Ashdod

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Ashdod

Ashdod ( ; , ????? Isdud), is the fifth-largest city in Israel

Israel

Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
, located in the Southern District

South District (Israel)

The South District is one of Israel's Districts of Israel, and is the largest in terms of land area as well as the most sparsely populated. It covers most of the Negev desert, as well as the Arabah valley....
of the country, on the Mediterranean

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia....
coast

Israeli Coastal Plain

The Israeli Coastal Plain is the narrow coastal plain along Israel's Mediterranean Sea coast which houses 70% of the country's population. The plain extends north to south and is divided into a number of areas; the Plain of Zebulun , Hof HaCarmel Regional Council , the Sharon plain , and the Plain of Judea ....
, with a population of 207,000. Ashdod is an important regional industrial center. The Port of Ashdod

Port of Ashdod

The Port of Ashdod is Israel's main cargo port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli Cargo#Marine Cargo Types. The port is located in Ashdod, about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, adjoining the mouth of the Lachish River....
is Israel's largest port accounting for sixty percent of the country's imported goods.

The first documented settlement in Ashdod dates to the Canaan

Canaan

Canaan is an ancient term for a region encompassing modern-day Israel and Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, plus adjoining coastal lands and parts of Jordan, Syria and northeastern Egypt....
ite culture of 17th century BC, making the city one of the most ancient in the world.

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Encyclopedia

Ashdod ( ; , ????? Isdud), is the fifth-largest city in Israel

Israel

South District (Israel)

Mediterranean Sea

Israeli Coastal Plain

Port of Ashdod

Canaan

Philistines

The Philistines were a ethnic group who occupied the southern coast of Canaan, their territory being named Philistia in later contexts....
, Israelites, Byzantines, Crusaders

Crusaders

The Crusaders are a New Zealand rugby union team based in Christchurch that compete in the Super 14 . They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history....
and Arabs.

Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills near the archeological site, and incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately . Being a planned city, expansion followed a main development plan

Development Plan

Air pollution

Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment, into the Earth's atmosphere....
in the residential areas, despite population growth. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

History

Ancient settlement

Human settlement in Ashdod dates from the Paleolithic Age. Ashdod is mentioned in Ugaritic documents, the language of the ancient Canaan

Canaan

Sea Peoples

The Sea Peoples is the term used for a confederacy of seafaring raiders of the second millennium BC who sailed into the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, caused political unrest, and attempted to enter or control Egyptian territory during the late Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt, and especially during Year 8 of Ramesses III of the Twentieth dy...
conquered and destroyed the city. By the beginning of the 12th century BCE the Philistines

Philistines

The Philistines were a ethnic group who occupied the southern coast of Canaan, their territory being named Philistia in later contexts....
, generally thought to have been one of the Sea Peoples, ruled the city. During their reign, the city prospered and was a member of union of five Philistine city states.

In 950 BCE Ashdod was destroyed during Pharaoh Siamun

Siamun

Neterkheperre or Netjerkheperre-setepenamun Siamun was the sixth pharaoh of Ancient Egypt during the Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt. He built extensively in Lower Egypt for a king of the Third Intermediate Period and is regarded as one of the most powerful rulers of this Dynasty after Psusennes I....
's conquest of the region. The city was not rebuilt until at least 815 BCE. Around 715 BCE, it was conquered by Sargon II

Sargon II

Sargon II was an Neo-Assyrian Empiren king. Sargon II became co-regent with Shalmaneser V in 722 BC, and became the sole ruler of the kingdom of Assyria in 722 BC after the death of Shalmaneser V....
, who destroyed the city and exiled its residents. Jewish inhabitants of Ashdod were resettled in Media

Medes

The Medes were an Ancient Iranian peoples who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. This area was known in Greek as Media or Medea ....
after their failed uprising attempt against Assyrian dominance. The records indicate that 27,290 Jews were forced to settle in Ecbatana (Hamadan) and Susa

Susa

Susa was an ancient city of the Elamite, Persian Empire and Parthian empires of Iran, located about 250 km east of the Tigris River.The modern town of Shush, Iran is located at the site of ancient Susa....
in South West Persia. Asdûdu led the revolt of Philistines, Judeans, Edomites, and Moabites against Assyria after expulsion of king Akhimeti, whom Sargon had installed instead of his brother Azuri. Gath (Gimtu) belonged to the kingdom of Ashdod at that time.

An Assyria

Assyria

Assyria was a political state centered on the Upper Tigris river, in Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times in history....
n general Tartan gained control of Ashdod in 711, and forced the "usurper" Yamani to flee. Mitinti was king at the time of Sennacherib

Sennacherib

Sennacherib Rise to power As a crown prince, Sennacherib was placed in charge of the empire while his father Sargon II was on campaign....
, and Akhimilki in the reign of Esarhaddon

Esarhaddon

Esarhaddon , was a king of Neo-Assyria who reigned 681 ? 669 BC. He was the youngest son of Sennacherib and the Aramean queen Naqi'a , Sennacherib's second wife....
. Psammetichus

Psammetichus

Psammetichus or Psamtik was the name of three Ancient Egypt pharaohs of the 26th Saite Dynasty.Psamtik was also a fictional name of one of the GTVA capital warships in the computer game FreeSpace 2....
of Egypt is reported to have besieged the great city Azotus for twenty-nine years (Herodotus, ii. 157); the biblical references to the remnant of Ashdod (Jeremiah 25:20; cf Zephaniah 2:4) are interpreted as an allusion to this event.

The city absorbed another blow in 605 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar was the name of several kings of Babylonia.* Nebuchadrezzar I, who ruled the Babylonian Empire in the 1100s BC. His death causes the Chaldean Empire to crumble and fall 30 years after his death....
conquered it. In 539 BCE the city was rebuilt by the Persians, but was conquered in the wars of Alexander of Macedon

Alexander of Macedon

Alexander of Macedon may refer to:*Alexander I of Macedon BC), ruled from 498?454 BC*Alexander II of Macedon BC), ruled from 370?368 BC*Alexander III of Macedon , or Alexander the Great, ruled from 336?323 BC...
.(Nehemiah 13:23)

According to the Book of Nehemiah

Book of Nehemiah

The Book of Nehemiah is a book of the Hebrew Bible, historically regarded as a Ezra-Nehemiah of the Book of Ezra, and is sometimes called the second book of Ezra....
, the Ashdodites seem to represent the whole nation of the Philistines in the sixth century BCE, the speech of Ashdod (which the younger generation of the Jews are described as adopting) would simply be the general Philistine dialect. Hugo Winckler

Hugo Winckler

Hugo Winckler was a Germany Archeology and historian who uncovered the capital of the Hittites Empire at Bogazkale, Turkey.Winckler was a student of the languages of the ancient Middle East....
explains the use of that name by the fact that Ashdod was the nearest of the Philistine cities to Jerusalem.

