Rosh HaAyin ( he, רֹאשׁ הָעַיִן, lit="fountainhead", , ar, روش هاعين) is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...

in the Central District of Israel. To the west of Rosh HaAyin is the fortress of

Antipatris Antipatris (, grc, Αντιπατρίς) was a city built during the first century BC by Herod the Great, who named it in honour of his father, Antipater. The site, now a national park in central Israel, was inhabited from the Chalcolithic Pe ...

and the source of the

Yarkon River The Yarkon River, also Yarqon River or Jarkon River ( he, נחל הירקון, ''Nahal HaYarkon'', ar, نهر العوجا, ''Nahr al-Auja''), is a river in central Israel. The source of the Yarkon ("Greenish" in Hebrew) is at Antipatris, Tel ...

. To the southeast is the fortress of Migdal Afek (Migdal Tzedek). In , it had a population of .

History

Rosh HaAyin is named after its location at the source of the Yarkon River (''rosh'' = head, ''ayin'' = fountain, spring). The location, and the ottoman Fort that had existed on the site since the 16th century, has historically been referred to as

Ras Al-Ayn Ras al-Ayn ( ar, رَأْس ٱلْعَيْن, Raʾs al-ʿAyn, ku, سەرێ کانیێ, Serê Kaniyê, syc, ܪܝܫ ܥܝܢܐ, Rēš Aynā), also spelled Ras al-Ain, is a city in al-Hasakah Governorate in northeastern Syria, on the Syria–Turkey ...

( ar, رأس العين, same meaning as the Hebrew name). There was a Palestinian Arab village with the same in the location, which was abandoned in 1920s. Rosh HaAyin was founded in the 1949 near the site of ancient

and the Ottoman fortress of Ras Al-Ayn and on the land of the depopulated

Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

village of Majdal Yaba; about 1km north of the village site. Many of the early residents were religious

Yemenite Jews Yemenite Jews or Yemeni Jews or Teimanim (from ''Yehudei Teman''; ar, اليهود اليمنيون) are those Jews who live, or once lived, in Yemen, and their descendants maintaining their customs. Between June 1949 and September 1950, the ...

airlifted to Israel in 1949 and 1950 in

Operation Magic Carpet Operation Magic Carpet was the post- World War II operation by the War Shipping Administration to repatriate over eight million American military personnel from the European, Pacific, and Asian theaters. Hundreds of Liberty ships, Victory s ...

. They added Biblical words from Exodus 19:4 to the city's logo: "I (God) carried You on eagles' wings." The place was one of the Israel

Ma'abarot Ma'abarot ( he, מַעְבָּרוֹת) were immigrant and refugee absorption camps established in Israel in the 1950s, constituting one of the largest public projects planned by the state to implement its sociospatial and housing policies. T ...

(transit camps) in the 1950s. In the 1990s, new neighborhoods were built, although the town still has a large Yemeni-Jewish population.

Archaeology

In 2015, archaeologists discovered a large ancient

farmhouse FarmHouse (FH) is a social fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a national organization in 1921. Today FarmHouse has 33 active chapters and four associate chapters (formerly colonies) in the United State ...

. Among the other artifacts that were exposed in the farmhouse there were two silver coins from the fourth century BCE that bear the goddess

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

and the

Owl of Athena In Greek mythology, a little owl (''Athene noctua'') traditionally represents or accompanies Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, or Minerva, her syncretism, syncretic incarnation in Roman mythology. Because of such association, the bird—ofte ...

. In addition, a monastery dating to the

Byzantine period The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

was discovered on one of the hills in the area and included a church, an oil press, residential quarters, and stables equipped with

manger __NOTOC__ A manger or trough is a rack for fodder, or a structure or feeder used to hold food for animals. The word comes from the Old French ''mangier'' (meaning "to eat"), from Latin ''mandere'' (meaning "to chew"). Mangers are mostly used in ...

s and troughs, etc. In the church were colorful

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

s and also numerous

Greek inscriptions The Greek-language inscriptions and epigraphy are a major source for understanding of the society, language and history of ancient Greece and other Greek-speaking or Greek-controlled areas. Greek inscriptions may occur on stone slabs, pottery ostr ...

Demographics

According to the

Israel Central Bureau of Statistics The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics ( he, הלשכה המרכזית לסטטיסטיקה, ''HaLishka HaMerkazit LiStatistika''; ar, دائرة الإحصاء المركزية الإسرائيلية), abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli government ...

