The De Karina Chocolate Factory in Ein Zivan is celebrating its ten year anniversary. Our cohort was treated to a full tour, beginning with a video briefly describing the history of chocolate and De Karina’s founder, followed by a walk through the factory, a visit to the tasting room, and a stop at the visitor workshop.
Originally, cocoa was used by natives of South America to prepare a special beverage reserved for nobility and warriors. This beverage was brought to Spain by Cortez, and was spread by Europe to West Africa. (De Karina imports its cocoa from South America and West Africa) Advancements in technology later allowed chocolate to be prepared as a solid food and ultimately to be mass produced at affordable prices.
In our visit to De Karina, we saw how one of Israel’s most popular chocolate factories relies both on machinery and its skilled craftsman to create its gourmet chocolates. In the tasting room, we were offered trays of various chocolates; some of De Karina’s most famous products include “Har Chermons” (filled with caramel and topped with white chocolate), white chocolate chunks with bits of cocoa beans inside, and even chocolate liqueur. In the visitor’s workshop, we had the opportunity to create our own unique chocolates.
While most people wouldn’t mind making a visit to a chocolate factory (I personally don’t eat chocolate but still had a good time), the question on everyone’s mind was how this relates to our Israel mission. Part of the focus of our mission has been about what Zionism means now that we have already established a Jewish State in the land of Israel. A big part of Zionism in modern times is taking an idea or a dream and to bring it into reality, just like we have done by creating the Stare of Israel. The factory’s founder, Karina, is a third generation chocolatier, and brought the family business with her to the Golan when she made Aliyah. From a young age, she had always had an interest in Israel and a passion for chocolate. Today we can see how she has made her dreams of owning her own chocolate business come true, her factory being one of the most famous in Israel and a popular site for tourists to visit. While at first glance this may seem like a stretch, upon careful consideration this is a fantastic example of what Zionism looks like in the modern world.