The city prospered as Izotus under the Hellenistic rule, until the Hasmonean Revolt

Maccabean Revolt

The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish revolt against Seleucidic and Syrian rulers, taking place in the second century BCE....
. During the rebellion Judas Maccabeus

Judas Maccabeus

Judas Maccabeus was a Kohen and the third son of the Jewish priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire and is acclaimed as one of the greatest warriors in Jewish history alongside Joshua, Gideon and David....
arrived at its gates, but did not conquer it. He left it for his brother Jonathan

Jonathan Maccabaeus

Jonathan Maccabaeus was leader of the Hasmonean Dynasty of Judea from 161 to 143 BCE. He is called also Apphus = "the Dissembling" or "the Diplomacy", in allusion to a trait prominent in him; 1 Maccabees ii....
, who conquered it in 147 BCE and destroyed the Temple

Temple

A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A ??templum?? constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur....
of Dagon

Dagon

Josephus

Josephus , also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu and, after he became a Roman citizenship, as Titus Flavius Josephus, was a first-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70....
(Antiquities of the Jews
Antiquities of the Jews

Antiquities of the Jews was a work published by the important Jewish historian Josephus about the year 93 or 94. Antiquities of the Jews is a Jewish history, written in Greek language for Josephus' gentile patrons....
13:15, volume 4), Alexander Jannæus possessed it. Pompey

Pompey

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'p?mpi/, Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir , was a distinguished military and political leader of the late Roman Republic....
restored its independence by reconstructing its city walls, though it belonged to the dominion of Herod

Herod the Great

Herod , also known as Herod I or Herod the Great , was a Roman Empire client state of Israel. Herod is known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and other parts of the ancient world, including the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple....
and Salome

Salome

Salome or Salom? the Daughter of Herodias , is known from the New Testament in connection with the death of John the Baptist. Another source from Antiquity, Flavius Josephus' Jewish Antiquities, gives her name and some detail about her family relations....
(Antiquities... 17:18, volume 9), and Vespasian

Vespasian

Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 69 A.D. until his death in 79 A.D. Vespasian was the founder of the short lived Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 A.D....
had to later take it by force.

Despite its location four miles (6 km) from the coast, both Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Claudius Ptolemaeus , known in English as Ptolemy , was a Roman Greek mathematics, Greek astronomy, geographer and astrologer. He lived in History of Roman Egypt, and was probably born there in a town in the Thebaid called Ptolemais Hermiou; he died in Alexandria around 168 AD....
and Josephus described it as a maritime city. This curious description may refer to Ashdod's control of a separate shore-edge harbor, called Azotus Paraliyus, or Ashdod-Sea (Antiquities... 13:15, volume 4). The city's prominence continued until the seventh century, when a citadel

Kal'at Al Mina

Kal'at Al Mina is Fatimid citadel in Ashdod-Sea site on the southern coast of modern city of Ashdod.It was built during the Ancient Arab Era . The rectangular fortress has four guard towers, one at each corner....
was built in Azotus Paraliyus as a stronghold against the Byzantine navy

Byzantine navy

The Byzantine navy comprised the navy of the Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it developed directly from its earlier Roman Navy, but in comparison with its precursor played a far greater role in the defense and survival of the state....
. To the west of the wooded height on which the city stands, traces of the ancient harbor—now known as Minet el-?al'a—can still be seen.

The Fatimids established a shore fortress and a village on the Tell

Tell

Tell, tel , meaning "hill" or "mound", is a type of archaeology site in the form of an earthen mound that results from the accumulation and subsequent erosion of material deposited by long human occupation....
of Ashdod. The location of the village on Via Maris

Via Maris

Via Maris is the modern name for an ancient trade route, dating from the early Bronze Age, linking Egypt with the northern empires of Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia ? modern day Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria....
enhanced the city's importance during the Ottoman

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299?1923. It was Treaty of Lausanne by the Republic of Turkey, which was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923....
rule. In 1596 CE, the population of Ashdod numbered about 413. At the beginning of the twentieth century the village was known as Esdud, with a population of about five thousand, specializing in agriculture and trade.

Biblical references

According to the Bible, during the 10th century BCE Ashdod became, along with all the kingdom of Philistia a patronage area of the Kingdom of Israel

Kingdom of Israel

The Kingdom of Israel was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy . It existed roughly from the 930s BC until about the 720s BC....
under the control of King David. Judah's claim upon Ashdod is mentioned in the Book of Joshua

Book of Joshua

The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christianity Bible. This book stands as the first in the Former Prophets covering the history of Kingdom of Israel from the possession of the Promised Land to the Babylonian Captivity....
(Joshua 15:46).

In the Book of Samuel Ashdod is mentioned (I Samuel 6:17) among the principal Philistine cities. After capturing

Philistine captivity of the Ark

The Philistine captivity of the Ark was an episode in the history of the Israelites, in which the Ark of the covenant was in the possession of the Philistines, who had captured it after defeating the Israelites in a battle at a location between Eben-ezer, where the Israelites encamped, and Aphek , where the Philistines encamped....
the Ark of the covenant

Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant is described in the Bible as a sacred container, where in rested the Tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments as well as Aaron's rod and manna....
from the Israelites, the Philistines took it to Ashdod, where it was placed in the temple of Dagon

Dagon

Dagon was a major northwest Semitic god, reportedly of grain and agriculture. He was worshipped by the early Amorites and by the inhabitants of the cities of Ebla and Ugarit ....
. The next morning Dagon was found prostrate, bowed down, before it; on being restored to his place, he was on the following morning again found prostrate and broken. The people of Ashdod were smitten with boils; a plague of mice was sent over the land (1 Samuel 6:5).

