On March 6, 1890, a group of Jews from Warsaw, Poland, founded the city of Rehovot, Israel. It was established in an ideal location, right in the center of the country, and conveniently close to both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The first crop the group grew here was grapes, and just after the turn of the century they began to grow citrus trees. Sixteen years later the city’s founders were joined by a group of immigrants from Yemen. Together they created a prosperous city that became known for its agricultural and technological advancements.
Over the years Rehovot has grown from a tiny moshava into a modern metropolis with 120,000 inhabitants, an outstanding science and technology park, and two major research centers. This includes the internationally acclaimed Weizmann Institute, one of whose researchers, Professor Ada Yonath, was recently awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Despite its wonderful advancements, you will still see evidence of Rehovot’s humble beginnings all around you. The city has a noticeable multicultural flair and continues to welcome immigrants and newcomers. You’ll meet immigrants from Yemen, Ethiopia, Russia, the United States, and Poland, amongst many others.
Strolling down Herzl, the city’s main street, you’ll be surrounded by fragrant and plentiful blooming orange blossoms. Rehovot is now known as Israel’s citrus capital.
You can even visit the first house ever built in Rehovot. It is located in what is today called Rechov Yaakov, and the house itself is named Beit Yosefson. The first tree that was ever planted in Rehovot still stands today, too. It is a ficus tree planted by Aaron Eisenberg in 1896 upon the occasion of the birth of his first son.
While strolling through Rehovot and witnessing these interesting artifacts from its beginning, you’ll notice that all of the streets are named after Biblical figures and individuals who were important to the development of the city.
The neat thing is that the city has also placed a number of signs on these streets to tell the significance of the name. This way, you can receive a lesson in the history of the city and its founders simply by walking or driving through.
In March of 2010 Rehovot marked its 120th anniversary with an excellent celebration. The event marked the beginning of an entire year of celebrating to follow. The year-long anniversary celebration will include an international sculpture festival and many other sporting, art, cultural, and educational activities all with the theme “Feeling the Beat.”
At the celebration Israeli President Shimon Peres stated: “Rehovot is the biography of the State of Israel” and described it as “a corner of Israel that begins in the citrus groves and extends to science and to its outstanding international contributions.”
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