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WELCOME TO KIRYAT TIVON!
WELCOME HOME!
Only meters away from the ancient synagogues and burial sites of our ancestors in Bet Shearim, the town of Kiryat Tivon exemplifies the creative, industrious energy of modern Israel.
Kiryat Tivon is actually built on the excavations of the biblical town of Bet Shearim which dates back to the Second Temple period. It is an area of dramatic scenery and excellent hiking among ancient caves, catacombs and menorah symbols carved into the soft rock.
Not far from the excavations of the ancient site, the statue of Alexander Zaid commemorates the legendary guardian and pioneer of this area who was murdered in 1938 while performing his duties. The statue depicts him mounted on his horse overlooking the Jezreel Valley, still guarding his district.
WE'RE NEAR THE MAJOR NORTHERN URBAN CENTER, BUT....
Kiryat Tivon is at the best location for convenient access to educational, cultural, business and industrial opportunities, but just far enough away from the stress of the city to enjoy the pleasures of small town life.
Haifa, ten miles northwest, is the technological, commercial, industrial and educational hub of the North. The high-tech center and a wide variety of industrial organizations are located there as well as the University of Haifa and the Israel Institute of Technology [The Technion].
Haifa is the major city of the North and has all the advantages of a modern, well-developed urban center.
Most of Kiryat Tivon's residents work outside of the town throughout the northern sector of Israel, some even in Tel Aviv about sixty miles away. All the significant northern sites of Israel's high-tech industry are ten to thirty miles from Kiryat Tivon.
BUT NOT TOO NEAR....
We're still a placid, friendly small town where people greet each other on the street and enjoy the quality of life too often unavailable in other places.
One main business street with a lively, bustling Town Square faces a broad municipal lawn with benches, green grass, shade trees and plenty of space for kids and dogs to frolic freely. It's a favorite spot for meeting friends, to sit for awhile, chat and enjoy the mild weather and the quiet rhythm of small town life. Off to one side is a children's playground.
A recent survey revealed that nine out of ten residents feel they enjoy a high quality of life in Kiryat Tivon.
Most shops in the Square are owner-operated. The proprietor knows your name, is happy to see you, wants you to be satisfied.
Coffee shops with tables outside are pleasant spots for a leisurely chat, a quick snack or a meal.
During the festival of Hanukka a giant hanukkia is erected in the Town Square and at Succot there is a succa. The annual used book sale and occasonal musical events make it a convivial place to meet neighbors and friends while doing necessary errands.
Kiryat Tivon has three small supermarkets and a number of small grocery stores [makolets]. There are banks, pharmacies, health clinics, swimming pools and veterinarians. Almost every conceivable item is available in the local shops. In addition, four modern shopping malls are within a five to ten minute drive.
About 5500 families live in Kiryat Tivon, bringing the total population to about 16,000 people. About 3,000 of them are children and youth and about the same number are elderly. There are also an estimated 1600 licensed dogs.
The majority of people are middle or upper middle class raising the town's socio-economic level to 8.9 on a scale of ten.
A uniquely moving and beautiful Memorial Center is dedicated to the memory of Kiryat Tivon's soldiers who gave their lives in defense of the state since independence. The Center's Hall of Memory features photographs and biographies of our fallen soldiers.
A revealing fact about Kiryat Tivon is the constancy of its population. Unlike many western societies where the people move frequently from city to city, and even in Israel itself where mobility is common, in Kiryat Tivon the people who live here tend to remain. Second and now third generations are not uncommon in the town. And those who leave -- like salmon going home -- come back to raise their children.
AT HOME IN KIRYAT TIVON
Single family dwellings constitute about seventy-five percent of housing in Kiryat Tivon. A yard, space for gardening and fruit trees are the norm. Plucking a couple of apricots off your tree on the way to your car or stepping outside your door to pick a few oranges to squeeze for breakfast are not unusual. Besides apricots and oranges, guava, almonds, plums and pomegranates are frequently seen in private yards as well as herb and spice gardens.
Apartment buildings are limited to no more than three stories high. Most apartment buildings were constructed in the 1960's and the apartments are usually small.