In the Book of Nehemiah, some residents of Jerusalem are said to have married women from Ashdod, and half of the children of these unions were reportedly unable to understand Hebrew, but instead, they spoken "the language of Ashdod." (Nehemiah 13:23-24)

In the Book of Isaiah

Book of Isaiah

The Book of Isaiah is a book of the Bible traditionally attributed to the Prophet Isaiah, who lived in the second half of the 8th century BC. In the first 39 chapters, Isaiah prophesies doom for a sinful Judah and for all the nations of the world that oppose God....
an Assyria

Assyria

Assyria was a political state centered on the Upper Tigris river, in Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times in history....
n general named Tartan, sent by Sargon, gained control of Ashdod in 711. (Isaiah 20:1)

The capture of the city by King Uzziah shortly after 815 BCE is mentioned within the text of the Book of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 26:6) and in the Book of Zechariah

Book of Zechariah

The Book of Zechariah is a book of the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh attributed to the prophet Zechariah ....
(Zechariah 9:6), speaking of the false Jews.

The Book of Acts refers to Azotus (the Hellenistic name of Ashdod) as the place to which Philip the evangelist walked after the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:40).

Modern times

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War

1948 Arab-Israeli War

The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, known by the Israelis predominantly as War of Independence and War of Liberation , and by Palestinians as the Catastrophe , was the first in a series of wars fought between the Declaration of Independence State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in the long-running Arab-Israeli conflict....
, the Egyptian Army

Egyptian Army

The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Military of Egypt. It is estimated to number around 340,000, plus around 375,000 reservists for a total of 655-715,000....
took over Isdud on May 29, 1948, and the town became the northern-most advancement point of the Egyptian forces. Egyptian and Israeli forces clashed in the surrounding area, with the Egyptians being unable to hold the Ad Halom

Ad Halom

Ad Halom is an area around the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel....
bridge over the Lachish River

Lachish River

Lakhish River is a river in Israel that flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the city of Ashdod. It is also known as Wadi Kabiba and Wadi Sukhrir in Arabic....
. Israeli forces surrounded the town during Operation Yoav

Operation Yoav

Operation Yoav was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15 October - 22 October, 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War....
, and shelled and bombed it from the air. Fearing encirclement, Egyptian forces retreated on October 28, 1948 with the majority of the town's Palestinian

Palestinian people

Palestinian people or Palestinians , also commonly rendered as Palestinian Arabs are terms commonly used to refer to the Arab population with family origins in Palestine....
Arab residents; some several hundred who remained were soon expelled southwards by the Israel Defense Forces

Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew Acronym and initialism Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the GOC Army Headquarters, Israeli Air Force and Israeli navy....
.

In 1953, surveyors and designers arrived at the desolate dunes near the mouth of Lachish River

Lachish River

Lakhish River is a river in Israel that flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the city of Ashdod. It is also known as Wadi Kabiba and Wadi Sukhrir in Arabic....
to choose a site to build a new power station

Power station

A power station is an industrial facility for the Electricity generation of electric power.Power plant is also used to refer to the engine in ships, aircraft and other large vehicles....
in the south of the country (eventually "Eshkol A

Eshkol Power Station

The Eshkol Power Station is a power station supplying electric power to the Shephelah region in Israel. It is located in north industrial zone of Ashdod near the mouth of the Lahish River....
"). Its workers lived in the regional settlements Rehovot

Rehovot

Rehovot is a city in the Center District of Israel, about 20 kilometre south of Tel Aviv. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2007 the city had a total population of 106,200....
and Gedera

Gedera

Gedera, or Gdera is a town in the Center District of Israel. It is located between the cities of Rehovot to the north, Ashdod to the west....
.

On May 1, 1956, then finance minister

Finance Minister of Israel

Finance Ministers of Israel, 1948-present#1948-1952 Eliezer Kaplan#1952-1963 Levi Eshkol#1963-1968 Pinchas Sapir#1968-1969 Ze'ev Sherf#1969-1974 Pinchas Sapir...
Levi Eshkol

Levi Eshkol

served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a myocardial infarction in 1969. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office....
approved the establishment of the city of Ashdod. "Ashdod Company Ltd.", a daughter company of City-Builders Company Ltd., was created for that purpose by Oved Ben-Ami and Philipp Klotznik. The first settlers, twenty-two families of immigrants from Morocco

History of the Jews in Morocco

Morocco Jews constitute an ancient community. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250,000 Jews in the country, but fewer than 7,000 or so remain....
arrived in November 1956, and a group of immigrants from Egypt

History of the Jews in Egypt

Egyptian Jews constitute perhaps the oldest Jewish community outside Israel in the world. While no exact census exists, the Jewish population of Egypt was estimated at fewer than a hundred in 2004,...
joined them. In July 1957, the government granted a 24 square kilometers concession, approximately from Tel Aviv, to the Ashdod Company Ltd., for building the modern city of Ashdod.

The building of the Eshkol A

Eshkol Power Station

The Eshkol Power Station is a power station supplying electric power to the Shephelah region in Israel. It is located in north industrial zone of Ashdod near the mouth of the Lahish River....
power station in Ashdod was completed in 1958 and included 3 units: 2 units of 50 megawatt, and one unit of 45 megawatt (with sea water desalination

Desalination

Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove excess sodium chloride and other minerals from water....
capabilities).

The first local council

Local council (Israel)

Local councils are one of the three types of local government found in Israel, with the other two being list of cities in Israel and Regional council ....
was appointed in October 1959. Dov Gur was appointed the first local council head on behalf of the Israeli Ministry of Interior

Israeli Ministry of Interior

The Ministry of Interior in the State of Israel is one of Government of Israel that is responsible for local rule, citizenship and Permanent residency, identity cards , and entry visas....
. The Magistrates' Court

Magistrates' Court

A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of Courts of England and Wales in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions....
in the city was inaugurated in 1963. In January 1965, Ashdod Company and Clalit

Clalit

Clalit, also Klalit is one of Israel's leading Health maintenance organizations. It was founded in 1911 by a group of 150 immigrants desiring a mutual aid health care association....
, the country's largest health maintenance organization

Health maintenance organization

A health maintenance organization is a type of managed care that provides a form of health insurance in the United States that is fulfilled through hospitals, doctors, and other providers with which the HMO has a contract....
, signed a contract to build a 500 beds hospital, which has yet to be established. The building of the port of Ashdod

Port of Ashdod

The Port of Ashdod is Israel's main cargo port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli Cargo#Marine Cargo Types. The port is located in Ashdod, about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, adjoining the mouth of the Lachish River....
began in April 1961. The port was inaugurated in November 1963, and was first utilized in November 1965, with the coming of the Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
ship "Wiengelgad".

