Bet Shemesh

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Bet Shemesh
Hebrew בית שמש
Government City
District Jerusalem
Population 68,400[1] (2006)
Jurisdiction 50,500 dunams (50.5 km²)

Bet Shemesh (בית שמש; unofficially also spelled Beit Shemesh) is a city in the Jerusalem District in Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2006 the city had a total population of 68,400.

The ancient city of Bet Shemesh ("home of the sun" in Hebrew) was named after the Canaanite sun-goddess Shemesh, which was worshipped there in antiquity. The ruins of the ancient biblical city can still be seen in the tell of Bet Shemesh, located near the modern city.

The modern city of Bet Shemesh, taken from Tel Beth-Shemesh
The modern city of Bet Shemesh, taken from Tel Beth-Shemesh
Bet Shemesh
Bet Shemesh

Contents

[edit] Demographics

According to CBS, in 2003 the ethnic makeup of the city was 100.0% Jewish and other non-Arab, with no significant Arab population. There are thousands of Jewish immigrants. See Population groups in Israel.

According to CBS, in 2001 there were 24,500 males and 24,600 females. The population of the city was spread out with 47.6% 19 years of age or younger, 17.1% between 20 and 29, 18.8% between 30 and 44, 9.4% from 45 to 59, 2.1% from 60 to 64, and 5.0% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 11.2%.

Bet Shemesh has a considerable Orthodox Jewish population, including a sizable Chareidi (ultra-Orthodox) segment, that continues to expand and grow as religious families look beyond the more central areas of Jerusalem for available housing suited to large families. Many synagogues and yeshivas have been built in the community. Movements represented in Beit Shemesh include Ger, Belz, Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok, Satmar and Neturei Karta.

In recent years, there has been an explosion in the number of English speaking Israelis who have moved to Bet Shemesh. Considerable numbers have come from North America, the UK, South Africa and Australia. This population tends to be Orthodox, educated and from middle income groups. The main areas of Anglo "settlement" are the Dolev area of RBS, Sheinfeld, Nofei Aviv and Migdal Hamayim.

An ever increasing amount of 'friction' has been noted between various Satmar, Neturei Karta groups and the Orthodox Religious Zionist population. Read the description in the Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet section below.


Housing prices remain very reasonable.

[edit] Income

According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 12,518 salaried workers and 849 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 4,858, a real change of 7.3% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 6,631 (a real change of 8.9%) versus ILS 3,162 for females (a real change of 1.3%). The mean income for the self-employed is 5,840. There are 744 people who receive unemployment benefits and 2,701 people who receive an income guarantee.

[edit] Education

According to CBS, there are 40 schools and 9,322 students in the city. They are spread out as 29 elementary schools and 6,619 elementary school students, and 15 high schools and 2,703 high school students. 50.1% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001.

[edit] Industries

Among other crops, grapes are grown here. A local wine is produced by the Berry Ridge Winery, that produces small batches of high quality wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Meritage. Grapes are also processed by winemakers in neighbouring areas, e.g. Cremisan cellars in Beit Jala, Flam Winery, Domaine du Castel, Clos de Gat, Tzora Vineyards,Ella Valley Vineyards, and many others.

During the hi-tech boom it was host to several hi-tech startups, among them, Alchemedia, 2am and Shoutmail. Today hi-tech is still a central industry. Companies like Vringo, Degel Software, iSkoot, and Net2phone have offices in the Bet Shemesh area.

Also located in Bet Shemesh is Bet Shemesh Engines Ltd. (BSEL) which manufactures and repairs jet engines and jet engine components.

[edit] Synagogues

  • Beit Medrash Torani Leumi (Rabbi Avishai David)
  • Ohel Yonah Menachem
  • Netzach Menashe
  • Ateret Shalom
  • Kehilla Datit Leumit, Migdal HaMayim.
  • Beit Knesset Feigenson (Nofei Aviv Synagogue)

[edit] Ramat Beit Shemesh

Ramat Beit Shemesh (Hebrew: רמת בית שמש‎) is a relatively new neighborhood of the former development town of Bet Shemesh in Israel. Its name means "Beit Shemesh Heights," as it located on a mountaintop above the original city, approximately 18 km west of Jerusalem. Its population mainly consists of Orthodox Jews with many different outlooks and opinions.

The neighborhood has two sections, Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef and Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet (Alef and Bet signifying 1 and 2, respectively). The former area has a more mixed population of secular, religious, and (mainly American)Ultra Orthodox Haredi Jews, while the latter is populated exclusively by the more fundamentalist Haredi Jews. Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet is located between Bet Shemesh and Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef, causing confusion for non-residents attempting to navigate their way through Ramat Bet Shemesh.

[edit] Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef

Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef as well as neighborhoods within Bet Shemesh have become the home to a growing number of American and British immigrants to Israel during the past decade.

[edit] Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet

Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet is home to large groups of Haredi Jews, mainly belonging to the following groups:

Many matters of day-to-day life are controlled by a local section of the Jerusalem-based Edah HaChareidis rabbinical council. Yiddish and Hebrew are the two backbone languages of the area, with English a far third. Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet is widely seen as a smaller version of the culture and community of Meah Shearim, the Ultra Orthodox Haredi neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Some fanatical groups in the Bet neighborhood have taken issue with violations of their interpretation of Judaism. This has unfortunately led to incidents such as rock throwing against buses and burning of dumpsters to protest such things as buses that allow men and women to sit in proximity to one another. (The bus lines the protestors support demand that women sit in the back of the bus and men in the front although with no physical divider between them). Many American immigrants see this as a reminder of how Blacks were treated in the American South many years ago. Another issue is the standard of dress imposed on people simply walking through Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet. Wearing certain types of clothing (even long modest denim skirts) offends many residents, but only a small but vocal group of protestors are ever seen in the streets. Some protests are general in nature while others are directed at the individuals residents that have different halachic (Jewish law interpertations) views, and this often leads to serious physical confrontations that require police intervention.

[edit] External links

[edit] Community

[edit] Synagogues

[edit] Local Companies

Coordinates: 31°45′N 35°00′E


Flag of Israel
Jerusalem District
Cities Bet Shemesh · Jerusalem
Local councils Abu Ghosh · Kiryat Ye'arim · Mevaseret Zion
Regional councils Mateh Yehudah
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