Many streets in Kiryat Tivon are protected by ‘speed bumps' which are the bane of motorists but effectively limit speed and protect children, the elderly and others who can't get out of the way.
Most residental streets are tree-lined with many boasting Kiryat Tivon's beloved oak trees. Flowering trees and bushes provide brilliant seasonal displays.
The town stretches its limbs across the Lower Galilee, dividing the Zvulon Valley from the Jezreel Valley. The scenery viewed from the windows of many residences ranges from pastoral to dramatic and is complemented by the varied topography.
Aerial view of Kiryat Tivon's varied topography
Coming home after a long day at work it's refreshing to take the dog out for a brisk walk along Kiryat Tivon's unpaved back roads among oaks and their favored companions the terebinth tree. White birch, laurel, Syrian maple and carob or locust trees flourish here, along with three-lobed sage bushes and prickley burnet.
Architecture is generally rustic with red roofs providing dramatic contrast with the surrounding greenery. Broad porches are preferred, encouraging outdoor socializing. Homes are designed to benefit from prevailing breezes and to minimize the hot summer sun.
Kiryat Tivon is only about fifteen miles from the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. The climate during winter is generally mild although the summers are hot. It only rains in winter between November and March, averaging about 220 inches per year.
GOING TO SCHOOL IN KIRYAT TIVON
Kiryat Tivon's approximately 3000 children and youth attend twenty neighborhood kindergardens, five neighborhood elementary schools and one central high school. The kindergardens offer the choice among municipal, orthodox, ultra orthodox and anthroposophic/Waldorf. The latter includes one kindergarden in which Jewish and Bedouin children participate together.
A significant characteristic of the five neighborhood elementary schools is the full parent involvement in running the schools including program and policy. New educational programs are considered each year. These have recently included environmental preservation, reciprocity with minority groups like our Bedouin neighbors and honoring and understanding elderly people. Almost all students play musical instruments or sing in choral groups.
The high school operates on two campuses. In the final three years of
high school, students may choose to concentrate in science, painting and graphics, music, theater arts or a basic technical stream.
A year of community service after high school and before entering the army has become common in Kiryat Tivon. A significant segment of our high school graduates participate. Recently Kiryat Tivon became the first town in which our graduates chose to perform their year of service here in their own town. The particpants receive a small stipend and live together in a house provided for them by the municipality. They are active in the schools, improving the atmosphere and communicaton between the students and teachers and in leisure time activities.
Besides academic programs, Kiryat Tivon's schools offer broad programs of extra-curricular activities and special help for students who need it.
Students participate in trips within the country every year. In addition, a number of eleventh graders go on a one-week trip to Poland as part of a program dealing with the Holocaust and its meaning to the Jewish people. This expedition comes only after a vigorous and thorough preparation.
Members of the Kiryat Tivon delegation to Poland at the Monument of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
A special feature in the twelfth grade is "Reporting from the field." In this program graduates who are already in the army come back to school to tell about their duties and responsibilities in the army.
QUALITY OF LIFE INCLUDES LEISURE
Every neighborhood in Kiryat Tivon has playgrounds and attractive green parks with benches shaded by our stalwart oaks, flowering acacia, Syrian maples, hawthorne and other trees.
Some benches in the parks bear plaques honoring elderly residents.
The Music Conservatory, serving more than five hundred students, offers regular recitals which grow out of the pure pleasure of musical development at all age levels. There is a ballet school with about four hundred students, and there are several choral societies which attract devoted participants and regularly present well-attended productions. Some of the choral societies perform both nationally and abroad.
Kiryat Tivon has one movie theater. It changes its offering every week, it sells fresh pop corn and is a pleasant way to share an evening with friends.
There are eighteen synagogues in Kiryat Tivon. They include Reform and Orthodox. The synagogues are usually not crowded on the weekends [Shabbat] except, of course, during the High Holidays.
The celebration of Simchat Torah, however, attracts participants who might rarely attend synagogue services.
The observance of Simchat Torah is performed with special gusto in Kiryat Tivon. It is the festival to commemorate the beginning of reading the Torah - having finished reading it the day before. Simchat Torah is celebrated outside under the stars in two neighborhoods in Kiryat Tivon. It is one of Judaism's few purely joyous holy days. You don't have to be "religious" to enjoy it.