In 1964 the Ponevezher Rov, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman

Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman

Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman , ???? ???? ?????, was an Orthodox Judaism rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh yeshiva. He was a renowned Torah and Talmudic scholar....
established the Ponevezh

Ponevezh yeshiva

Ponevezh Yeshiva, often pronounced Ponevitch Yeshiva, is a world renowned yeshiva located in Bnei Brak, Israel. It was originally established in the town of Paneve?ys, Lithuania....
development, the first Haredi

Haredi Judaism

Haredi or Chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
neighborhood in Ashdod. In 1978 a joint Belz

Belz (Hasidic dynasty)

Belz is a Hasidic Judaism named for the town of Belz, a small town in Western Ukraine. The town has existed since at least the 10th century with the Jewish community being established during the 14th century....
-Ger

Ger (Hasidic dynasty)

Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic Judaism dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish language name of G?ra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland.Prior to the Holocaust, Ger was the largest and most important Hasidic group in Poland....
estate was established in Neighborhood 3 (Rova Gimel). The Lev Simcha Talmud Torah

Talmud Torah

Talmud Torah schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of public primary school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary education in Hebrew language, the Scriptures , and the Talmud ....
in Ashdod is the largest cheder

Cheder

A Cheder is a traditional elementary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language....
in Israel. Today, the Tolna Rebbe, Pittsburgher Rebbe

Pittsburg (Hasidic dynasty)

Pittsburgh, Israel is a Hasidic dynasty led by Grand Rabbi Mordechai Yissachar Ber Leifer of Pittsburgh and concentrated in Ashdod, a city on the Mediterranean Sea coast of Israel....
, Neshchiz, and Melitzer

Naftali Asher Yeshayahu Moscowitz

Grand Rabbi Naftali Asher Yeshayahu Moscowitz is the Melitzer Rebbe of Ashdod, Israel and author of the Peiros Hailan halachic discourses on the laws of Chol HaMoed and the Nefesh Chaya a commentary and linear interpretation of the Book of Psalms....
Rebbes reside in Ashdod.

The explosive growth of the city began in 1991, with the massive arrival of immigrants

Aliyah

Aliyah refers to Jewish immigration to Greater Israel. The opposite action, Jewish emigration from Israel, is referred to as Yerida ....
from the Soviet Union

History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union

The vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest Jewish diaspora in the world. Within these territories the Jewish community flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of intense antisemitism discriminatory policies and persecutions....
and infrastructure development. From 1990 to 2001 the city accepted more than 100,000 new inhabitants, a 150% growth.

Planned city

The modern city of Ashdod city was built outside the historic settlement site, on virgin sands. The development followed a main development plan

Development Plan

The development plan is an aspect of town and country planning comprising a set of documents, which set out the Local Authorities policies and proposals for the development and use of land in their area....
. The planners divided the city into seventeen neighborhoods of ten to fifteen thousand people. Wide avenues between the neighborhoods make traffic flow relatively freely inside the city. Each neighborhood has easy access to its own commercial center, urban park

Urban park

An urban park, also known as a municipal park or a public park or open space , is a park in cities and other Municipal corporation to offer recreation and green space to residents of and visitors to the municipality....
, and health and education infrastructure. The original plan also called for a business and administrative center

Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In Australia, China , Republic of Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and South Africa, the phrase is commonly used, and is often colloquially abbreviated to "CBD"....
, built in the mid-1990s, when the city population grew rapidly more than doubling in ten years.

Three industrial zones were placed adjacent to the port in the northern part of the city, taking into account the prevailing southern winds which take air pollution

Air pollution

Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment, into the Earth's atmosphere....
away from the city. The plan had its problems, however, including asymmetric growth of upscale and poorer neighborhoods and the long-time lack of a main business and administrative center.

The city was planned for a maximum of 250,000 inhabitants, and an additional area in the south was reserved for further development. The southern border of the city was proclaimed a national nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora , fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for Conservation ethic and to provide special opportunities for study or research....
, Ashdod Nitzanim Sand Dune Park, which makes future city growth problematic, with the last of the seventeen neighborhoods of the development plan now under construction.

Climate

Ashdod has a mediterranean climate with hot summers, pleasant spring and fall, and cool, rainy winters. Humidity tends to be high all year round, and rain occurs mainly from November to March. In winter, temperatures seldom drop below 5°C and are more likely to be in the region of 10° to 15°C, while in summer the average is 27°C. The average annual rainfall is 510 millimeters.

Economy

Industry

Ashdod is one of the most important industrial centers in Israel. All industrial activities in the city are located in northern areas such as the port area, the northern industrial zone, and around the Lachish River. The port of Ashdod is the largest port in Israel

Israel

Panamax

"Panamax" ships are of the maximum dimensions that will fit through the canal lock of the Panama Canal. This size is determined by the dimensions of the lock chambers, and the depth of the water in the canal....
ships. Various shipping companies offices are also located in the port area which also is home to a Eshkol A

Eshkol Power Station

Coal

Coal is a readily combustion black or brownish-black sedimentary rock. The harder forms, such as anthracite, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure....
terminal.

The Northern industrial zone is located on Highway 41

Highway 41 (Israel)

Highway 41 is a highway in south-central Israel. It connects Gedera in the east with Ashdod in the west. Highway 41 is a primary transport link to the Port of Ashdod....
and includes various industry including an oil refinery

Oil refinery

An oil refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas....
, which is one of only two in the country. The heavy industry zone located south of the Lachish River

Lachish River

Lakhish River is a river in Israel that flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the city of Ashdod. It is also known as Wadi Kabiba and Wadi Sukhrir in Arabic....
was once the main industrial center in Ashdod. Recently, however, leisure facilities have moved into the area. There is still some industry here, however, such as a Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. , is an international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Petah Tikva, Israel. It specializes in generic drug and proprietary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients....
plant, construction components producer Ashtrom, and Solbar a soybean oil

Soybean

The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a Pulse . It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years as a food and a component of drugs....
producer. Ashdod is also home to Elta

ELTA

'ELTA' is a Lithuanian news agency based in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.ELTA was founded in 1920 in Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania, by Juozas Eretas, the first director of the agency, a literature professor, publicist, and public figure of Swiss descent who sought to make the ELTA news wire as efficient and reliable as a "S...
, a part of Israel Aircraft Industries

Israel Aircraft Industries

Israel Aerospace Industries or IAI is Israel's prime aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial systems for both military and civilian usage....
where radar

Radar

Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic radiation waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain....
equipment, electronic warfare

Electronic warfare

Electronic warfare The term EW refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the EMS or to attack the enemy....
systems, and ELINT are developed.

