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.

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.

In addition to being one of the biggest neighborhoods in Jerusalem, Ramot (Hebrew for “heights”) is also one of the most diverse. The six sections of Ramot differ wildly from one another, just as the 40,000 people who live there come from a wide variety of backgrounds. What they share is the panoramic view, because Ramot was built hundreds of meters above sea level. Ramot is one of the newer Jerusalem neighborhoods, as construction first began in the 1970s. The different sections of Ramot were built by different architects and for differing purposes. Ramot Aleph (or Ramot One) was built for families of moderate income. The result is an area of attached, tiered apartment buildings, which together resemble a giant beehive.
Residents of these apartments tend to be Orthodox Jews with large families, even though the apartments themselves are not that big. In sharp contrast, Ramot Bet (Ramot Two) boasts rows of spacious private homes. Living in a private house, and in particular an unattached house, is a luxury in Jerusalem, where the majority of people live in apartments.
Ramot Bet is therefore known as a prosperous neighborhood, populated mainly with a mix of Modern Orthodox and secular Jews. Many English-speaking immigrants choose to live in Ramot Bet, since the lifestyle is similar to that which they left behind. The remaining four neighborhoods of Ramot present variations of the spectrum between these two extremes.
Ramot Six, for example, is comprised of private homes, but most of these are attached and not as large as the houses in Ramot Bet.

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.