Omer, Israel
Template:Infobox Israel municipality Omer (Template:Lang-he-n) is an upscale town in the South District of Israel, bordering Beersheba. It is located on Highway 60, between Beersheba and the Shoket Junction.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Omer%2C_Israel_3.jpg/250px-Omer%2C_Israel_3.jpg)
Omer, originally known as Hevrona, was founded as a kibbutz in 1949. The early residents were demobilized Palmach soldiers. In 1951, it became a cooperative village known as Eilata. In 1953, it was re-established as a communal moshav by immigrants from Hungary and Romania and renamed Omer. The name is based on a verse from the book of Leviticus.[1]
In 1957, residents of the ma'abarot in the vicinity moved to Omer. In 1962, it was renamed Tomer and became a neighborhood of Beersheba. Since 1974, it has been an independent town and suburb of Beersheba.[1]
Pini Badash has served as mayor since 1990. In 2010, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the population of Omer was 6,593.[2] Omer's jurisdiction is 20,126 dunams (~20.1 km²).
Economy
Omer is known for its high socio-economic ranking. It is one of three municipalities to score 10/10, along with Kokhav Yair and Savyon.[3]
Notable residents
- Guy Barnea, Olympic swimmer
- Amir Ganiel, swimmer
- Imri Ganiel, swimmer
- Roni Dalumi, singer
- Shaul Ladany, world-record-holding Olympic racewalker, Bergen-Belsen survivor, Munich Massacre survivor, and Professor of Industrial Engineering
References
- ^ a b HaReuveni, Immanuel (1999). Lexicon of the Land of Israel. Miskal - Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books. p. 769. ISBN 965-448-413-7. Template:He icon
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
cbs localities
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Local Authorities in Israel 2005, Publication #1295 - Municipality Profiles - Omer" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2008-03-07. Template:He icon