Jerusalem is a dynamic city. It is a city which embraces ancient history and contemporary living. It is a city which the Jewish people have yearned to live in for thousands of years.
For you, who are choosing to come to Israel, “Next Year in Jerusalem” can be more than Passover’s closing phrase. It can be your reality.
Today, Jerusalem is a hetergenous city which welcomes new residents, and offers a diverse mosaic of opportunities for individuals and families alike. From its extensive educational network, to its world-renowned medical services, to its wide variety of employment prospects, Jerusalem offers quality of life, enhanced by the city’s special character.
General
Situated in the heart of the country, high in the Judean hills, Jerusalem has developed from an isolated, divided city under siege, to a fully-fledged modern metropolis. At her core, is the Old City, whose four religious quarters and stone- walled frame contain the essence of the spiritual and cultural mosaic of this colorful city.
Jerusalem is Israel’s largest city and home to the Israeli Parliament (Knesset), Government ministries, the Supreme Court and the Chief Rabbinate. Many international associations and Jewish organizations and institutes are located in Jerusalem, adding to the city’s centrality for Jews around the world.
Population
With a population of over 630,000, Jerusalem is a large city, growing at a rapid rate. It is a city with a high birth rate and an influx of new immigrants. It is a city with a high rate of intra-city migration, contributing to the rapid growth of its peripheral neighborhoods.
Demographic data for Jerusalem indicates that the city has a very young population, with a very high percentage of children.This is significant in terms of the public services intended for toddlers, children, and youth, including formal and informal education, health services, etc.
Geography
Today, Jerusalem spreads over more then 42 square miles of hills and valleys and includes an assortment of neighborhoods each with their own character. Nestled in the picturesque Judean hills, it is situated 800 meters above sea level with cool mountain air and has picturesque views.
Her famed beauty is derived from both her geographic location and her unique building style. Woven through the different architectural designs and building styles, is the motif of Jerusalem stone. Most of the buildings have this special marker, uniting them as entities of one unique city. The weather in Jerusalem is varied. Jerusalem summer days are hot, but nights can be cool.
In winter, it can get quite cold, with sporadic rainy weather from approximately November to early April. Snow in Jerusalem is a special treat every few years when for a day or two, the Holy City is dressed in a magnificent robe of white.
Neighborhoods
The city is built with separate neighborhood units, whereupon each neighborhood supplies the educational, cultural, religious, consumer, medical, community and social services for its residents. There is an elected neighborhood administration whose mandate is to determine and look after the needs of the community.
Community, sport and cultural centers can be found in most neighborhoods, with staff members working with preschoolers, new immgrants, pensioners and youth. The centers run a variety of workshops, classes, music, sport, art and cultural activities for the local population. They also provide a community forum for residents to take an active part in improving their quality of life and making physical or logistic improvements in their neighborhood. In this system, Jerusalem residents’ benefit from being able to enjoy most of the day-to-day services in their immediate neighborhoods, while still being able to take advantage of the broader services the city has to offer.
Education
As diverse as its population, the Jerusalem educational system offers a variety of options. With an above average percentage of children numbered among her population, the educational network includes day-care centers and kindergartens, as well as a highly advanced elementary school system.
For every age group, a range of religious and educational philosophies from ultra- orthodox to secular and democratic, to experimental, is available. The options are broadened as the children get older, extending to a large range of high schools offering specialties in technology, arts, sciences, pre-army, business and computers, that cater to both religious and non religious students. For the post high school student interested in religion, there is an extensive choice of institutes for religious studies from those who just want to have a taste, to others who are looking for total immersion.
At the same time, internationally renowned universities and academies are also abundant in this student-oriented city. The widely acclaimed Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which excels in its scholastics as well as its research departments and medical school, together with The Rubin Academy of Music and Dance, Machon Lev -The Jerusalem College of Technology, The Bezalel Arts Academy, Hadassah College, and David Yellin Institute of Education among others, all add to an atmosphere of serious study in Jerusalem.
Services
The Municipality of Jerusalem caters to a myriad of populations whose varied needs dictate an extensive assortment of services. There are some services that the Municipality provides that help create a uniquely ‘Jerusalem’ atmosphere. This includes the siren that heralds the start of the Sabbath.
