Mount Hebron nowadays

Mount Hebron Reginal Council – pleased to make your acquaintance

The regional council spreads around 386 square miles, from Be’er Sheva in the south to Kiryat Gat in the north. Overlooking the Judean desert from the east and the whole of the coast line’s plains from the west.

The settlements

Mount Hebron has 20 different communities – religious, non-religious, mixed religious-secular, communal and cooperative. The communities are spread on a mountain ridge called “Hebron Mountains” which extends from Jerusalem through Gush Etzion all the way south to the outskirts of Be’er Sheva.

The region is the fringe and outskirts of the desert, enveloped on both flanks by deserts, the Negev to its south and the Judean desert to its east – the rain shadow desert. The proximity of these two deserts greatly affects if not molds the climate of this region, thus affects the flora, fauna, and human life in the whole region.

 

Establishment

The Council was granted municipality status in 1982. The first of the region’s settlements were recognized by 1984-1985. It has been a decade already the Regional Council has been receiving the Ministry of the Interior’s Award for Proper Management.

 

Name origin

Most of the Council’s communities are situated on the ridge of Mount Hebron from south of Jerusalem, through Gush Etzion all the way to Be’er Sheba, and therein lies the origin of the Council’s name.

 

Heads of council

1982-1984 Ron Shechner

1984-1985 Yitzchak Armoni

1986-1997 Ron Shechner

1997-1999 Uri Zilberman

1999-2013 Tzviki Bar Chai

2013-present Yochai Damari

 

History

This is where our forefathers roamed, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov and this is where King David afterwards established his kingship. One can “touch” these places and smell the same scents that were an integral part of the lives they led here.

It was not by mere coincidence that The Book of Tehillim, Psalms, which became the most widespread gloriously divine psalms book in the world, was written right here, on the mountain ridges of Mount Hebron.

Mount Hebron is home to the nationally recognized archeological heritage site of Susya, which attracts thousands of visitors annually and boasts a new and improved, impressive visitors’ center with a spectacular Light and Sound Show which combines present and past beautifully. Throughout the Council’s area there are other antiquity sites – Khirbat Anim, Tel Maon, and more.

Growth and development

The Mount Hebron Council is prominent in its high growth rates compared to other councils data, with an annual growth rate of 8.5% as opposed to the State average of 1.8%.

 

Socioeconomic rating

The Mount Hebron Regional Council is currently ranked at 5 out of 10.

 

Education

 

The Council has many educational institutes which attract more then 1000 students every year to Mount Hebron.

  • 19 infant and toddler daycare centers
  • 41 preschools
  • State religious school Susya for grades 1-8 (740 students)
  • State religious school Dvir in Otniel for grades 1-6 (350 students)
  • Tmarim school in Sansana for grades 1-6 (82 students)
  • Talmud Torah in Susya for grades 1-6
  • 11 Bnei Akiva branches
  • 4 National Youth branches (HaNoar HaLeumi)
  • Otniel Hesder Yeshiva – the largest of all Hesder Yeshivas
  • Yeshiva Gavoha in Carmel
  • Midrasha for girls in Maon, post army and national service
  • Regional High School Yeshiva and another regular one
  • Ma’ale Hever Judea Midrasha
  • Field school at Susya

 

 

Industry and agriculture

The Council includes three communal cooperatives with their own farms of various agricultural branches. The Mount farmers grow wine grapes in vineyards for the production of quality wines, headed by the Yatir vineyard which wins international acclaim and awards in competitions worldwide. There are also olive groves for the production of oil and unique lubricants; almonds, vegetables and grain crops; egg laying chicken coops; goats, sheep and cattle pastures producing dairy products and sheep and goats’ cheese.

Among the many plants based on the local climate and conditions of Mount Hebron is Herbs of Kedem plant in Carmel, which deals in development and production of unique medicinal herb blends and potions from the local flora.

 

Community

The settlements of Mount Hebron put great emphasis on the cultivation and the development of the communities – the warm connection between the residents, the sense of belonging, the ability of each and every resident to have their needs met properly and to contribute their aptitudes and capabilities to the good of the community at large. Each community has a salaried official responsible for its social development – the community coordinator.

Employment

Employment is found in the numerous cities neighboring Mount Hebron Council – Kiryat Gat, Be’er Sheba, Arad, Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem, as well as other employment areas – Gush Etzion and Kiryat Arba.

The Council encourages entrepreneurs and even employs, through the development aiding organization, a salaried official specializing in the development and fruition of entrepreneurial ideas according to each of their qualifications and market demands. Many communities implement these entrepreneurial ideas in industrial buildings most of them have on site.

 

Tourism

Hevel Yatir Tourism company is active throughout the region and incorporates within it all the touristic sites and businesses that operate in the area. The tourism company is responsible for producing major annual events such as Cherry in the Forest festival, almond Tree Celebration festival, Holiday happenings and more.

