In a time when world leaders agonize over every home constructed by Jews in Judea and Samaria, Kfar Tapuach in Samaria just keeps growing bigger and younger: Over the past three years the community's population has more than doubled.

New Kfar Tapuach playground.

David Ha'Ivri

About 75 young couples have joined the existing 70 families over the past 36 months. The influx by this age group has given the town a new, young atmosphere. As a result most of the town's development efforts are directed at the needs of pre-school children.

$180K playground

The Kfar Tapuach nursery school has been enlarged threefold, a second kindergarten opened alongside the old one, an indoor afternoon pre-school activity center has become a central daily meeting place, and now the town council has begun building the largest playground east of the Green Line at the total cost of $180,000. A large part of the cost of the playground is being underwritten by American philanthropists who support the settlement movement and believe that the playground and educational institutions will attract yet more young couples.

Established in 1978, Kfar Tapuach, which overlooks the Shechem Valley, is one of the older Jewish communities in Samaria. The Samaria Regional Council Head, Gershon Mesika, expects it to become "the capital of Samaria."

Kfar Tapuach means "Village of the Apple" in Hebrew.