Holon ( he, חוֹלוֹן ) is a city on the central coastal strip of

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, south of

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 ...

. Holon is part of the metropolitan Gush Dan area. In it had a population of . Holon has the second-largest industrial zone in Israel, after

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 metropol ...

. Its jurisdiction is 19,200

dunam A dunam ( Ottoman Turkish, Arabic: ; tr, dönüm; he, דונם), also known as a donum or dunum and as the old, Turkish, or Ottoman stremma, was the Ottoman unit of area equivalent to the Greek stremma or English acre, representing the amou ...

s and its population is about 194,273 residents as of 2018 according to CBS data.

Etymology

The name of the city comes from the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

word ''holon'', meaning "(little)

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class ...

". The name Holon also appears in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...

: "And Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs" (

Book of Joshua The Book of Joshua ( he, סֵפֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ‎ ', Tiberian: ''Sēp̄er Yŏhōšūaʿ'') is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, and is the first book of the Deuteronomistic history, the story of Isra ...

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 Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of ca ...

, Poland, along with many other industrial enterprises. In February 1936, the cornerstone was laid for Kiryat Avoda, a Modernist building complex designed by architect Joseph Neufeld to solve the shortage of housing for municipal workers. In the early months of the

1948 Arab–Israeli War The 1948 (or First) Arab–Israeli War was the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. It formally began following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine at midnight on 14 May 1948; the Israeli Declaration of Independence had ...

, Holon was on the front line, with constant shooting taking place on the border with the village of Tel A-Rish to its northwest—a suburb of Arab

Jaffa Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...

—and clashes also in the direction of the town of

Yazur Yazur ( ar, يازور, he, יאזור) was a Palestinian Arab town located east of Jaffa. Mentioned in 7th century BCE Assyrian texts, the village was a site of contestation between Muslims and Crusaders in the 12th-13th centuries. During t ...

to the east. An attack by the Holon-based

Haganah Haganah ( he, הַהֲגָנָה, lit. ''The Defence'') was the main Zionist paramilitary organization of the Jewish population ("Yishuv") in Mandatory Palestine between 1920 and its disestablishment in 1948, when it became the core of the I ...

militia units on Tel A-Rish was repulsed with considerable losses. After the establishment of the state, Holon expanded to include Tel A-Rish (renamed "Tel Giborim", "The Mound of the Heroes") and the orange groves of

. In February 2001, eight Israelis were killed and twenty-five were injured in a

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 ...

attack on a crowded bus stop in Holon. The image of Holon as a working-class dormitory community has changed over the years. Through municipal efforts, the city has been rebranded as a child-friendly city, offering family attractions such as the Yamit Water Park, the Israeli Children's Museum and the Israel Museum of Caricature and Comics. File:Bat Yam 1942.jpg, Holon 1942 1:20,000 File:Bat Yam 1945.jpg, Holon 1945 1:250,000

Urban development

PikiWiki Israel 45831 Peres park in Holon

Historic landmarks in Holon slated for preservation include Derech Habitachon ("Safe Road"), paved during the

1948 Arab-Israeli War Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form Britis ...

; water towers in the

Moledet Moledet ( he, מולדת, ''Homeland'') was a minor right-wing political party in Israel. History Moledet was established by Rehavam Ze'evi in 1988. It won two seats in the Knesset elections later that year, taken by Ze'evi and Yair Sprinza ...

and Azor neighborhoods; Hosmasa, a building used by the

; the pillbox guard post; Stroma Square, Mansbach health clinic, Hameshakem building, the Agrobank neighborhood and two schools – Bialik and Shenkar. A new neighborhood, Migdalim Bashdera, is under construction, with plans for 23 upscale residential towers, a new city hall, several cultural and commercial centers, some of them already built. A French urban planner was commissioned to design a north-south boulevard with pedestrian walks, bicycle paths, sports fields, parks and waterfalls. The last undeveloped land reserve remaining in Holon is the H-500 Holon plan, that consists of approximately 4,080 dunams in the south of the city, and is intended to consist of 13,700 dwelling units in total.

Local government

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

Culture

PikiWiki Israel 6312 Children Park in Holon

Holon hosts a variety of springtime events, including the Yemay Zemer (Days of Song) Festival during

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...

and a Women's Festival in March, both at the Holon Theater. Holon is also one of the host cities for the

Rhythmic Gymnastics Grand Prix Series The Rhythmic Gymnastics Grand Prix is an annual competition of tournaments in rhythmic gymnastics open to athletes from all over the globe. The series consists of a number of stages, culminating in the final event, usually referred to as ''Grand Pr ...

in March. Israeli violinist

Pinchas Zukerman Pinchas Zukerman ( he, פנחס צוקרמן, born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor. Life and career Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zuk ...

runs a summer music camp in the city for young violinists. Since the election of Mayor Moti Sasson 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. Holon also plays host each year to a street carnival in celebration of the Jewish holiday of

Purim Purim (; , ; see Name below) is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire who was planning to have all of Persia's Jewish subjects killed, as recounted in the Book ...

, the

Adloyada Adloyada (Hebrew: , lit. "Until one no longer knows") is a humorous procession held in Israel on the Jewish holiday of Purim (or in Shushan Purim the second day of Purim, commanded to be celebrated in "walled cities", nowadays only in Jerusal ...

. Thousands of children dress up in costumes and the streets close down for a parade featuring colorful floats. The

Design Museum Holon Design Museum Holon is the first museum in Israel dedicated to design. The building of the museum was planned and designed by Israeli architect and industrial designer Ron Arad in cooperation with Bruno Asa.Holon Institute of Technology Holon Institute of Technology (HIT, he, מכון טכנולוגי חולון), is a public college in Holon, Israel. The institution focuses on science & technology, and design & visual art, and offers diverse programs that enhance the interdisc ...