The lecture series offered in the evenings at the Memorial Center brings high level professionals to discuss topics such as "The Israeli Constitution" and "Law in a Democracy." These lectures attract interested participants and usually include spirited and informed discussions.
The Memorial Center also offers classes in Italian, German and Yiddish.
The public library on the first floor of the Memorial Center is staffed by friendly and accommodating professionals. It has an extensive collection in English, including a wide selection of children's books. Current magazines in English and Hebrew are located in a cozy corner for comfortable reading. The library provides eight computers for public use, four of them with internet connections.
The Memorial Center, The Andarta Monument, The Old Water Tower
A weekly children's story hour is always well-attended. The children's section of the library is usually abuzz with kids selecting and reading books and doing homework.
A cheerful corner, fancifully arranged, encourages daddies and mommies to explore books with their young children. The library stresses positive experiences with books even at a very young age as a way to encourage a life-long pleasure in reading. A special attraction in the children's corner is the Comfy Computer, designed especially for toddlers. With large picture-keys, the children play interactive games and "read stories" in Hebrew and English.
Consistent with many western countries, Shalhevet, a non-profit association operating in Kiryat Tivon, helps elderly people to remain in their community and in their own homes. Shalhevet's activities emphasize community support ranging from home help to an emergency system to call for assistance when needed. There are neighborhood clubs for lectures, handicrafts, walking tours and a program emphasizing health and strength.
One of Shalhevet's most popular offerings is the Day Center. It offers dance therapy, courses in painting, gardening, crafts, gymnastics, tai chi, and more. A social worker and a nurse are available. Breakfast and dinner are provided, as is transportation to and from the Center.
For more energetic participants, there are a bicycling club and local and national tours emphasizing getting to know the country, its history and its natural environment.
For newcomers, Shalhevet offers an ulpan for learning or improving Hebrew.
Whether it's learning to listen to classical music, learning to use computers, playing bridge or coping with osteoporosis, the participants are enthusiastic and the Day Center is always full to capacity.
Kiryat Tivon offers a variety of accommodation for elderly people who prefer not to live alone. In Israel they are called Parents' Homes. In Kiryat Tivon they range from an elegant environment in a huge complex offering full services to more intimate, protected but independent residences. Some provide assisted living and attendant nursing and medical care.
One of the characteristics of Kiryat Tivon is the prevalence of volunteerism. The community is very involved in its own life and the people volunteer for different kinds of activities at all levels and at all ages. For example: Most of the Memorial Center programs and activities are operated by volunteers. Much of the work of Shalhevet is done by volunteers. The guides at Bet Shearim are volunteers as are the people who organize and conduct the annual used book sale. There are many more examples.
CEREMONIES AND TRADITIONS
Early spring is Israel's best season: After the winter rains and before the intense heat of summer. In this season especially, the ancient synagogues of Bet Shearim are frequently the scene of weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. This is also where the children of Kiryat Tivon begin their study of the history of the Jewish people. Standing with their parents before the ancient caves and synagogues of Bet Shearim, each child about to enter second grade, receives his or her Torah. It is a ceremony unique to Kiryat Tivon. The past and the present are thus united in this ancient place and each generation of children secures the future.
Most ceremonies and traditions in Kiryat Tivon are cheerful and happy and beautiful. For example, Kiryat Tivon is famous for the variety of resident artisans. Every year on the first Shabbat before Passover they open their homes to the public to show and discuss their work. It's a rare cultural experience which brings people from all over the area.
The celebration of Mimuna immediately following the last day of Passover is a traditon among Jews of Moroccan origin. In this tradition, in Kiryat Tivon, the people open their homes and welcome all guests with sweets, a drink and a blessing.
Kiryat Tivon, like the rest of the country, also remembers the somber occasions. Every year we commemorate Holocaust Day in the presence of hundreds of our citizens including Holocaust survivors from among the inhabitants of our town.
On the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers, the people of Kiryat Tivon gather on the lawn of the Memorial Center near the powerful Andarta monument to consecrate, together with their families, all of Kiryat Tivon's soldiers who have fallen in Israel's wars.
