The Afridar Center is actually located at the edge of Afridar, but forms a business and shopping center for all those living in Afridar and the surrounding neighborhoods. Situated at the top of the Desha HaGadol, the area has restaurants, shops, banks and other retail outlets. The center of the Afridar Center is the Zephania Square, a grassy square with trees, bushes and two historic plaques.
The building of Afridar was a unique event in the return to Zion. A body outside of the Jewish state was tasked with the design and organization of a city in Israel. At the dedication ceremony, which was attended by Golda Meyer, a plaque was unveiled with a quote from the prophet Zephania, that part of the remnant of Judah would return to Ashkelon. Zephania 2:7:
And it shall be a portion for the remnant of the house of Judah, whereon they shall feed; in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; for the LORD their God will remember them, and turn their captivity.
(וְהָיָה חֶבֶל, לִשְׁאֵרִית בֵּית יְהוּדָה–עֲלֵיהֶם יִרְעוּן: בְּבָתֵּי אַשְׁקְלוֹן, בָּעֶרֶב יִרְבָּצוּן–כִּי יִפְקְדֵם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם, וְשָׁב שבותם (שְׁבִיתָם
Close to the stone with the quote from Zephania is a blue historic plaque with the following English text:
Prophet Zephania’s Square
The South African Zionist Federation decided after the establishment of the state of Israel to contribute its share by founding a city in the young state. In 1951 it joined the government company Amidar and established the Afridar company. A team of planners from South Africa headed by Norman Hansen and Roy Kanterovitz began planning a garden suburb with a commercial and cultural area.
In May 1954 the site was inaugurated in the presence of President Itzhak Ben-Zvi and And named Afridar Center. The dedication plaque includes a quotation from the prophet Isaiah (59:12).