Shopping

Historically each neighborhood of Ashdod had its own commercial center and at different times some of these centers became the main shopping areas of the city such as Rogozin St. during the 1980s. In 1990, however, when the mall

Mall

Mall can refer to:* A Car-free zone* An esplanade; a long open area where people can walk* A shopping mall* Mall Airways, regional airline in eastern United States and Canada from 1973 to 1989...
culture developed in Israel, the main commercial activity in Ashdod moved to malls.

The first mall to open in Ashdod was the Forum Center which was built in the industrial zone and was very popular until additional malls were built in the residential neighborhoods. Restaurants, bars and night clubs were opened in the area which is one of the most popular recreation zones in the city. Today, the Forum center is mainly used for offices.

Lev Ashdod Mall was opened in 1993 and soon became the most popular shopping and recreation place among the population of Ashdod. The mall has been extended and upgraded in the years since its opening. Lev Ashdod Mall was followed two years later by Ashdod Mall which opened in 1995 and was at the time the biggest mall in the city. Despite this fact, however, it was not successful and is currently being closed and redesigned.

City Mall was opened in a combined building with the central bus station in 1996, following the examples of the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station

Tel Aviv Central Bus Station

Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, or Tel Aviv Central Bus Terminal is the primary bus station in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is located in the southern part of the city....
and the Jerusalem Central Bus Station

Jerusalem Central Bus Station

The Jerusalem Central Bus Station is the main bus station in Jerusalem, Israel and one of the busiest bus stations in the country. Located on Jaffa Road near the entrance to the city, it serves Egged Bus Cooperative and Dan Bus Company intercity bus routes....
. Due to its location in the city center it is highly popular and was upgraded in 2007.

The Sea Mall is a new three floor mall. It is located in a modern building near the government offices and also has a climbing

Climbing

Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations....
wall and cinema.

Finally, Star Center is a new shopping center which has proven to be popular to the extent that it doubles in size in 2007.

Transportation

Roads

Ashdod is located on the historic Via Maris

Via Maris

Highway 4 (Israel)

Highway 4 is an Israeli highway that runs along Israel's entire Israeli Coastal Plain of the Mediterranean Sea, its route in the north runs from the Rosh HaNikra border crossing with Lebanon until the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier#Erez Crossing with the Gaza Strip....
was developed following this route along the southern sea shore of Israel; it serves as the main connection to the north, towards the Tel Aviv metropolitan area

Gush Dan

Gush Dan is a metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv District and the Center District Districts of Israel. It is located along the Israeli coastal plain....
, and to the south, towards Ashkelon

Ashkelon

Ashkelon or Ashqelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Bronze Age. In the course of its history, it has been ruled by the Canaanites, the Philistines, the Babylonians, the Phoenicians, the Ancient Romes, the Muslims and the Crusaders....
.

Ad Halom

Ad Halom

Ad Halom is an area around the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel....
junction was planned as the main entrance to the city from the east. The junction was poorly planned and built, including a grade-level railway crossing less than 100 meters from the intersection with Highway 4 and a dangerous intersection with the nearby railway station's access road, and it currently suffers from heavy congestion

Traffic congestion

Traffic congestion is a condition on networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased Queueing theory....
. An interchange

Interchange

An interchange is a location where two things meet, usually perform some kind of exchange, and possibly go on their ways again. It is used in a number of different contexts....
is under construction, planned to open in 2009. The interchange is intended to continue the freeway

Freeway

A freeway is a type of road designed for Road safety#Motorway high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections....
section of Highway 4 further south by removing the traffic light at this junction, and it will also utilize grade separation

Grade separation

Grade separation is the process of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other....
with the railway.

The other main road in the area is Highway 41 which served the city from the start of its modern history. This road runs from west to east towards Gedera

Gedera

Gedera, or Gdera is a town in the Center District of Israel. It is located between the cities of Rehovot to the north, Ashdod to the west....
and it is the main transport link to the port of Ashdod and the industrial zones, and connects to Highway 4 with an interchange.

Railroad

The passenger railroad connection to Ashdod opened in 1992 after the renovation of the historical railway to Egypt

Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
. Ashdod railway station is on Israel Railways

Israel Railways

Israel Railways is Israel's government-owned national railway company and is responsible for all Inter-city rail and suburban railway passenger and freight traffic in the country....
' Binyamina

Binyamina

Binyamina is a town in the Haifa District of Israel, south of Haifa and north of Netanya. Formerly an independent local council , in 2003 it merged with nearby Giv'at Ada into a local council now called Binyamina-Giv'at Ada....
/Netanya

Netanya

Netanya is a city in the Center District of Israel and is the capital of the Sharon plain. It is located between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north....
- Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv-Yafo , usually Tel Aviv, is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of cities in Israel in Israel, with an estimated population of 390,100....
- Ashkelon

Ashkelon

Ad Halom

Ad Halom is an area around the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel....
Junction. The station was upgraded in 2003 when a new terminal building was built. The station building is modern, but proper road access to it is was only organized on September 23, 2008, when a new road to the station was opened.

There is also heavy freight traffic in the area. Port of Ashdod has its own railway spur line

Branch line

A branch line is a secondary Rail transport line which branches off a more important through route, usually a Main line . A very short branch line may be called a spur line....
as well as a special terminal for potash

Potash

Potash is the common name given to potassium carbonate and various mined and manufactured salts that contain the element potassium in water-soluble form....
brought from the Sodom

Sodom

Sodom can refer to:...
area and exported abroad.