The Andarta Monument at the entrance to Kiryat Tivon
The residents of Kiryat Tivon also commemorate every year, our late Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin, with a decorous and impressive ceremony.
Once a year, close to the date when the first inhabitants built their house in Kiryat Tivon, three of our residents are honored in recognition of their contributions to the community.
Kiryat Tivon is unique in its relationship with our neighbors the Bedouin. The warmth of this relationship has become traditional among us. There are three Bedouin villages at the northern edge of Kiryat Tivon and we have strong and fruitful relations with them. The relationship is reciprocal: We shop in their stores and kiosks and they shop in ours. The middle-eastern restaurants, special baked goods and variety of their shops make us frequent visitors at their villages. At a more practical level Kiryat Tivon provides essential employment in gardening, housekeeping and in various skilled occupations. Beyond economics, friendships and neighborly relations have grown among us as well as between our mayor and the mayor of the Bedouin villages.
SPORTS! SPORTS! SPORTS!
Sports activity is very well developed in Kiryat Tivon. We have courses, teams and infrastructure in all fields including water polo, basketball, tennis, swimming, badminton, soccer and bike riding. Our tennis groups range from very young to elderly. One of our women's soccer teams includes some sportswomen from the Bedouin villages. There is a special program of bike riding for the elderly. We also have karate for youngsters and adults. In addition there is Giant Wheels which combines artistic movement, dance and sport.
While we encourage participation in sports as a recreation for everyone, we aim to excel. Our water polo team has been the national champion for more than ten years. Some of our basketball teams are in the national league.
The Sinai Competition for professional runners, which originated in Kiryat Tivon, has become a national event. There is a popular shorter segment for families and non-professionals.
The managing committees of all sports are run by unpaid volunteers who manage the sport, arrange competitions and worry about the welfare of the teams.
Kiryat Tivon is home to four national youth movements: Boy Scouts, Noar Ha Lomed & Ha Oved, B'nei Akiva which is a traditonal Orthodox group and The Youth Club which provides a social framework for youth who don't otherwise participate in organized activities.
NATURE AND WILDLIFE
The name ‘Tivon' contains the letters ‘teva' which is ‘nature' in Hebrew. This is appropriate because the town is surrounded by extensive natural forests which include two species of oak trees, some of them very old and venerated, as well as terebinth, carob and laurel. The forests, still in their original growth, shelter a variety of wild life including jackals, wild pig, porcupines, wolves, foxes and mongoose.
One of the oldest oak trees in Israel is in our forest. It is estimated to be 800 years old. Four adults can't get their arms around it. This ancient oak is less than 500 feet from the last house in Kiryat Tivon.
Every place in Kiryat Tivon is only a few minutes walk from a natural area. One hundred meters from the houses in the Elroi neighborhood is the Kishon stream. It is mentioned in the bible. A natural park is adjacent to the stream. On the other side of Kiryat Tivon, two miles away, is the Zippori stream, also mentioned in the bible. Between these two natural borders are extensive forests of oak, pine, terebinth, carob, and other trees native to this area.
Many neighborhoods of Kiryat Tivon are so quiet that someone out for a stroll even during the daytime, can hear the twittering of birds and the chirping of crickets. In the evenings there is also the "Whooo" of owls hunting their nightly meal.
The open fields and forests are simply calling to the people of Kiryat Tivon to come, to walk, to ride their bicycles, to run with their dogs, to romp with their children, to picnic, hike, enjoy.
And they do it. In Kiryat Tivon we are accustomed to being free and safe in the environs of our town.
Kiryat Tivon stretches across a dozen hills of an average height of thirty to 600 feet above sea level. The town is ten miles southeast of the city of Haifa on the edge of the lower Galilee, not far from Nazareth.
The symbol of Kiryat Tivon is the cyclamen, a flower that grows among the rocks. It is very common in our area and is frequently seen in the gardens of the residents of Kiryat Tivon.
To learn more about Kiryat Tivon, go to our website at www.ktv.org.il The website is in Hebrew but we hope to have an English section soon.
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