From Childhood Dream to a Boutique Kibbutz Bakery
There are those of us who snuck into the kibbutz bakery to grab a challah. And there are those of us who dreamt of their own bakery. Here’s the story of Lechem Shahar, a wonderful little boutique kibbutz bakery on Kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon.
In the “Beit Neurim” (youth complex where the teens once lived from 10th-12th grade) on Kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon in 1994, most of the teens I counseled were fans of Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club. Except, of course, Dror who rooted for Netanya FC. Kaufman was all for Beitar Jerusalem FC. And Shahar Ben Aroya, who didn’t care much for soccer. He was the number one fan of the kibbutz bakery – Dganit Bakery.
In those days, the Mishmar Hasharon kibbutz bakery was an empire. The supply lines reached the far north and south of the country. The kibbutz bakery also took pride in a yeast-breaking invention (at least in Israeli of the time) – Low-Calorie Light Bread.
The Irresistible Aroma of Fresh-Baked Challah
On Thursdays, the aroma of fresh-baked challahs engulfed the kibbutz paths and, like ants, we all found an opportune moment to sneak into the production lines, grab a challah straight from the oven, rip it open and melt inside a whole pack of butter. Needless to say, the challah never made it home.
While we were busy sneaking into the kibbutz bakery, Shahar, still in 12th grade, spent most of his time working there. Already then, he knew and would ramble to anyone who was willing to listen, that one day he would open a small specialty bakery inside the large Dganit kibbutz bakery. Back then it wasn’t called a boutique bakery yet.
But… In 1996 the kibbutz bakery burned down completely. It was a sad day. People stood around the bakery and just cried. When the smoke cleared, only ashes were left of the kibbutz bakery. The kibbutz members made a decision to sell the Dganit brand to Kibbutz Einat. The remains of the building were rented out to a plastic packaging factory. But, Shahar didn’t give up on his dream. A few years ago, after specializing in sourdough breads, he set up his boutique bakery called “Lechem Shahar” (Shahar’s Bread) right in front of the old kibbutz bakery.
This morning (after working out… twice), like an ant, I snuck into Shahar’s Bakery and ate a cinnamon roll. I also grabbed a sandwich. A cheese stick. And also a bourekas, but it was small. And I took a deep breath of fresh baking bread that brought back memories of youthful dreams, some that disappeared, some still in the oven, and some, as in the case of Shahar, were fulfilled.
Visit Shahar’s Kibbutz Bakery
When you’re driving on Route 4 heading north, just after the Ruppin intersection (between Netanya and Hadera) on the way to the Alexander Stream Park, stop on Kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon. There, about a hundred meters past the entrance on your left, you’ll find the Lechem Shahar bakery. Without a doubt, you’ll become a big fan, too.
The bakery is open all days of the week, including Saturday. Click here to find out more…