Buses

The new central bus station

Bus station

A bus station is a structure where city bus or intercity bus buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the sidewalk where buses can stop....
opened in 1996. It serves as the terminus both for inter- and intracity lines. The building also includes a small but popular shopping mall

Shopping mall

File:Nordstrom wing , Pentagon City Mall.jpgA shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings which contain retail units, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit....
. Intercity bus lines connect the city with most population centers in central and southern Israel

Israel

Company name	Major destinations
Egged	Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its List of Israeli cities in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if Positions on Jerusalem East Jerusalem is included.... , a seasonal line to Eilat Eilat Eilat is Israel's South District city, a busy port as well as a popular resort, located at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on the Gulf of Aqaba....
Metropoline Metropoline Metropoline is an Israeli bus company, which provides bus routes from Beersheba to Tel Aviv and other destinations, mainly in the Southern District ....	Be'er Sheva, Kiryat Gat, Sderot Sderot Sderot is a western Negev city in the South District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2006 the city had a total population of 19,300.... , Netivot Netivot Netivot is a city in the Southern District of Israel in Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2007 the city had a total population of 25,600....
Connex Veolia Transport Veolia Transportation is the international transport services division of the France-based multinational company Veolia Environnement. Veolia Transportation trades under the brand names of Veolia Transportation, Veolia Transport, Veolia Verkehr in Germany, with the former name Connex Melbourne preserved in Melbourne, Lebanon, Israel and Jers...	Tel Aviv Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo , usually Tel Aviv, is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of cities in Israel in Israel, with an estimated population of 390,100.... (CBS Tel Aviv Central Bus Station Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, or Tel Aviv Central Bus Terminal is the primary bus station in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is located in the southern part of the city.... and Arlozorov Terminal), Bar Ilan University, Tel HaShomer Tel HaShomer Tel HaShomer is an area in Gush Dan in central Israel, east of Ramat Gan and bordered to the south by Kiryat Ono, to the west by Yehud, and to the north by the Ben Gurion International Airport.... , Rishon LeTziyon, Rehovot Rehovot Rehovot is a city in the Center District of Israel, about 20 kilometre south of Tel Aviv. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2007 the city had a total population of 106,200.... , Yavne Yavne Yavne is a city in the Center District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2007 the city had a total population of 32,200.... , Ashkelon Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Bronze Age. In the course of its history, it has been ruled by the Canaanites, the Philistines, the Babylonians, the Phoenicians, the Ancient Romes, the Muslims and the Crusaders.... , Kiryat Mal'akhi, Gedera Gedera Gedera, or Gdera is a town in the Center District of Israel. It is located between the cities of Rehovot to the north, Ashdod to the west.... , Gan Yavne Gan Yavne Gan Yavne is a in the Center District of Israel, located near the city of Ashdod. It was founded in 1931 and declared a local council in 1950....
Egged Ta'avura Egged Ta'avura Egged Ta'avura is an Israeli bus company. It is a subsidiary of the Egged Bus Cooperative and the Ta'avura Group, and was founded by the two in 2006 from 2 other subsidiaries of Egged, following the public transportation reform and privatization in Israel in the 2000s....	Intracity service

In addition, several lines pass by Ashdod along route 4

Highway 4 (Israel)

Ad Halom

Ad Halom is an area around the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel....
industrial area. These include Egged lines 300, 311 between Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv-Yafo , usually Tel Aviv, is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of cities in Israel in Israel, with an estimated population of 390,100....
and Ashkelon

Ashkelon

Egged Ta'avura

Egged Ta'avura is an Israeli bus company. It is a subsidiary of the Egged Bus Cooperative and the Ta'avura Group, and was founded by the two in 2006 from 2 other subsidiaries of Egged, following the public transportation reform and privatization in Israel in the 2000s....
line 379 between Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Eshkol Regional Council

The Eshkol Regional Council is a regional council in the north-western Negev, in Israel's Southern District . The regional council's territory lies midway between Ashkelon and Beersheba, bounded on the west by the Gaza Strip while the eastern border abuts the territory of the Bnei Shimon Regional Council....
and Metropoline

Metropoline

Metropoline is an Israeli bus company, which provides bus routes from Beersheba to Tel Aviv and other destinations, mainly in the Southern District ....
lines 351, 353 between Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Sderot

Sderot is a western Negev city in the South District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2006 the city had a total population of 19,300....
and Netivot

Netivot

Netivot is a city in the Southern District of Israel in Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2007 the city had a total population of 25,600....
. Other lines pass via Ashdod's northern access and stop at the Bnei Darom

Bnei Darom

Bnei Darom is a religious moshav shitufi in central Israel. Located near the Mediterranean Sea coast, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Yavne Regional Council....
Junction, including Metropoline

Metropoline

Metropoline is an Israeli bus company, which provides bus routes from Beersheba to Tel Aviv and other destinations, mainly in the Southern District ....
line 369 connecting Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv-Yafo , usually Tel Aviv, is the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of cities in Israel in Israel, with an estimated population of 390,100....
, Yavne

Yavne

Yavne is a city in the Center District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2007 the city had a total population of 32,200....
, Kiryat Gat and Be'er Sheva.

Due to the large Haredi population in Ashdod, many mehadrin lines

Egged Bus Cooperative

Egged Israel Transport Cooperative Society Ltd is the largest bus company in Israel, and the second largest in the world . A cooperative owned by its members, Egged employs 6227 workers and has 3105 buses for more than 1038 service routes and 3984 alternative routes all over Israel....
connect the Haredi neighborhoods of Ashdod with other Haredi population centers, such as Bnei Brak

Bnei Brak

File:Location_bneibrak.pngFile:800px-Ponivez1.jpegBnei Brak is a city located on Israel's central Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, just east of Tel Aviv, in the Gush Dan and Tel Aviv District....
, Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its List of Israeli cities in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if Positions on Jerusalem East Jerusalem is included....
, Bet Shemesh

Bet Shemesh

Beit Shemesh is a city council in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of 72,600 people. The modern day city was founded in 1950, although settlement has been on the site since pre-Biblical periods....
, Modi'in Illit

Modi'in Illit

Modi'in Illit is an Israeli settlement and city in the foothills of the Judean Mountains, midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is often referred to as Kiryat Sefer , the name of the settlement?s original neighborhood....
, Kiryat Gat, El'ad

El'ad

El'ad, also spelled Elad , is a city in the Center District of Israel. Located about east of Tel Aviv on Route 444 between Rosh HaAyin and Shoham, it also lies just west of the Green Line ....
, Tzfat and other towns. The mehadrin lines are operated by Egged, Connex

Veolia Transport

Veolia Transportation is the international transport services division of the France-based multinational company Veolia Environnement. Veolia Transportation trades under the brand names of Veolia Transportation, Veolia Transport, Veolia Verkehr in Germany, with the former name Connex Melbourne preserved in Melbourne, Lebanon, Israel and Jers...
, Egged Ta'avura

Egged Ta'avura

Share taxi

A share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between private transport and conventional bus transport, often with a fixed or semi-fixed route, but with the added convenience of stopping anywhere to pick or drop passengers and not having fixed time schedules....
service exists in Ashdod, operated by Moniyot HaIr. Most share taxi lines coincide with intracity bus lines.

