Rehovot
Encyclopedia
Rehovot is a city in the Center District
of Israel
, about 20 km (12 mi) south of Tel Aviv
. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
(CBS), at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 112,700. Rehovot's official website estimates the population at 114,000.
Rehovot was built on the site of Doron, a Jewish community that existed in the time of the Mishna. The site was also the location of Khirbet Duran, populated during the Roman, Byzantine and early Arab periods. The city is named after a biblical town of the same name (Rehoboth
in the KJV Bible
), which stood at a different location, in the Negev Desert
.
's aid and management. Israel Belkind
, one of the original founders of the settlement, proposed the name Rehovot (lit. 'wide expanses') based on Genesis 26:22 : "And he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said: 'For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.'" The name was accepted. In 1908 they were joined by immigrants from Yemen
, who settled in the city's Sha'arayim district. These early settlers planted vineyard
s, almond
orchard
s and citrus
grove
s. They withstood agricultural failures, plant diseases, and marketing problems.
An agricultural research station that opened in Rehovot in 1932 became the Department of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. In 1934 Chaim Weizmann
established the Sieff Institute, which became the Weizmann Institute of Science
. In 1937 Weizmann built his home on the land purchased adjacent to the Sieff Institute. The house later served as the presidential residence after Weizamnn became president in 1948. Weizmann and his wife are buried on the grounds of the institute.
On 29 February 1948 the Lehi
blew up the Cairo to Haifa train shortly after it left Rehovoth killing 29 British soldiers and injuring 35 as well as 100 civilians. The Lehi announcement said the bombing was in retaliation for the Ben Yehuda Street Bombing a week earlier.
, population 2,620, including 240 Jews in Gibton
. In 1995, there were 337,800 people living in the greater Rehovot area. As of 2007, the ethnic makeup of the city was 99.8% Jewish. There were 49,600 males and 52,300 females, of whom 31.6% were 19 years of age or younger, 16.1% between the ages of 20 and 29, 18.2% between 30 and 44, 18.2% from 45 to 59, 3.5% from 60 to 64, and 12.3% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate was 1.8%.
As of 2004, in the city there were 41,323 salaried workers and 2,683 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 6,732, a real change of −5.2% over the course of the previous year. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 8,786 (a real change of −4.8%) versus ILS 4,791 for females (a real change of −5.3%). The mean income for the self-employed is 6,806. There are 1,082 people who receive unemployment benefits and 6,627 people who receive an income guarantee.
Minorities: In Rehovot there are three significant Jewish ethnic minorities: Russian Jews, Yemenite Jews and Ethiopian Jews, concentrated largely in the Kiryat Moshe and Oshiot areas.
As of 2004, there are 19,794 students and 53 schools in the city, including 30 schools with 9,875 elementary school students and 29 schools with 9,919 high school students. 61.3% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate. The city is home to the Weizmann Institute of Science
and the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. There are also a number of smaller junior colleges in Rehovot that provide specialized and technical training. In addition, Kaplan Hospital acts as an ancillary teaching hospital for the Medical School of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Though largely conceived as an area of Rehovot, it actually is under the municipal boundaries of neighbouring Nes Ziona.
between 1949 and 1956, Maccabi Sha'arayim
between 1963 and 1969 and again in 1985, and Hapoel Marmorek in the 1972–73 season
.
Today Marmorek is the highest ranked club, playing in Liga Artzit
, the third level. Maccabi Sha'arayim play in Liga Bet
, the fifth level, whilst Maccabi Rehovot play in Liga Gimel
, the sixth and lowest division.
with:
Center District (Israel)
The Central District of Israel is one of six administrative districts, including most of the Sharon region. The district capital is Ramla. It is further divided into 4 sub-districts: Petah Tikva, Ramla, Sharon and Rehovot. The district's largest city is Rishon LeZion. Its population as of 2008 was...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, about 20 km (12 mi) south of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli government office established in 1949 to carry out research and publish statistical data on all aspects of Israeli life, including population, society, economy, industry, education and physical infrastructure.It is headed by a...
(CBS), at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 112,700. Rehovot's official website estimates the population at 114,000.
Rehovot was built on the site of Doron, a Jewish community that existed in the time of the Mishna. The site was also the location of Khirbet Duran, populated during the Roman, Byzantine and early Arab periods. The city is named after a biblical town of the same name (Rehoboth
Rehoboth (Bible)
Rehoboth is the name of three Biblical places:* A well in Gerar dug by Isaac , supposed to be in Wady er-Ruheibeh, about 20 miles south of Beersheba.* An ancient city from which came Saul, an Edomite king Rehoboth is the name of three Biblical places:* A well in Gerar dug by Isaac (Gen. 26:22),...
in the KJV Bible
King James Version of the Bible
The Authorized Version, commonly known as the King James Version, King James Bible or KJV, is an English translation of the Christian Bible by the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611...
), which stood at a different location, in the Negev Desert
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
.
