Kfar Tapuach (, lit., Apple-village) is an Orthodox Jewish Israeli settlement in the West Bank, founded in 1978. It sits astride Tapuach Junction, one of the major traffic junctions in the West Bank. The executive director of the village council is Yisrael Blunder, and the chief rabbi is Shimon Rosenzwieg. In , it had a population of .
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.
History According to ARIJ, Kfar Tapuach was established in 1978 on land which Israel had confiscated from the Palestinian town of Yasuf. Yasuf Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 16
Demographics Although its population consists entirely of Jews, Kfar Tapuach is one of the more diverse Israeli settlements, with its population coming from a range of backgrounds. Founded by a core of Habbani Yemenite Jews from the moshav of Bareket, it has since absorbed Jewish immigrants from Russia and the United States, a large group of Peruvian converts to Judaism from Trujillo, Peru, and others. Between February 2004 and August 2009, over 90 new families moved to Kfar Tapuach.
Public services The settlement includes four synagogues, two mikvaot (ritual baths) for women and men, a nursery school, and three kindergartens.
Biblical Tappuah Kfar Tapuach is named after biblical Tapuach (Tappuah or TapuahDouai-Rheims 1899 American Edition), which appears in the Bible in the Book of Joshua () as one of the first 31 cities conquered by Joshua Bin-Nun and the children of Israel.Bitan, Hanna: 1948–1998: Fifty Years of 'Hityashvut': Atlas of Names of Settlements in Israel, Jerusalem 1999, Carta, p.34, (Hebrew)
Kahanism Kfar Tapuach is noted for its concentration of followers of the assassinated rabbi Meir Kahane, who was convicted of multiple acts of terrorism in the United States and in Israel.
See also Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane David Ha'ivri Kahanism Meir Kahane Mike Guzovsky Eden Natan-Zada 2010 Tapuah Junction stabbing 2013 Tapuah Junction stabbing
References
External links Tapuach Playground Project NYTimes Israel and U.S. Can’t Close Split on Settlements Olive wars, 2014, BBC