(CBS), in 2018, the ethnic make-up of the city was 97.9% Jewish, with a predominant number of young people below the age of 19. The population growth rate was 9.7% at the end of 2019.

Economy

According to the CBS, there were 10,972 salaried workers and 1,033 self-employed in 2000. The mean monthly wage for a salaried worker was NIS 6,595, an increase of 11.2% over the course of 2000. Salaried males had a mean monthly wage of NIS 8,408 (a real change of 7.8%) versus NIS 4,857 for females (a real change of 13.1%). The mean income for the self-employed was 6,853. 628 people received unemployment benefits, and 1,057 received an income supplement. In 2004, the company discovered oil at the Meged 5 oil field near Rosh HaAyin. It is one of the largest on-shore oil fields in Israel. It began production in 2010, and produces oil as well as some

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon ...

. Its proven oil reserves are about .

TTI Telecom TTI Telecom, founded in 1992, is a developer and provider of next generation Operations Support Systems (OSS) to large communications service providers. TTI Telecom is based in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel and operates subsidiaries in 7 other countries. ...

is located in Rosh HaAyin.Your Taxes: Israeli firm wins Indian tax case
/ref>

Education

According to the CBS, there are 24 schools in Rosh Ha'ayin, with an enrollment of 8,288. Eighteen were elementary schools, with an enrollment of 5,043, and high schools, have an enrollment of 3,245. In 2001, 58.8% of Rosh Ha'ayin's 12th grade students were entitled to a

matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now ...

certificate.

High schools

* Atid Religious High School * Yehuda Halevi-Begin High School

Sports

S.C Rosh Ha'ayin ("Moadon Sport Rosh Ha'ayin"), a football team who plays at "Liga Gimel Sharon". Ironi Rosh HaAyin is a professional beach soccer team based in Rosh HaAyin, Israel. Logo RH HQ

Transportation

Public Transportation

The city of Rosh HaAyin is served by

Afikim Afikim () is an Israeli kibbutz affiliated with the Kibbutz Movement located in the Jordan Valley three kilometers from the Sea of Galilee. It is within the jurisdiction of the Emek HaYarden Regional Council. In it had a population of . Etym ...

and Egged bus companies. These bus companies, especially Afikim, serve internal transit, and they connect Rosh HaAyin to nearby towns such as Kafr Qasim and

Petah Tikva Petah Tikva ( he, פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה, , ), also known as ''Em HaMoshavot'' (), is a city in the Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Jews of the Old Yishuv, and became a permanent s ...

, to

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

, as well as along

Highway 5 Route 5, or Highway 5, may refer to routes in the following countries: International * Asian Highway 5 * European route E05 * European route E005 Argentina * National Route 5 Australia New South Wales * M5 Motorway (Sydney) * The Det ...

to the settlement of Ariel in the

Occupied West Bank The Israeli occupation of the West Bank began on 7 June 1967, when Israeli forces captured and occupied the territory (including East Jerusalem), then occupied by Jordan, during the Six-Day War, and continues to the present day. The status of ...

. The city is served by

Rosh HaAyin North railway station The Rosh HaAyin North railway station is a suburban passenger railway station in Israel, operated by Israel Railways. It is situated in north Rosh HaAyin near the Kesem Interchange which is located at the intersection of Highway 5 Route 5, or H ...

, located Northwest of the city. Herzliya–Ashkelon line runs through this station, and it connects Rosh HaAyin to

Herzliya Herzliya ( ; he, הֶרְצְלִיָּה ; ar, هرتسليا, Hirtsiliyā) is an affluent city in the central coast of Israel, at the northern part of the Tel Aviv District, known for its robust start-up and entrepreneurial culture. In it ...

in the Northern direction, and to

, and

Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border ...

in the Southern direction.

Roads

The city is located at the interchange between

Highway 6 Route 6, or Highway 6, may refer to routes in the following countries: International * Asian Highway 6 * European route E6 * European route E006 Albania * National Road SH6 Argentina * Buenos Aires Provincial Route 6 Australia New ...

(Trans-Israel Highway) and

(Trans-Samaria Highway). Westbound Highway 5 provides connections to North-South thoroughfares that connect to localities in the Tel Aviv Metro Area. Eastbound Highway 5 crosses into the

, passing through Kafr Qassem/Kafr 'Ein Checkpoint. This highway provides connections to several settlements such as Ariel. Southbound Highway 6 provides connections to

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, Ben Gurion Airport, and further south to

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

. Northbound Highway 6 provides connections to

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropoli ...

and

Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Gali ...