Sea Transport

There is a passenger pier in the Port of Ashdod

Port of Ashdod

The Port of Ashdod is Israel's main cargo port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli Cargo#Marine Cargo Types. The port is located in Ashdod, about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, adjoining the mouth of the Lachish River....
. The traffic at this gateway is constantly growing, especially due to cruise ship

Cruise ship

File:MSMajestyOfTheSeasEdit1.JPGA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience....
activities. The other sea gateway is the newly opened Blue Marina

Ashdod Marina

Blue Marina in Ashdod is one of the newest marinas in Israel. It is located close to the city center in the middle of beach zone. The marina has berths for nearly 550 crafts....
.

Demographics

Population

Year	Population
1961	4,600
1972	40,300
1983	65,700
1990	83,900
1995	125,820
1996	137,100
2000	174,224
2001	187,000
2003	192,200
2006	204,400

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....
, Ashdod had a population of about 204,400 at the end of 2006, making it the fifth largest city in Israel. The annual population growth rate is 2.6% and the ratio of women to men is 1,046 to 1,000.

The population age distribution was recorded as 19.7% under the age of 10, 15.7% from age 10 to 19, 14.9% from 20 to 29, 19.1% from 30 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% were 65 or older. The population of Ashdod is significantly younger than the Israeli average because of the large number of young couples living in the city.

The city is ranked medium-low in socio-economic grading, with a rating of 4 out of 10. 56.1% of 12th grade students in Ashdod were eligible for matriculation certificates in 2000. The average salary in 2000 was NIS 4,821 compared to the national average of NIS 6,835.

Origins

Ashdod, like many Israeli cities, has seen much of its growth as the result of absorption of immigrants

Aliyah

Aliyah refers to Jewish immigration to Greater Israel. The opposite action, Jewish emigration from Israel, is referred to as Yerida ....
. The first major group to move to the city were Jews of Moroccan

History of the Jews in Morocco

Morocco Jews constitute an ancient community. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250,000 Jews in the country, but fewer than 7,000 or so remain....
and Egyptian

History of the Jews in Egypt

History of the Jews in Romania

The history of Jews in Romania concerns the Jews of Romania and of Romanian origins, from their first mention on what is nowadays Romanian territory....
, followed by a large number from Georgia

Georgian Jews

The Georgian Jews are from the nation of Georgia , in the Caucasus. Georgian Jews are one of the oldest communities in Georgia, tracing their migration into the country during the Babylonian captivity in 6th century BC....
in the 1970s. More than 60,000 Jews immigrated

History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
in the early 1990s. Recent demographic figures suggest that about 32% of the city's population are new immigrants, 85% of whom are originally from the former Soviet Union.

During the 1990s the city absorbed a large number of Jews of Ethiopian

Beta Israel

The Beta Israel is the Jewish community originating in Ethiopia, but now most of which lives in Israel. They are also known as Falasha by non-Jewish Ethiopians, but this term is considered pejorative....
descent, and in more recent years Ashdod has absorbed a large number of immigrants from France

History of the Jews in France

The Religions in France presently numbers around 600,000, according to the World Jewish Congress and 500,000 according to the Appel Unifi? Juif de France, and is found mainly in the metropolitan areas of Paris, Marseille, Strasbourg, Lyon, and Toulouse....
and Argentina

History of the Jews in Argentina

The history of the Jews of Argentina goes back to the days of the Spanish Inquisition and Portuguese Inquisition when Jews fleeing persecution settled in what is now Argentina....
.

Many of the 60000 Marathi speaking

Marathi language

Marathi is an Indo-Aryan languages spoken by the Marathi people of western India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are 90 million fluent speakers worldwide....
Bene Israel

Bene Israel

The Bene Israel are a group of Jews who migrated in the nineteenth century from west Maharashtra to the nearby Indian cities, primarily Mumbai, but also to Pune, Ahmedabad, and Karachi ....
i, from Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a States and territories of India located on the western coast of India. Maharashtra is a part of Western India. It is India's List of states of India by area and List of states of India by population....
, India

India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
have also settled here.

Ashdod also receives a significant amount of internal migration, especially from the Gush Dan

Gush Dan

Gush Dan is a metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv District and the Center District Districts of Israel. It is located along the Israeli coastal plain....
region.

Religion

Over 95% of Ashdod's population is Jewish, over 30% of whom are religiously observant. Despite this, the city is generally secular, although most of the non-Jewish population is a result of mixed marriages. The large Haredi community of the city live mainly in Neighborhood 7 (Rova Zayin) which is specially dedicated for their needs with Talmud Torah

Talmud Torah

Cheder

A Cheder is a traditional elementary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language....
, mikva and other religious institutions.

Ashdod is home to a wide range of synagogues, catering to the religious diversity of its population. The city is home to the world's largest Karaite community, about five thousand strong. There is also a Scandinavian Seamen Protestant church, established by Norwegian Righteous Among the Nations

Righteous Among the Nations

Righteous among the Nations , which may at times refer to the B'nei Noah or Noahides as well, is a term used in Judaism to refer to non-Jews who abide by the Seven Laws of Noah and thus are assured of meriting paradise....
pastor Per Faye-Hansen

Per Faye-Hansen

Per Faye-Hansen was a Norway pastor who saved Jews, risking his life, during World War II....
.

Government

Ashdod was declared a city in 1968. The Ashdod City Council

City council

A city council is a form of local government, usually covering a city or other urban area, such as a town. The system of government has roots back at least to the Roman Empire....
has twenty-five elected members, one of whom is the mayor. The mayor serves a five-year term and appoints six deputies. The current mayor of Ashdod, Yehiel Lasri

Yehiel Lasri

Yehiel Lasri is an Israeli politician who currently serves as mayor of Ashdod. He previously served as a member of the Knesset for the Centre Party , Lev and Likud....
, was last elected in 2008 after Zvi Zilker

Zvi Zilker

Zvi Zilker the second mayor of the city of Ashdod in Israel.Zilker was born in Berlin and Aliyah to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1935 with his parents....
has been in office continuously since 1989. Within the city council there are various factions representing different population groups, both secular and religious. The headquarters of the Ashdod Municipality and the mayor's office are at city hall. This new municipal building is located in the main culture and business area.