History
Rehovot was founded in 1890, in the coastal plain relatively sparsely settled by Arabs, by Polish Jews who wanted a township independent of the Baron Edmond James de RothschildEdmond James de Rothschild
Baron Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild was a French member of the Rothschild banking family. A strong supporter of Zionism, his generous donations lent significant support to the movement during its early years, which helped lead to the establishment of the State of Israel.- Early years :A...
's aid and management. Israel Belkind
Israel Belkind
Israel Belkind was a Jewish educator, author, writer, historian and founder of the Bilu movement. A pioneer of the First Aliyah, Belkind founded the Biluim, a group of Jewish idealists aspiring to settle in the Land of Israel with the political purpose to redeem Eretz Yisrael and re-establish the...
, one of the original founders of the settlement, proposed the name Rehovot (lit. 'wide expanses') based on Genesis 26:22 : "And he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said: 'For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.'" The name was accepted. In 1908 they were joined by immigrants from Yemen
Yemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen . Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet...
, who settled in the city's Sha'arayim district. These early settlers planted vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s, almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s and citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
grove
Grove (nature)
A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...
s. They withstood agricultural failures, plant diseases, and marketing problems.
An agricultural research station that opened in Rehovot in 1932 became the Department of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. In 1934 Chaim Weizmann
Chaim Weizmann
Chaim Azriel Weizmann, , was a Zionist leader, President of the Zionist Organization, and the first President of the State of Israel. He was elected on 1 February 1949, and served until his death in 1952....
established the Sieff Institute, which became the Weizmann Institute of Science
Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science , known as Machon Weizmann, is a university and research institute in Rehovot, Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers only graduate and post-graduate studies in the sciences....
. In 1937 Weizmann built his home on the land purchased adjacent to the Sieff Institute. The house later served as the presidential residence after Weizamnn became president in 1948. Weizmann and his wife are buried on the grounds of the institute.
On 29 February 1948 the Lehi
Lehi (group)
Lehi , commonly referred to in English as the Stern Group or Stern Gang, was a militant Zionist group founded by Avraham Stern in the British Mandate of Palestine...
blew up the Cairo to Haifa train shortly after it left Rehovoth killing 29 British soldiers and injuring 35 as well as 100 civilians. The Lehi announcement said the bombing was in retaliation for the Ben Yehuda Street Bombing a week earlier.
Demographics
Between 1914 and 1991 the population rose from 955 to 81,000, and the area of the town more than doubled. Parts of Rehovot's suburbs are built on land which before 1948 belonged to the village of ZarnuqaZarnuqa
Zarnuqa was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Ramla.In 1924, the land was sold by Shukri brothers, and Abd al-Rahman al-Taji al-Farouqi....
, population 2,620, including 240 Jews in Gibton
Gibton
Gibton is a moshav in central Israel. Located near Rehovot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Brenner Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 299....
. In 1995, there were 337,800 people living in the greater Rehovot area. As of 2007, the ethnic makeup of the city was 99.8% Jewish. There were 49,600 males and 52,300 females, of whom 31.6% were 19 years of age or younger, 16.1% between the ages of 20 and 29, 18.2% between 30 and 44, 18.2% from 45 to 59, 3.5% from 60 to 64, and 12.3% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate was 1.8%.
Income
Minorities: In Rehovot there are three significant Jewish ethnic minorities: Russian Jews, Yemenite Jews and Ethiopian Jews, concentrated largely in the Kiryat Moshe and Oshiot areas.
Education
Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science , known as Machon Weizmann, is a university and research institute in Rehovot, Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers only graduate and post-graduate studies in the sciences....
and the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. There are also a number of smaller junior colleges in Rehovot that provide specialized and technical training. In addition, Kaplan Hospital acts as an ancillary teaching hospital for the Medical School of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Economy
The Tamar Science Park, established in 2000, is a high-tech park of 1000 dunam (1 km²) at the northern entrance of the city.Though largely conceived as an area of Rehovot, it actually is under the municipal boundaries of neighbouring Nes Ziona.
Sports
Rehovot has had three clubs representing it the top division of Israeli football, Maccabi RehovotMaccabi Rehovot F.C.
Maccabi Rehovot F.C. is an Israeli football club based in Rehovot. The club competed in the top division during the 1950s, but today plays in Liga Gimel, the sixth and lowest level of Israeli football.-History:...
between 1949 and 1956, Maccabi Sha'arayim
Maccabi Sha'arayim F.C.
Maccabi Sha'arayim is an Israeli football club based in Rehovot. They currently play in the South B division of Liga Bet, but spent seven seasons in the top division from 1963-1969 and in the 1985-86 season.-History:...
between 1963 and 1969 and again in 1985, and Hapoel Marmorek in the 1972–73 season
Liga Leumit 1972-73
The 1972–73 Liga Leumit season saw Hakoah Ramat Gan win their second title, whilst Shimshon Tel Aviv and Hapoel Marmorek were relegated. Moshe Romano of Beitar Tel Aviv was the league's top scorer with 18 goals.-Final table:-References:* RSSSF...
.
Today Marmorek is the highest ranked club, playing in Liga Artzit
Liga Artzit
Liga Artzit was the third tier of Israeli football after the Premier League and Liga Leumit, and was run by the Israel Football Association.-Structure:...
