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Historical background
In 1913 a group of the Shomer youths chose to erect a command post in the western entrance of Wadi Ara which would also serve as a mid station between Judea the Valley and the Galilee. They looked for a place an hours ride away from both the Valley and Judea and settled in Hirbat Karkur which consisted of some very poor Arab sheds on the historical way from the coastal pain to the Israel Valley.
The harsh conditions – fever ' lack of water (till 1953 water was brought in a cart from Karkur) and being isolated were very detrimental to the settlers and until 1927, the year in which the Young Hashomer people arrived, the groups kept constantly changing
In 1917 ten members of the Achdut group had settled here. They lived in two sheds and a stable, cultivated 500 Dunams of land and had 20 cows and horses for work and security. In 1921, after World War One and the British occupation, a 4 Dunams fortified courtyard was built by a regiment of constructors from Rosh Haain members of the Gdud Haavoda ( the "Builders Regiment" ).
The courtyard was surrounded by a 2 meters stone wall with shooting openings, a large iron gate and a two storey brick building destined to contain the inhabitants in moments of trouble. The house was built according to the construction styles prevalent in the South of France in the end of the 19th century. The Gdud Haavoda people also failed to hold the place and for the second time it was abandoned.
In 1927 the first pioneers of the Polish Hashomer Hatzair movement had arrived to Kibbutz Ein Ganim, near Petach Tikva and waited for their turn to settle. This year is considered to be the creation year of the kibbutz. Later In the beginning of the 30's some Shomria settlers joined them.
The life of the settlers was intolerably harsh. At some point 80 of its 100 people had contracted malaria. In 1934 the yard was connected to electricity and only in 1935 abundant supply of water had been found leading to a revolution in the local development and to the erection of the local water tower. In 1938 two local guards were ambushed and killed in an attack by an Arab gang. In World War 2 there had been as large British army base there and Kibbutz Ein Shemer Grew and developed rapidly.
Today kibbutz Ein Shemer is a very developed kibbutz with 400 kibbutz members.
The old courtyard in Ein Shemer
Just minutes away from Ceasarea and Hadera
