There are trees that are eligible for inclusion in our "Special People" chapter, the old Tabor oak that we recommend you visit is one.

The old Mount Tabor oak (Quercus ithaburensis), has been observing one of the two most  beautiful roads, (my opinion) in Israel for over 250 years, one is between Beit Shemesh and Kibbutz Tzova in the Jerusalem mountains and the other is here winding from Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek to Kibbutz Ein Hashofet, passing through the Menashe forests.

The easiest way to get here is the road from the Tishbi junction (Yokneam) towards the Megiddo junction, just before Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek turn right towards Kibbutz Ein Hashofet, after less than a kilometer turn right (signpost of the JNF) See photos and route sine in red, on the mountainside you will see a burial cave.

50 meters after the descent from the main road we will turn right again this time to a dirt road, and after another 30 meters we will see the tree on the right side of the road.

Experts state that he is about 250 years old, think about it in 1771 – he saw Napoleon's army coming to Israel in 1779 … and the whole history of the Jewish people returning home!

The tree is impressive, thick trunk, split branches, rich tops, nesting birds and an atmosphere of mystery. Evidence of the forests that were here until the Turks decided to use them for their steam trains.

Our tree like others was probably saved due to the sanctity he received from the burial cave.

The name, judge-"Hasofet" is in honors Judge Louis Dembitz Brandeis, a Jewish-American jurist and United States Supreme Court justice, a Zionist, one of the American Zionist Organization founders, who assisted in the founding of  Kibbutz Ein Hashofet