Symbol of the North Erased After 70 Years: 'A Piece of History That Has Vanished'

After 70 years, the historic 'Elite Instant Coffee' factory in Safed has been demolished to make way for six 14-story residential towers. Residents bid farewell to a local landmark woven into childhood memories and express concerns about the resulting overcrowding. The factory once provided livelihoods for about 90 families, and the smell of coffee was part of the local identity.

After 70 years, the historic building of the 'Elite Instant Coffee' factory in Safed has been razed to the ground to make way for a real estate project comprising six 14-story residential towers, which will house hundreds of families alongside commercial spaces. The factory, a local symbol tied to the childhood experiences of many residents, had closed years ago, and the production of coffee powder was moved abroad. Residents are saying goodbye to the structure and expressing concerns about the overcrowding that will arise in an area with limited access and exit routes. Yoni Lubeliner, a local resident, recounts a mythological rumor linking the smell of coffee to a heatwave the next day, and the struggle to preserve the factory that provided livelihoods for about 90 families. Other residents share memories of the smell that accompanied them, noting that the factory's closure is part of a broader process in which Safed is losing symbols, jobs, and history, and in their place receiving towers and congestion.