Holon

Infobox Israel municipality
name=Holon


imgsize=
hebname=Hebrew|חוֹלוֹן
arname=حولون
meaning=(Little) sand
founded=1936
type=city
typefrom=1950
stdHeb=
altOffSp=
altUnoSp=
district=ta
population=180,000
popyear=2005
area_dunam=19200

mayor=Moti Sasson

Holon ( _he. חוֹלוֹן; Hebrew|חֹלֹן, Unicode|Ḥōlōn) is a city in Israel, on the central coastal strip south of Tel Aviv. Holon is part of the metropolitan area known as Gush Dan in the Tel Aviv District. In 2005, it had a population of 180,000. Holon has the second largest industrial zone in Israel after Haifa. Fact|date=June 2008 The chief rabbi of the city is Rabbi Avraham Yosef, son of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

Etymology

The name of the city comes from the Hebrew word "hol", meaning "sand". The name Holon also appears in the Bible: "And Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs" (Book of Joshua, 21:15).

History

Holon was founded on sand dunes six kilometers from Tel Aviv in 1935."The Guide to Israel", Zeev Vilnay, Hamakor Press, Jerusalem , 1972, p.239] The Łódzia textile factory was established there by Jewish immigrants from Łódź, Poland, along with many other industrial enterprises.

Culture

Holon used to host the annual Storytellers Festival, now held in Giv'atayim. It also hosts the annual Yemay Zemer song festival and a spring festival devoted to women. Daniel Barenboim organizes an annual music summer camp in the city.Fact|date=June 2008

Since the election of Moti Sasson as the mayor of Holon in 1993, many cultural projects have been inaugurated. Billing itself as a "children's city," Holon is home to the Holon Children's Museum and the Mediatheque youth theater. [ [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/988802.html Post-championship Holon dreams of prosperity, tourism - Haaretz - Israel News ] ]

Holon also plays host each year to a street carnival in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Purim, the Adloyada (עדלאידע). Thousands of children dress up in costumes and the streets close down for a parade featuring colorful floats.

The city has many parks and lush greenery. The park on the corner of Rehovot HaHistadrut and Eilat is famed for the backgammon or "shesh besh" tournaments which take place daily.

amaritans

In 1954, the president of Israel, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi helped to establish a Samaritan quarter on the outskirts of Holon. The quarter was named Neve Pinchas after Pinhas Ben-Abraham, the high priest of the Samaritan community. [ [http://www.jewishmag.com/78mag/samaritans/samaritans.htm Samaritans ] ]

Sports

* Hapoel Tzafririm Holon F.C. (football) - Liga Alef [4th tier]
* Hapoel Holon (basketball) - First League
*Maccabi Kiryat-Sharett Holon (handball) - Liga Leumit [1st tier]
*Hapoel Holon chess (chess) - Liga Leumit [1st tier]

Notable residents

*David Ben Dayan (1978–) soccer player
*David D'Or (1966–) countertenor
*Dana International (1972–) pop singer
*Eran Kolirin (1973–) cinema director and script writer
*Lior Narkis (1976–) popular singer
*Peter Rott (1974–) rock singer and composer
*Ben Sahar (1989–) soccer player
*Arie Vardi pianist and teacher

Mayors

* Haim Kugel - 1940 to 1953
* Pinhas Eylon - 1953 to 1987
* Haim Sharon - 1987 to 1988
* Moshe Rom - 1988 to 1993
* Moti Sasson - 1993 to present

Twin cities

:"See also: Town twinning."
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Partnership of kindness with:
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See also

*Holon Academic Institute of Technology
*Samaritans

References

External links

* [http://www.holon.muni.il/htmls/english/openning.asp (English)]
* [http://www.holonfoundation.org.il Friends of Holon Foundation (English)]
* [http://www.hapoel-holon.co.il Hapoel Holon Basketball Club official site (Hebrew)]
* [http://www.zafririmholon.com Zafririm Holon soccer club (Hebrew)]
* [http://travel.webshots.com/album/556046455STnbUe Holon's Story Gardens (1/2)]
* [http://travel.webshots.com/album/556227905zYeTla Holon's Story Gardens (2/2)]
* [http://israelinphotos.com/gallery8-Holon.htm Pictures of Holon] - Israel in Photos