poleg swamp. Later archaeological investigation, however, identified it as part of the fortifications of a settlement dating to the Israelite period — a finding that deepens the site's connection to ancient Jewish presence in the region.[1]

Udim's population has grown since its founding. The community numbered 369 residents in 1970 and 661 in 2002.[1] A separate reference table lists 742 inhabitants.[2] By 2018, the moshav had approximately 1,300 residents.[5]

The moshav's early economy rested on irrigated citrus groves, vegetable gardens, livestock farming, and retail businesses.[1] Local industry later expanded to include wine-making and cheese production; cheese served at a restaurant featured in a 2018 report was produced locally.[5]

A 2019 Globes report recorded the sale of a house on Hakalanit Street in Udim's newer section for NIS 5.8 million. The section overlooks Nahal Poleg and the Coastal Highway.[6] The moshav is also home to several horse farms.[7]

Agamon Poleg, a water reservoir in a disused quarry, opened to the public in 2019 and is located east of the Wingate Institute in the moshav's area.[9] The site features a one-kilometer trail and is open year-round at no charge. Geological conditions prevent water from seeping away, allowing rainwater to accumulate and attract wildlife, mainly birds as well as some mammals that come to drink, particularly during summer.[9]

The adjacent Udim and Poleg Gate nature reserves offer walking routes through dunes and seasonal flora.[3] The trails are described as easy, though not accessible for strollers, and pass through habitat rich in wildflowers, birds, and butterflies.[3]

A 2016 Ynet article described Udim as "the first Jewish settlement established in Israel after the establishment of the state." The article offered no supporting historical detail, and the claim was not independently confirmed by the other sources reviewed.[10]