KIRIYAT HASHARON
Kiyrat Hasharon is a new and very pleasant neighborhood to live in, part of the City Hall of Netanya. It has only been around for a little over fifteen years. A few years ago almost no one knew of its existence. It had to be said that you lived next to the Academy this academy frequently receives French speakers. For example: Alain Finkielkraut the famous philosopher who no longer needs to be presented. It also has a section for French and English speaking students. Today, having developed strongly, this district has become very popular. It is located 5 to 8 minutes from the beach and the Hastmaout kikar by car and 30 minutes on foot. A train station is also accessible on foot which is important if one has to work in Tel Aviv in Ramat Gan or even in Haifa. The many advantages of Kiryat Hasharonis that living in a quiet area where children can play outside without problems while having all means of transport and sports nearby. But there are many others. The prices of rents or apartments are lower both at the seaside and in Netanya center.
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is one of the most highly regarded cities in Israel, with roughly 149,000 residents and a population is that is constantly growing. This dynamic city boasts a high quality of life, with excellent educational institutions, rich and varied leisure activities for the entire population with many recreation spots located around the city. Ashkelon is just south of Ashdod and about one hour’s drive from Jerusalem. You’ll find a beautiful Sea Park located on Delilah Beach, next to the marina with its new large commercial center, cinema, cafés, and restaurants. In Tel Ashkelon National Park, you can enjoy an entertainment and camping experience with a view of the Mediterranean Sea. Ashkelon is a place where past and present blend perfectly into a modern, groundbreaking and progressive city, with a blended mix of Jews at all levels living together. This warm and wonderful community will always welcome you. Living in a beautiful city, inside and out make Ashkelon a place that it’s easy to fall in love with.
Be’er Sheva
Be’er Sheva is Israel’s fourth-most populated city located in the south near the Negev Desert. The city is a mix of Sephardi, Mizrahi, and Ashkenazi families as well as diverse population of Jews from India, Russia, Ethiopia and now the United States. The game of chess is very popular in Be’er Sheva so much that it’s become Israel’s national chess center, with more chess grandmasters per capita than any other city in the world. Be’er Sheva is also home to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. This city also serves as a center for Israel’s high-tech and developing technology industry. There is a lot of new construction, schools, shuls of all kinds, modern shopping centers, and walking paths, with low cost housing options.
Hashmonaim
Hashmonaim is a beautiful and friendly Orthodox yishuv with a population over 900 families located north of Jerusalem just outside of Modiin. The yishuv began to grow in 1987 and has been the choice of many American olim over the past 20 years. Hasmonaim’s central location (25-minute drive from Jerusalem, 40-minute drive from Tel Aviv, 25-minute drive from Ben Gurion Airport, 10 minute drive from Modiin) makes this yishuv a perfect location for families who want to live right next to Israel’s main metropolitan areas. There is a nice mix of Sfardi and Ashkenazi families from Israel and all over the diaspora with good schools, shuls and community events. Join Kim Bash to meet Anglos living in all areas of Hashmonaim.
Efrat
Considered the capital of Gush Etzion, it had a population of 10,806 in 2019. Modern Efrat was established in 1983 by Moshe Moskovits, who became the first mayor of Efrat and Shlomo Riskin, an Orthodox rabbi from New York City who settled in Efrat and became its Chief rabbi.
Efrat’s population are mainly religious Zionist, with a small number of ultra-orthodox and of non-observant residents. There are more than twenty Orthodox synagogues, mainly Ashkenazi, but a Sephardi and a Yemenite synagogue also exist and there are several Yeshivot, and Kollelim. The population includes native-born Israelis, and immigrants who have made aliyah from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, France, South Africa, Argentina, The Netherlands, Canada, and Russia.
Efrat is made up of seven neighborhoods named for the Seven Species: Rimon (pomegranate), Te’ena (fig), Gefen (grapevine), Dekel (date palm), Zayit (olive), Tamar (date), and Dagan (grain – symbolizing both wheat and barley).
Pardes Chana
It’s not exactly in the north of the country, nor in the center. Maybe that’s what makes Pardes Channa in the northern Sharon region a place where each person can be whatever he or she wants. On the one hand, the town has filled up in recent years with city people from Tel Aviv, Ramat Hasharon and other cities in central Israel who came here for the dream of a country home, a garden and a family dog—despite the early morning traffic jams on Israel’s coastal road. On the other hand, Pardes Hanna has become a place for beatniks and artists who have discovered a place to create, to launch initiatives, and enjoy a rich community life. Amid this modern-day influx, let’s not forget the veterans of ‘Moshava HaYekkim’ (1929), who grew up under the patronage of Baron de Hirsch (“The Known Benefactor”), and of Karkur (1913), who preserved the character of Arab landholders from the Ottoman period. Here we see a dynamic mix of old and new, longstanding and new young residents, artists and common people. Something in this human patchwork seems to be going quite well. This town with its seemingly endless tiny roads and its 43,000 residents somehow still refuses to become a city. Maybe it’s due to the prestige of remaining a ‘local council’, or maybe due to the bureaucracy involved.One way or another, Pardes Channa (named for Hannah Rothschild, the niece of Baron de Hirsch) is marking 90 years since its founding and 50 years since its union with Karkur in 1959. “So why does everyone call it “Pardes Canna” rather than “Pardes Channa-Karkur”? Irit Oren, director of the Veteran’s House, explains: Both communities have strong sentiments for their past and neither wants to surrender its classic name. Pardes Channa was once considered the “spoiled younger sister” due to the philanthropy of the Baron while Karkur’s roots go back to an English association founded on capital and entrepreneurship that, surprisingly, succeeded during hard times in Israel. Neither really wanted the other, but just like today’s political rivals in Israel they understood that two is stronger than one.
Zichron Yaakov
Zichron Yaakov is located upon Mount Carmel, with magnificent views across the Coastal Plain to the Mediterranean. It is a tranquil town, offering breathtaking views across Israel’s Mediterranean Coast and beyond. Zichron’s main street, known as Midrahov, is now a pedestrianized zone lined with cafes and boutique artistic stores. Being the original street of the settlement, many of the houses are of great historic value and have plaques outside that tell the story. Zichron Yaakov is also home to the Carmel, Tishbi and Binyamina wineries who also have visitor centers, which bring lots of tourists during ”normal” times. Besides beautiful homes, Zichron also has wonderful neighborhoods, good schools, shuls, and proximity to places of employment. Zichron has a vibrant community with a healthy diverse mix of people. Olim feel a sense of fitting in the community almost immediately upon arrival. There is also a Haredi community split into two areas, Hazon Ish and Ramat Tzvi, which both have English-speaking families.