Among the main sites are Yatir forest – the largest man-made forest in the world, Ancient Susya site, Herbs of Kedem plant, Yatir winery, Drimia winery, springs, picnic sites and others.

 

Culture

All year long the council makes it a point to invest time, thought and resources in the cultural and leisure time aspects of life. The aim – creating a great atmosphere of bringing people together, exposure to culture and the added value of learning. Each community holds traditional annual events planned by the residents themselves along side the community coordinator according to their specific needs and preferences.

Additionally, the council organizes peak events, shopping fairs, large musical events, theater performances and happenings for the whole family.

 

A rich array of afterschool activities

The Council uphold a regional basketball program and the Elitzur Har Hevron basketball team from school age (2nd grade) to adults.

 Moreover, each community supports a rich array of after school activity programs which allow children to enjoy and experience different areas of interest such as sports, science, electronics, martial arts, creative thinking, painting, ceramics and much more.

 

Housing opportunities

The Council is characterized by varied types of communities, a serene residential environment and is one of the highest quality of life places in the country.

The communities are experiencing a great surge in housing construction. These days a few hundreds of units are marketed out in reasonable prices for the benefit of young families wishing to build their homes in the Council’s communities.

 

Future projects

 

Sports and culture hall

A spacious hall to hold all sports activities in a suitable place, as well as to be able to host opponent teams in Council games. The hall will also function as a theater for large audience and multi participants performances. Expected opening end of 2019.

 

Regional HMO

A Maccabi owned HMO clinic will be established in Meitarim and will provide extensive healthcare services in convenient and sufficient hours.

 

Hotel

A hotel is to be built in Yatir forest in order to make use of the current tourist traffic which constantly moves through the region on its way to Arad, the Dead Sea and Eilat.

 

Logistics center

A logistics center will be built in Tarkumiya crossing to address the needs of industrialists in the region and mainly will create new employment opportunities for the residents of the Council and will increase the Council’s revenue from taxes.

 

Collaborative industrial area

Adjacent to Teneh Omarim a communal industrial area will incorporate the various hi-tech professions and will base itself on the vast professional manpower descending to the south as the IDF relocated their Intelligence and Teleprocessing divisions here.

 

In short, Mount Hebron in numbers

  1. Israeli mosaic – 20 communities – non-religious, religious, mixed, all communal in character, cooperative-agricultural, farms and lookouts
  2. Population – 10,200 residents (as of 2019)
  3. Education – a rich educational tapestry of activities within the many institutes for all ages
  4. Combatants – the rate of soldiers volunteering for combat units 86.6% in comparison to state average of 46%
  5. Bagrut matriculation – the rate of students eligible for a matriculation diploma is 79.1% compared to a national average of 64.2%
  6. Hevel Yatir region – around 60 thousand tourists have visited mount Hebron in 2018.
  7. Revenue – a solar farm was built of late belonging to the Council on an area covering 16,000 acres, which provides electric power to some 2000 homes
  8. Young population – the rate of children under the age of 17 is 41% compared to a national average of 34%
  9. Proper management – this past decade Mount Hebron Council has been consistently receiving the annual Ministry of the Interior award for Proper Management
  10. Socioeconomic – the Council’s standing is at 5 out of 10
  11. Transportation – in 2015 a transportation program has been implemented which has doubled the number of bus routes leading to the Mount Hebron communities. The new highway 6 reaches Shoket intersection and Kiryat Gat, 15 minutes from the Council’s communities, enabling easy access to the center of the country.

 

Mount Hebron, synopsis

 

The Regional Council of Mount Hebron, situated at south western Judea (Judea and Samaria district), has achieved municipal status in 1982. As of 2013 the Head of Council is Yochai Damari.

The Regional Council stretches over some 386 square miles, from Be’er Sheba in the south to the outskirts of Kiryat Gat in the north, overlooking the Judean Desert from the east and the whole of the coast line’s plains from the west.

Mount Hebron population is made up of an intricate Israeli tapestry of cultures and vistas. The Council includes some 10,200 residents (as of 2019) living in 20 settlements, among them communal cooperative, religious, secular and agricultural-cooperative: Adura, Eshkolot, Beit Hagai, Beit Yatir, Carmel, Shani Livneh, Hiran (pioneer core settlement), Maon, Ma’ale Hever, Abigail, Mitzpe Yair, Asahel, Negohot, Susya, Sansana, Teneh Omarim, Otniel, Shim’a and Telem.

Regional Council Mount Hebron puts emphasis on community life within the settlements, invests heavily in children’s education, in tourism and agriculture and boasts high growth rates compared to data from other councils: an annual growth rate of 6% compared to the national 1.9% average.