EXCLUSIVE: Hebron’s Holy Honeybees: The Story of David Daniel

David Daniel has been a Lev Haolam supplier for a number of years. Among the many products from our Surprise Monthly Package Project, David has produced honey and therapeutic beeswax ointment for Lev Haolam, both of which come from the bee hives David owns and maintains in Hebron. His products are infused with his passion for the land of Israel. David was born and raised in the city of Hebron and currently lives there with his wife and 4 children. While it is true that David grew up in Hebron, his passion for the Hebron and for Israel goes beyond his personal history.

In an exclusive Lev Haolam interview with David, we asked him why he chose to live, work and establish his family in Hebron, David responded “the simple answer that I give is that it’s in the Bible. I open the Bible and tell them about the holy forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and about all of the high mountainous areas around us – the places that our forefathers grew up in.”

“After 2000 years of exile, it is impossible to think of everything that has been accomplished since then. Suddenly millions of Jewish people from all over the world returned to Israel. This shows the strong connection
between the Jewish people and the land. [And] the same connection between the Jewish people and Hebron is the same connection that the entire Jewish people have with the whole land of Israel,” David told us.

David took us back in time to explain the deep and fascinating connection his family had to Hebron in particular. David told us of how his family returned to the ancestral land of Hebron approximately 30 years ago. He explained that the strong and vibrant Jewish community that once lived in Hebron had left the city in the aftermath of the 1929 Hebron massacre. During the massacre many Jews were attacked and murdered due to the incitement of leading Arab clerics. After 6-Day-War in 1967, there were many Jews who decided to move back to the community and reestablish the lost Jewish presence there. David’s parents were among these brave pioneers.

David’s primary occupation is farming and beekeeping. In addition to harvesting honey from his bees, David uses the small and versatile creatures to also help create healing ointments and balms. David started learning about harvesting bee honey and working with bees from the time he was a young child. His Father, who was also a bee-keeper, taught him how to farm and how to raise bees and harvest their honey. David’s father went to the renowned Mikveh Yisrael school – the first agricultural school in Israel. David also explained that his father had taught him the art of creating beeswax creams and ointments. “About 7 or 8 years ago, I began to seriously produce beeswax creams and offer them for sale,” David explained. “Aside from honey, it is a wonderful product with tremendous health benefits, David continued. We got a lot of positive feedback on how great and helpful the products are. Given the positive feedback from our customers, we decided to begin mass production about 8 years ago.”

In addition to being a Lev Haolam supplier David Daniel has been a friend of Lev Haolam founder Nati Rom for many years. In speaking about his first impressions and experiences with Lev Haolam, David recounted, “I started to work with Lev
Haolam, a special company. I met with Nati [the founder of Lev Haolam] in Hebron. We have been friends for many years and about four years ago, he mentioned to me that perhaps we could begin working together.””I am very pleased with the work that they are doing,” David continued. “They help support the economy of Judea and Samaria, and on top of that, they publicize the products produced in Judea and Samaria to the world. This gives strong encouragement to the mission of building communities in Judea and Samaria”

David is very thankful for the support from Lev Haolam’s subscribers. During the interview David said, “I wanted to thank the supporters of Lev Haolam who purchase [the products] from Lev Haolam. They are really helping us develop our businesses. These large orders that I get from time to time give us the opportunity to grow and move forward.”

“Lev Haolam really helps us and really gives us support financially and encouragement to continue to strengthen and build Judea and Samaria. And I wanted to say from me and my family, thank you so much!”

Would you like to help support the families and small businesses of Judea and Samaria? Consider signing up for the Surprise Monthly Package Project today.