History and Tradition
Tradition & History
Making "Aliyah" to Israel
Eliyahu Ben Shalom immigrated from Syria and settled in Tiberias with his beloved wife, Yael. In 1966, he was elected as Secretary of the Workers' Council. During his tenure, several significant projects were developed in Tiberias, including the "Kinnerot" convalescent home, the "Amal" comprehensive school in Shikun Bet, workshops and industrial facilities, veteran housing, workers' housing, and immigrant residences in Ramat Kinneret. One of the projects closest to his heart was the establishment of the "Gur Aryeh" synagogue near his home. For 40 years, Eliyahu dedicated himself to the "Committee for the Welfare of Soldiers," where he managed the Soldiers’ Home, which served as a hostel for soldiers and various guests. He was also the driving force behind the construction of a new, spacious Soldiers' Home in Tiberias, which remains operational to this day. Before his passing, he was honored as a Distinguished Citizen of Tiberias in recognition of his extensive public service and dedication to the city and its residents.
Establishing Ben Shalom
Yehoshua Ben Shalom decided to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in construction. After gaining five years of experience in infrastructure work, he founded the construction company Ben Shalom Yehoshua Ltd. The company specialized in private and public construction projects in the kibbutzim of the valley and surrounding areas, gradually earning a reputation as a professional and reliable contractor among its clients.
Defense Projects
Thanks to its strong reputation and professional teams, the company was awarded defense projects for the Ministry of Defense in Yardena and Beit Yosef, constructing ammunition warehouses, fortified complexes, public buildings, and residential facilities on IDF bases. In parallel with its defense sector activities, Yehoshua continued to renovate and build extensions for dozens of buildings in Kibbutz Kinneret.
Construction Boom in the North
The company continued its construction momentum in the north, securing numerous public and private building projects in the kibbutzim of the Jordan Valley: Beit Zera, Sha'ar HaGolan, Ashdot Ya’akov, Ma'agan, and Gesher. Among its projects was the preservation and restoration of "Gesher HaYeshana" in Naharayim. The company continued to build its reputation among its many clients, including the Ministry of Defense, as a reliable company with high-quality execution capabilities.
Entering Complex Projects
The company continued its public and private construction projects in the kibbutzim of the Jordan Valley, including the development of expansion neighborhoods, rural lodging projects, and assisted living facilities in Ashdot Ya’akov, as well as the construction of public buildings in Kibbutz Afikim and Beit Zera.
In recent years, the company has specialized in constructing complex architectural structures and is currently carrying out the restoration project of the first power station at Gesher HaYashan.
Expanding to the Central Region
Eli Ben Shalom (named after his grandfather), a third-generation builder, joined Ben Shalom and decided to expand the company's operations to central Israel. He played a key role in the construction of a new military base (Nachshonim Camp), a project that earned him praise for his professionalism from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Additionally, he led the construction of a new residential neighborhood in Kibbutz Beit Alfa.
Establishing the Development Division
In 2010, Itamar Ben Shalom (Eli’s younger brother) joined the company to establish and lead its development division. The company began initiating its own projects while simultaneously undertaking complex building preservation projects in Tel Aviv—some as an executing contractor for Ezra and Bitzaron, and others as independent developments. Notable projects include Kalischer 15 (façade preservation), Aharonovich 4, Sderot Chen 8, Allenby 56, Dizengoff 92, Bialik 3, Yehuda Halevi 60, and Shalom Aleichem 28.
Urban Renewal Expertise
The company initiates and successfully executes urban renewal projects in Tel Aviv, Ramat HaSharon, Hod HaSharon, and Herzliya. It has built a strong reputation for its expertise in negotiation, management, and execution of complex urban renewal projects, including TAMA 38—both reinforcement and demolition-reconstruction. The company’s completed projects stand out for their quality, generating high demand both from additional property owners seeking similar agreements and from homebuyers who recognize the advantages of purchasing a property in one of the company’s developments.
Creativity and Stability During the COVID-19 Crisis
The COVID-19 period brought lockdowns, quarantines, and challenges due to lost workdays for employees, suppliers, and subcontractors. This required us to be creative and find solutions to keep our sites operational and meet project timelines. Despite the difficulties during the pandemic, our company continued to meet payment obligations to suppliers and ensured salaries were paid to employees, reinforcing both our reliability and financial resilience.
Conservatism That Shields Against Market Fluctuations
The judicial overhaul crisis and rising interest rates led to a slowdown in sales across the Gush Dan region. What protected us and allowed us to continue operations and launch new projects according to our plans and commitments was our conservative financial approach. The company is known for achieving a high percentage of sales during the presale stage, ensuring project initiation and financial completion with stability and confidence.
Keeping Our Promises in Any Situation
The events of October 7 and Operation Swords of Iron struck us all with shock and grief. Professionally, the lockdowns in the West Bank and Gaza Strip led to a severe labor crisis due to the significant loss of Palestinian and Gazan workers. This forced us to find immediate solutions and quickly reorganize with alternative teams. Our extensive experience, strong industry connections, solid reputation, and reliable payment ethics enabled us to recruit teams of Moldovan, Chinese, and Israeli Arab workers. We take pride in the fact that work on our sites never stopped, and there were no delays in our project timelines.