Another example is tree trimming in preparation for the winter months, when storms can cause damage to electricity lines. This is carried out on the days preceding the Sukkot holiday in the fall, concomitantly providing schach (thatch/roofing material) for the city's residents to build their sukkot. In addition, there are Municipal services such as a plastic recycling project, initiated by new immigrants, and traffic circles decorating the city with creative floral arrangements.
Services include garbage collection, street cleaning, public gardening, and mobile libraries. In addition, City Hall is responsible for schools, libraries, special residences, community centers and clubs for the elderly. Much thought goes into ensuring that these services are easily accessible and that fees for these services are reasonable.
Culture and Recreation
Jerusalem boasts an impressive variety of museums, parks, restaurants, festivals and cultural events. Enhanced by surrounding forests, green areas, parks, extensive municipal gardening and upkeep, Jerusalem provides many outdoor aesthetic attractions.
The City organizes annual festivals such as The Arts and Crafts Fair, The International Film Festival, The Judaica Fair, The International Book Fair and annual sports competitions and marches and parades on special occasions such as Jerusalem Day.
There is a wide choice of museums offering both world famous collections as well as unique Israeli and Judaic archaeological discoveries. Professional sporting facilities are available for soccer, basketball, tennis, swimming, an assortment of martial arts, fencing and athletics.
In many fields in the arts and sports, olim from numerous countries are prominent figures in both competition and coaching, where they provide an international level of expertise and instruction. Jerusalem is also home to an extensive list of theatres, orchestras, dance troupes, bands and galleries.
An extensive network of Municipal and private extra curricular activities, courses and workshops are available for children, youth and adults in the capital.
The large numbers of immigrants in Jerusalem are catered for with cultural events available in a variety of languages.
Employment
Aside from the spiritual and intellectual spheres, Jerusalem today can boast numerous other fields in its areas of expertise. It is an international leader in a broad range of fields such as medicine, tourism, biotechnology and hi-tech and offers an infrastructure and extensive network in these areas.
Jerusalem has two advanced technological industrial parks which include many internationally renowned hi-tech companies; three outstanding university research hospitals; numerous government offices; hotels and tourism services; an extensive educational structure; a host of malls, businesses and consumer attractions and continuous building and municipal development.
M.A.T.I., Jerusalem’s Small Business Development Center, assists city residents in initiating businesses in the consumer field. It is among the many frameworks available to assist the Jerusalem job-seeker. These include governmental and private employment agencies and two Municipal agencies, one which is part of the Welfare Department, and one specifically for new immigrants, run through its Absorption Department, that offers a variety of courses and retraining options.
Religious and Communal Life
There is an extensive variety of religious communities and services, which contribute to Jerusalem being the capital of the Jewish world. From Ultra-Orthodoxy in its many variations, to Modern Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and Progressive communities, Jerusalem has an abundance of religious streams.
The spectrum of synagogues and classes and study options is plentiful. The more established communities offer extensive communal life as well as educational facilities. Jerusalem of today continues an old tradition of organized charities and loan funds (gemach), from a variety of things such as place settings or chairs for a family event, to loaning wheel chairs and medical equipment for those with specific needs.
Although Jerusalem clearly has a religious tone, a major effort is made to balance the needs and rights of all the capital’s residents - a goal demanding great sensitivity. This is another of the unique challenges for a city catering to so many religions, nations and variations of Judaism.
Medical Services
A comprehensive assortment of medical services meets the health needs of Jerusalem’s population and its surrounding areas. Medical Centers of the four major health funds together with local neighborhood clinics provide the daily basis for this system.
In addition, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Hadassah Ein Kerem and Sha’arei Tzedek, three internationally known hospitals, provide emergency rooms, out-patient clinics, specialty departments, rehabilitation centers and surgical diagnosis and treatment as well as having centers for preventative and holistic medicine.
Additionally, all three hospitals are university teaching hospitals with long established medical and nursing schools that continually contribute to the medical and research life of the city. Varieties of other hospitals in the city provide special services to the different segments of Jerusalem’s population.
Both in the private and public spheres, dental clinics are plentiful, as well as a variety of alternative medical options. Magen David Adom (the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross) is available all year around, offering immediate and emergency medical care to Jerusalem’s residents.
