Written and Photographed by Esther Tscholkowsky
Harvesting honey at the Lin Family farm
1 3
To Bee or Not to Bee
As he lights “the smoker,”
beekeeper Yuval Lin tells us
how he began cultivating
honey. ”When I was only
fourteen, I discussed my
honey-making project with
my parents. They loved
the idea since I would be
carrying on the family
tradition started when their
parents founded the Kfar
Bilu moshav in the 1930s.
Suiting-up “People
confuse honeybees with
aggressive wasps and
hornets.” Yuval reassures
me. “These honeybees are
busy making honey and
don’t sting unless attacked.
I usually don’t even wear
protective coverings
when caring for my hives.
Shooting smoke into them
causes the bees retreat into
the hive’s center so I can
work peacefully.”
56 17 Av 5770 7.28.10
“… may You renew for us a good and sweet year (Rosh HaShanah Seder)
4
Mobile Homes The Queen Mother
2 In a field surrounded 5 Yuval gently lifts a panel
by flowering out of the hive, pointing to
eucalyptus trees the excited queen bee who
that he planted is the commander and chief
himself, Yuval gets of all the operations. She
busy checking each not only gives birth to the
hive. We are amazed thousands of worker bees
to find out that in her hive but controls her
since different trees family’s behavior according
blossom throughout to every subtle change in
the growing season, their environment.
he will be relocating
the hives to other
choice locations
throughout Israel,
guaranteeing Division of labor
different-flavored “Special bees scout-out the
nectar supplies. area for a fresh supply of
flowering trees and plants,”
Yuval points from afar.
“Nestled in a eucalyptus
blossom, this bee will return
to its hive, transmitting the
exact location of its latest
find. With this information,
the workers then take
off and land in the newly
discovered fields.”
57
6

Tons of Pure
Sweetness
“This clear pipe
carries the golden
liquid into two-
ton storage vats
high above us,”
Yuval explains.
“The heavier
honey slowly
settles to the
bottom allowing
any impurities to
float gently to the
top. There they
are skimmed off
before entering
yet another
motorized filter
insuring that only
100 percent pure
honey remains.”

8 9

Back on the Farm Stray bees swarm overhead as workers unload By Public Demand
the truck laden with hives overflowing with fresh honey. “Only the Factory workers carefully
upper level of the hive is brought back to the factory,” Yuval informs us, 10 draw the pure liquid
“leaving the lower floor intact to supply food and lodging for queen and into bottles and attach
her busy family.” the colorful explanatory
labels. Here is where
Netta, Yuval’s sister,
7 Bees Wax
begins her work in
We watch as
sales and distribution.
this machine’s
“Raw honey naturally
hot metal blade
crystallizes,” she notes,
quickly cuts
“so we heat almost all
open the sealed
our honey to get that
wax comb. A
clear golden liquid that
centrifuge then
consumers expect.”
separates the
honey from
the remaining
wax. Although
one worker
bee only makes
a teaspoon A Good and Sweet
of honey in Year Honey production
its short two- reaches its peak right
month lifespan, before Rosh HaShanah,
fortunately just in time for all the
thousands of Yidden to dip their
honey bees live apples into Hashem’s
in a hive. sweet gift to man.
“Being part of Klal
Yisrael’s New Year
tradition adds an extra
spiritual dimension to
our family’s mission,”
Netta smiles as she
wishes us a shanah tovah
u’metukah.

58 17 Av 5770 7.28.10 59