THE SHOEMAKERS' WORKSHOP Kibbutz Ayelet Hashahar

A nostalgic surprise awaits you on Kibbutz Ayelet Hashahar -one that will enable you to see, feel and even smell one of the most fascinating vanishing crafts

Staring in the 1930s, four shoemakers worked at the shoemakers’ workshop, creating shoes and sandals for the kibbutz members. Over the years, they left. The last one, Shaul Shabtai, was forced to stop working in the shop, due to its dilapidated condition

In 2009, the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage sites (SPIHS) was asked to assist in renovating the structure. The process included restoring the interior and documenting its original state

Only then did the restoration and preservation work of the building’s exterior take place. Today, the shoemakers workshop is active once again and you can observe the shoemaking process, which uses the same old-fashioned methods, old machines and traditional tools that were used in the past

Don’t miss: Learn the secrets of the trade! Create sandals at the “shoemaker for a day workshop. It takes 6-7 hours and is suitable for 2-3 participants

Especially for children: With the ‘shoemaker’s apprentice kit, the little ones can create a miniature leather key chain in the shape of a Biblical sandal

Did you know? The name of the kibbutz comes from the verse “For the conductor, on the ayelet hashahar (morning doe), a song of David” (Psalm 22:1); it also conjures up the Arabic name of  the place, Najmat as-Subah (morning star)