. Route 444 connects the city to its southern neighbors like

El'ad El'ad, also spelled Elad ( he, אלעד), is a city in the Central District of Israel. In the 1990s, it was built for a Haredi Jewish population and to a lesser extent, it was also built for a Religious Zionist Jewish population. Located about e ...

and its northern neighbor Jaljulia. Route 483 connects Rosh HaAyin to

to the west. The city is also collected to

Kafr Qassem Kafr Qasim ( ar, كفر قاسم, he, כַּפְר קָאסִם), also spelled as Kafr Qassem, Kufur Kassem, Kfar Kassem and Kafar Kassem, is a hill-top city in Israel with an Arab population. It is located about east of Tel Aviv, on the Israe ...

via a bridge over

Airport

The closest major airport to the city is Ben Gurion Airport near

Lod Lod ( he, לוד, or fully vocalized ; ar, اللد, al-Lidd or ), also known as Lydda ( grc, Λύδδα), is a city southeast of Tel Aviv and northwest of Jerusalem in the Central District of Israel. It is situated between the lower Shephe ...

. The airport is located about 25km to the South, accessible via

Notable people

Nadav Argaman Nadav Argaman (; born 11 August 1960) was director of Shin Bet from 8 May 2016 to 13 October 2021. He previously served as deputy head of Shin Bet, Operations Division chief, and the Shin Bet representative in the United States. He was appointed b ...

(born 1960), former head of Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) *

Eitan Cabel Eitan Cabel ( he, איתן כבל; born 23 August 1959) is an Israeli politician who represented the Israeli Labor Party in the Knesset from 1996 to 2019. Biography Eitan Cabel was born in Rosh HaAyin. After serving in the Israeli Defense Force, ...

(born 1959), politician * Sagiv Cohen (born 1987), footballer *

Omer Danino Omer Danino ( he, עומר דנינו. Born on February 17, 1995) is an Israeli football player who plays for Hapoel Hadera in the Israeli Premier League. Club career Danino started his career at Maccabi Petah Tikva's youth team. On 17 May 2013, ...

(born 1995), footballer * Gal Gadot (born 1985), actress, producer, model, and former

Miss Israel Miss Israel ( he, מַלְכַּת הַיֹּפִי, , ) is a national beauty pageant in Israel. The pageant was founded in 1950, where the winners were sent to Miss Universe. The pageant was also existing to send delegates to Miss World, Miss ...

Benny Gantz Benjamin Gantz ( he, בִּנְיָמִין "בֵּנִי" גַּנְץ, Transliterated: ; born 9 June 1959) is an Israeli politician and retired army general serving as the minister of Defense since 2020 and deputy prime minister of Israel si ...

(born 1959), former

Chief of General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces ( militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Af ...

of the Israel Defense Forces; now a politician serving as

Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...

Odelya Halevi Odelya Halevi ( he, אודליה הלוי; born February 12, 1989) is an Israeli actress who appears on the American drama series ''Law & Order'' and plays the role of Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun. She also played Angelica in the Am ...

(born 1989), actress *

Yishai Levi Yishay Levi, also translated as Ishay Levi ( he, ישי לוי; born January 20, 1963, in Rosh HaAyin, Israel) is an Israeli singer, specializing in Mizrahi music. Biography Levi was born into a family of Yemenite Jews. He began singing in clubs i ...

(born 1963), singer *

Omer Peretz Omer Peretz ( he, עומר פרץ; born 26 January 1986) is an Israeli former professional footballer who now works as the manager of Hapoel Kfar Saba. He is most known for playing at Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Netanya. His ...

(born 1990), footballer

Twin towns – sister cities

Kiryat Bialik Kiryat Bialik ( he, קִרְייַת בְּיַאלִיק, also Qiryat Bialik) is a city in the Haifa District in Israel. It is one of the five Krayot suburbs to the north of Haifa. In it had a population of . The city was named after the poet H ...

, Israel *

Hurfeish Hurfeish ( ar, حرفيش; he, חֻרְפֵישׁ; lit. " milk thistle"Vilnay, 1964, p501/ref> or possibly from "snake" Palmer, 1881, p72/ref>) is a Druze town in the Northern District of Israel. In it had a population of . History The town ...

, Israel *

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

, United States * Prague 1, Czech Republic *

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrat ...

, Ukraine *

Vanves Vanves () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe and the tenth in France History On 1 January 1860, the city of Paris ...

, France * Cixi, China

Gallery

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Israel Sharon plain Cities in Central District (Israel) Yemeni-Jewish culture in Israel Populated places established in 1949 1949 establishments in Israel