Absorption
In addition to the assistance the Jerusalem Municipality is offering, several olim organizations also offer a variety of services for the new oleh. This includes social gatherings, providing information in one’s mother tongue, employment assistance and absorption tips. Each organization differs and functions independently, but share the common goal of helping fellow olim from their country of origin.
Together, these olim associations are developing an adopt-a-family project. Former olim families will adopt new immigrants from their country of origin even before the families arrive. They can provide valuable assistance, advice and direction in a number of areas and additionally serve as a tangible and social support upon and after arrival in Israel.
Two Jerusalem Neighborhoods
Pisgat Ze’ev
The neighborhood of Pisgat Ze’ev in northern Jerusalem was first established to create continuity between the Jerusalem neighborhoods. Over 20 years later, what started out, as a outlying, hilltop suburb, is now a flourishing neighborhood of almost 50,000 residents.
Meeting the demands of young couples looking to buy their first homes, Pisgat Ze’ev quickly became a new, young community with a heterogeneous population of religious and secular, Israelis and olim. Today it is an attractive, highly functioning suburban neighborhood just a 10-15 minute ride from Jerusalem’s center. Although still considered a new neighborhood, Pisgat Ze’ev is rich in its own history.
According to the many archeological finds, the area, because of its proximity to Jerusalem, was well populated and had a local industry producing wine and oil for the Temple's needs and supplying Jerusalem with agricultural products in the Biblical period.
Today, Pisgat Ze’ev has abundant services and frameworks catering to the specific needs of its population. With 40% of its residents under the age of twenty-one, the neighborhood’s children occupy five Municipal day-care centers, 58 kindergartens, scores of private day-care and nursery schools, nine elementary schools, two junior highs and three high schools. There is a wide variety of different options catering to both religious and secular, with an extensive choice of educational approaches.
The neighborhood provides a variety of services in all areas. In the medical field, there are branches and clinics of all four health funds, two Mother and Baby Clinics, dentists, opticians and veterinarians.
There are twenty-two synagogues and two mikvehs in the neighborhood, as well as two libraries, youth movements, protected housing for the elderly, numerous supermarkets, stores and shopping centers. Future plans, some already in the building stages, include an industrial technological area, a mall and a movie theatre.
The active community center provides a multitude of educational, cultural, sport and social programs, activities, workshops and events throughout the year.
In the different parts of the neighborhood there are large green areas, a promenade, public parks, picnic areas, an outdoor skating and roller-blade rink, walking and bicycle paths, archeological sites and playgrounds. Observation points and casual strolls throughout the neighborhood bring one face to face with spectacular views of the Judean Desert and Jerusalem.
There is a large selection of both new and second-hand apartments for either purchase or rental. Prices vary considerably, depending on location, size, quality etc. Following is a rough approximation of prices for the year 2005.
Approximate prices in $US for rental
| One bedroom: |
$400 – 480 monthly |
| Two bedrooms: |
$420 – 550 monthly |
| Three bedrooms: |
$550 – 700 monthly |
Approximate prices in $US for buying
| One bedroom: |
$75,000 – $115,000 |
| Two bedrooms: |
$80,000 – $145,000 |
|
| Three bedrooms: |
$130,000 – $210,000 |
Since 1990 over 7,000 olim have become part of this neighborhood. The community has welcomed them and assisted them in their absorption. Concerts, ulpanim and joint activities including chess, choir and dance groups in addition to a study center for new immigrant youths offering assistance in language and schoolwork, all add to helping them integrate into Israeli society.
Har Homa
Situated in southern Jerusalem between the Gilo and Arnona neighborhoods and Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, is the new neighborhood of Har Homa, which is made up of a development of thousands of new apartments designed to accommodate both young couples and families, secular, traditional and religious.
It offers modern housing in a number of styles and sizes. Three-room apartments, large penthouses or six-room garden apartments are among the choices. The building style is in the unique Jerusalem stone, combining the beautiful mountainous and desert views with the physical structure of the neighborhood.
Included in the community’s infrastructure are modern public facilities such as kindergartens, schools, community centers, synagogues, mikvehs and commercial centers. As a new neighborhood, apartment prices are substantially lower.
Often new developing neighborhoods are a smoother entry for new olim who find it easier to find their place in a community that is still developing, giving them the opportunity to be part of building something and starting out with other new families to the area . These benefits can make up for the difficulties inherent in the birthing pains of a new neighborhood.
Last updated: Sept 2005