, the third level. Maccabi Sha'arayim play in Liga Bet
Liga Bet
-History:League football started in Israel in 1949–50, a year after independence. However, the financial and security crises gripping the young nation caused the 1950–51 season to be abandoned before it had started. When football resumed in 1951–52, the new top division went by the name of Liga...
, the fifth level, whilst Maccabi Rehovot play in Liga Gimel
Liga Gimel
Liga Gimel is the fifth and bottom tier of Israeli football league system, a position it has held since 2009.-History:Between 1999 and 2009 it was the sixth tier after Liga Bet, Between 1974 and 1999 it was the fifth tier after the creation of Liga Artzit, and between 1949 and 1974 it was the...
, the sixth and lowest division.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Rehovot is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
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Notable residents
- Dani Rabin of MarbinMarbinMarbin is a Jazz-Rock group based in Chicago IL.Marbin first started in 2007 as an improvised music duo consisting of Israeli-American guitarist Dani Rabin and Israeli saxophonist Danny Markovitch. Markovitch and Rabin met shortly after Markovitch had completed his military service as an infantry...
, guitarist, composer - Aki AvniAki AvniAki Avni is an Israeli actor, entertainer and television host. He appeared in the movie Free Zone with Natalie Portman. He also played the character Mohsen in the second season of the television series 24....
, actor, born in Rehovot - Shlomo GlicksteinShlomo GlicksteinShlomo Glickstein is an Israeli former professional tennis player.He reached his career-high singles ranking of World # 22 in November 1982, and his career-high doubles ranking of World # 28 in February 1986....
, former professional tennis player, born in Rehovot - Eyal GolanEyal GolanEyal Golan, , is a popular Israeli singer who sings in the Mizrahi style. Golan is one of the most successful singers of the Mizrahi genre in Israel...
, singer - Gidi GovGidi GovGidi Gov , is an Israeli singer, TV host, entertainer and actor.Gov is married to playwright Anat Gov, with whom he has three children.- Early life :...
, singer - Eres HolzEres HolzEres Holz , is an Israeli composer who lives in Germany since 2003.- Biography :Holz studied from 1998 to 2002 composition with Ruben Seroussi at the Tel Aviv University...
, composer - Tzipi HotovelyTzipi HotovelyTzipi Hotovely is an Israeli politician, lawyer, and a doctorate student at the Faculty of Law in Tel Aviv University. She practises Orthodox Judaism and is a member of the Knesset as a self-described "religious rightwinger" for the Likud party. When first elected at the age of 30, she was the...
, Member of Knesset for LikudLikudLikud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had... - Ephraim KatzirEphraim KatzirEphraim Katzir was an Israeli biophysicist and former Israeli Labor Party politician. He was the fourth President of Israel from 1973 until 1978.-Biography:...
, biophysicist and fourth president of Israel - Rahamim MalulRahamim MalulRahamim Malul is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas between 1999 and 2003, and is the current mayor of Rehovot.-Biography:...
, Mayor of Rehovot - Shmuel RechtmanShmuel RechtmanShmuel Rechtman was an Israeli politician who served as mayor of Rehovot from 1970 until 1979, and as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1977 and 1979.-Biography:...
, Mayor of Rehovot from 1970–1979, born in Rehovot - Sergy Richter (born 1989), Olympic sport shooter and world junior record holder
- David Tal, four-time member of KnessetKnessetThe Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
and member of the KadimaKadimaKadima is a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely to support the issue of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and was soon joined by like-minded Labor politicians...
party - Benjamin Elazari VolcaniBenjamin Elazari VolcaniBenjamin Elazari Volcani discovered life in the Dead Sea and pioneered biological silicon research at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.-Biography:...
, microbiologistMicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes... - Chaim WeizmannChaim WeizmannChaim Azriel Weizmann, , was a Zionist leader, President of the Zionist Organization, and the first President of the State of Israel. He was elected on 1 February 1949, and served until his death in 1952....
, first president of the State of Israel - S. YizharS. YizharYizhar Smilansky , better known by his pen name S. Yizhar , was an Israeli writer and a great innovator in modern Hebrew literature.His pen name was given to him by the poet and editor Yitzhak Lamdan, when in 1938 he published Yizhar's first story Ephraim Goes Back to Alfalfa in his literary...
(1916–2006), writer - Ada YonathAda YonathAda E. Yonath is an Israeli crystallographer best known for her pioneering work on the structure of the ribosome. She is the current director of the Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly of the Weizmann Institute of Science. In 2009, she received the Nobel...
, crystallographerCrystallographyCrystallography is the experimental science of the arrangement of atoms in solids. The word "crystallography" derives from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and grapho = write.Before the development of...
at the Weizmann Institute of ScienceWeizmann Institute of ScienceThe Weizmann Institute of Science , known as Machon Weizmann, is a university and research institute in Rehovot, Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers only graduate and post-graduate studies in the sciences....
and first Israeli woman Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner
External links
- City council website
- English language guide to Rehovot
- Rehovot Weizmann Institute
- A brief history of Rehovot Weizmann Institute
- MyRehovot.info