Mayors and heads of council

Dov Gur (1959–1961)
Robert Hayim (1961–1963)
Avner Garin (1963–1969)
Zvi Zilker
Zvi Zilker

Zvi Zilker the second mayor of the city of Ashdod in Israel.Zilker was born in Berlin and Aliyah to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1935 with his parents....
(1969–1983)
Aryeh Azulay
Aryeh Azulay

Aryeh Azulai was the third mayor of the city Ashdod in israel.Born in Fes, Morocco, Azulai is a teacher by profession. He held a number of roles in the education system until he was elected as mayor of Ashdod in 1983....
(1983–1989)
Zvi Zilker
Zvi Zilker

Zvi Zilker the second mayor of the city of Ashdod in Israel.Zilker was born in Berlin and Aliyah to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1935 with his parents....
(1989–2008)
Yehiel Lasri
Yehiel Lasri

Yehiel Lasri is an Israeli politician who currently serves as mayor of Ashdod. He previously served as a member of the Knesset for the Centre Party , Lev and Likud....
(2008–)

Culture

Music and theatre

Ashdod is home to the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra

Andalusian classical music

Andalusian classical music is a style of Arabic music found across North Africa, though it evolved out of the music of Andalusia between the 9th and 15th centuries, during the Al-Andalus period....
which performs music originating in Andalusia

Andalusia

Andalusia is a country in the Spanish State. It is the most populous and the second largest, in terms of land area, of the seventeen autonomous communities of the Spain....
, a blend of Western and Arabic music. The orchestra was awarded the Israel Prize

Israel Prize

The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel. It is presented annually, on Yom Ha'atzma'ut, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President of Israel, the Prime Minister of Israel, the Knesset chairperson, and the Supreme Court of Israel president....
in 2006.

The ACADMA conservatory

College or university school of music

Category:Limited geographic scopeCategory:USA-centricA university school of music or college of music, or academy of music or conservatoire — also known as a conservatory or a conservatorium — is a higher education institution dedicated to teaching the art...
, a professional educational institute for music and performance studies is based in Ashdod. Operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, the institute was established in 1966, and serves as a home for 600 young musicians in different fields. The conservatory is a vivacious and vigorous center of the music and the culture life in the city, and it is involved in the community life and educates a second generation of musicians made in Ashdod.

The MonArt center is a newly opened performing arts center

Performing arts center

Performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is used to refer toeither:* a multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre....
which has different art schools, studios and events. Theater and concerts are hosted in several cultural venues; the most important are performed at Yad LaBanim concert hall. The new city concert hall is in its final building stages, and will enlarge capacity to 1600.

The city has had an unlikely influence on the world of music elsewhere: a reggae music record label is named Ashdod by way of a tribute.

Museums

The Korin Maman Museum has a permanent archeology exhibition called "Philistian World" as well as various changing art exhibitions.
Ashdod Museum of Art located in the MonArt center, has 13 exhibition halls.In an architectural echo of the Louvre, the entrance to the museum is through a glass pyramid.

Sports

Ashdod's football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
team, FC Ashdod represents the city in Ligat ha'Al

Ligat ha'Al

The Israeli Premier League , currently known as Ligat Toto for sponsorship reasons, is the top division in the Israeli football league system....
, Israel's Premier League. The club is known for its successful soccer school. The city's top basketball team is Maccabi Ashdod. The men squad plays in Liga Leumit, Israel's second tier league, and the women squad plays in top division.

Ashdod plays host to many national and international sporting tournaments, including the annual Ashdod International Chess

Chess

Chess is a recreational and competitive game played between two Player . Sometimes called Western chess or international chess to distinguish it from History of chess and other chess variants, the current form of the game emerged in Southern Europe during the second half of the 15th century after evolving from similar, much older...
Festival. The city has a cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games team sport that originated in southern England. The earliest definite reference is dated 1598, and it is now played in more than 100 countries....
team, a rarity in Israel. It is run and organized by citizens of Indian descent. Like many coastal settlements in Israel, Ashdod's beaches is a venue for water sport, like as windsurfing

Windsurfing

Windsurfing, or sailboarding, is a Surface Water Sports using a windsurf board, also commonly called a sailboard, usually two to five meters long and powered by the wind pushing on a sail....
, yachting

Yachting

Yachting or recreational sailing is the specific act of sailing as a sport....
, and SCUBA diving

Scuba diving

SCUBA diving is Underwater diving, or taking part in another activity, while using a scuba set. By carrying a source of breathing gas , the scuba diver is able to stay underwater longer than with the simple breath-holding techniques used in snorkeling and free-diving, and is not hindered by air lines to a remote air source....
operating in the Marina

Ashdod Marina

Blue Marina in Ashdod is one of the newest marinas in Israel. It is located close to the city center in the middle of beach zone. The marina has berths for nearly 550 crafts....
area.

Ashdod has produced a number of famous sportsmen:

Haim Revivo
Haim Revivo

Haim Michael Revivo is a retired Israeli football player, and a businessman. He was especially famous for his free-kick goals and his entertaining celebrations after these goals....
- international soccer player
Alon Hazan
Alon Hazan

Alon Hazan is a former Israeli football who currently serves as coach and general manager for FC Ashdod. Outside of football he is presently taking a degree in politics....
- international soccer player
Vered Borochovsky - 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Summer Olympics swimmer.
Gocha Tzitziashvili - 2003 Greco-Roman Wrestling World champion & 2004 Summer Olympics wrestler

Sister cities

Bordeaux

is a Port city on the Garonne in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its aire urbaine at a 2008 estimate. It is the Capital of the Aquitaine regions of France, as well as the Prefectures in France of the Gironde Departments of France....
, France Bahia Blanca

Bahía Blanca

Bah?a Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the provinces of Argentina of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, head town of Bahia Blanca Partido....
, Argentina

Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....

Spandau

Spandau is the fifth and westernmost Boroughs of Berlin of Berlin, situated at the Confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and along the western bank of the Havel....
, Germany Tampa, Florida

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a United States city in Hillsborough County, Florida, on the west coast of the state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County....
, USA

Ashdod

History

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Sister cities

External links