Hashmonaim

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Hashmonaim
Hebrew	חַשְׁמוֹנָאִים
Founded	July 7, 1988
Council	Mateh Binyamin
Coordinates	31°55′51.65″N 35°1′17.66″E / 31.9310139°N 35.0215722°E / 31.9310139; 35.0215722Coordinates: 31°55′51.65″N 35°1′17.66″E / 31.9310139°N 35.0215722°E / 31.9310139; 35.0215722
Population	2,400 (2005)
Hashmonaim

Hashmonaim (Hebrew: חַשְׁמוֹנָאִים‎, also known as Ramat Modi'in) is an Israeli settlement located in the Binyamin Region of Israel in the western section of the West Bank, off of Route 443, three kilometers north of Modi'in, and 30 minute drive from both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

[edit] History

Construction of the first homes began in December 1983. A dedication ceremony on June 12, 1984, was attended by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and the Sephardi chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu. The first families moved in on August 1987.

In 2008, there were 530 families living in Hashmonaim. Over 50% of the residents are native English speakers. Yemenite and Sefardi Jewish groups are also present. Most are members of the religious Zionist community.^[1]

[edit] Communal services

The rabbi of the community is Rabbi Itamar Orbach, who rotates between Hashmonaim's seven synagogues. The largest is Glenwood Jewish Center, named after a synagogue in Brooklyn, New York, which paid for its construction.^[2] Hashmonaim has five kindergartens, an elementary school, and a yeshiva. The community also has a clubhouse for young people, a Bnei Akiva branch, two basketball courts, a baseball field, playgrounds, a library and a fitness center.^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Website of Hashmonaim
• Official Website of Yeshivat Ner Tamid
• Village profile on Nefesh B'Nefesh guide
• Village profile on Tehilla
  • Haggai Matar, Closed Military Zone, Alternative Information Center, 31 July 2008. (contains an account of Hashmonaim)