Beit Shemesh is a city located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Jerusalem in Israel‘s Jerusalem District, with a population of 154,694 in 2022. The city is named after and located near the remains of ancient Beth Shemesh, a biblical city in the territory of Judah. Its ruins can be found today at the archaeological site of Tel Beit Shemesh. read more…
Sderot is a western Negevcity and former development town in the Southern District of Israel. In 2019 it had a population of 27,635. Sderot is located less than a mile from Gaza (the closest point is 840 m), and is notable for having been a major target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. Between 2001 and 2008, rocket attacks on the city killed 13 people, wounded dozens, caused millions of dollars in damage and profoundly disrupted daily life. Although rocket fire subsided after the Gaza War, the city has come under rocket attack on occasion since that time. read more…
Safed is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of 900 metres (2,953 ft), Safed is the highest city in Galilee, a region that Israel (in the north) and Lebanon (in the south) are reluctant to share, and in Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters. Its mild climate and scenic views have made Safed a popular holiday resort frequented by Israelis and foreign visitors. In 2019 it had a population of 36,000. read more…
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the “Capital of the Negev”, it is the center of the fourth most populous metropolitan area in Israel, the eighth most populous city in Israel with a population of 201,086, and the second largest city with a total of 117,500 dunams (after Jerusalem). Beersheba has grown considerably since then. A large portion of the population is made up of the descendants of Sephardi Jews and Mizrahi Jews who immigrated from Arab countries after 1948, as well as smaller communities of Bene Israel and Cochin Jews from India. Second and third waves of immigration have taken place since 1990, bringing Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, as well as Beta Israel immigrants from Ethiopia. The Soviet immigrants have made the game of chess a major sport in Beersheba. The city is now Israel’s national chess center, with more chess grandmasters per capita than any other city in the world. read more…