, is the first Israeli museum of design. In October 2013, Holon hosted major international designers who arrived for Holon Fashion Week (known as HoF13), among them milliner Stephen Jones and BioCouture founder Suzanne Lee. Cinematheque Holon hosts the only digital arts and media arts festival in Israel, ''Print Screen Festival''. The festival was established 2010.

Samaritan community

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. Holon is one of only two cities in the world to have a Samaritan community, the other being the village of

Kiryat Luza Kiryat Luza ( ar, قرية لوزة, he, קרית לוזה) is a Samaritan village situated on Mount Gerizim near the city of Nablus in the West Bank. It is under the joint control of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, and ...

Mount Gerizim Mount Gerizim (; Samaritan Hebrew: ''ʾĀ̊rgā̊rīzēm''; Hebrew: ''Har Gərīzīm''; ar, جَبَل جَرِزِيم ''Jabal Jarizīm'' or جَبَلُ ٱلطُّورِ ''Jabal at-Ṭūr'') is one of two mountains in the immediate vicinit ...

above

Nablus Nablus ( ; ar, نابلس, Nābulus ; he, שכם, Šəḵem, ISO 259-3: ; Samaritan Hebrew: , romanized: ; el, Νεάπολις, Νeápolis) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a populati ...

on the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

Education

The '' Collège-Lycée franco-israélien Raymond Leven'' is located in Mikve, Holon. The

Holon Institute of Technology Holon Institute of Technology (HIT, he, מכון טכנולוגי חולון), is a public college in Holon, Israel. The institution focuses on science & technology, and design & visual art, and offers diverse programs that enhance the interdisc ...

was founded in 1969.

Sports

* Hapoel Holon (

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

) – premier league, national champion in 2008 and state cup holder in 2009 and 2018 *

Hapoel Tzafririm Holon F.C. Hapoel Tzafririm Holon F.C. ( he, הפועל צפרירים חולון) is an Israeli football club based in the city of Holon. The club was founded in 1985 by a merger of Hapoel Holon and Tzafririm Holon.football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

)

Notable people

Moshik Afia Moshik Afia ( he, מושיק עפיה; born 3 October 1974 as Moshe Efroni) is a popular Israeli singer who sings in the Mizrahi ''Mizrachi'' or ''Mizrahi'' ( he, מזרחי) has two meanings. In the literal Hebrew meaning ''Eastern'', it ma ...

(born 1974), singer * Chen Aharoni (born 1990), singer * Oz Almog (born 1956), Israeli-Austrian artist & author *

Rafi Amit Rafi Amit ( he, רפי אמית), is an Israeli professional poker player, from Holon. Amit has won two bracelets at the World Series of Poker, the first in the 2005 Pot limit Omaha event and the second in 2007 in the $1,000 Deuce to Seven Tri ...

, poker player *

Avraam Benaroya Avraam Eliezer Benaroya ( he, אברהם בן-ארויה; bg, Аврам Бенароя; el, Αβραάμ Μπεναρόγια; lad, Abrahán Eliezer Benarroya; tr, Avram Benaroya; 1887 – 16 May 1979) was a Jewish socialist, member of the ...

(1953–1979), Greek-Jewish socialist leader, founder of the Communist Party of Greece *

David Ben Dayan David "Dedi" Ben Dayan ( he, דוד "דדי" בן דיין; born November 22, 1978) is a retired Israeli football defender. Biography Playing career Ben Dayan started his career at Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he saw limited action over the span ...

(born 1978), football player *

Omri Casspi Omri Moshe Casspi ( he, עומרי משה כספי, born June 22, 1988) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. He mainly played at the small forward position, but could play also at the power forward position. Casspi was drafted 2 ...

(born 1988), NBA basketball player * Bat-Sheva Dagan (born 1925), Holocaust survivor, teacher, psychologist, author *

Moti Daniel Mordecai "Moti" Daniel (מוטי דניאל; also "Motti"; born July 24, 1963) is an Israeli former basketball player. He played the forward position. He played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, and for the Israeli national basketball team ...

(born 1963), basketball player * David D'Or (born 1966),

countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist ...

& composer; Israel's 2001 Singer of the Year * Ilona Feher (1949–1988), violinist * Tal Hen (born 1979), footballer *

Dana International Sharon Cohen ( he, שרון כהן; born 2 February 1969), professionally known as Dana International ( he, דנה אינטרנשיונל), is an Israeli pop singer. She has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums. She wa ...

(born 1972), pop singer *

Tomer Kapon Tomer Capone (also Kapon or Kappon or Capon, he, תומר קאפון; born July 15, 1985) is an Israeli actor. He has starred in popular Israeli exported television such as '' Hostages'' and the political thriller television series '' Fauda''. ...

(born 1985), film and television actor *

Hila Klein Hila Klein (; born December 12, 1986) is an Israeli-American YouTuber, designer, and businesswoman. She is known for co-creating the channel h3h3Productions—on which she is a host alongside her husband, Ethan Klein—and is also the founding ...

(born 1987), YouTuber *

Eran Kolirin Eran Kolirin (Hebrew: ערן קולירין) (born 4 November 1973) is an Israeli screenwriter and film director. In 2004, he directed the feature-length television drama, ''The Long Journey''. His cinema directorial debut, ''The Band's Visit'' ( ...

(born 1973), cinema director & script writer * Aryeh Krishek (born 1952), novelist and biographer * Stephane Legar (born 1998), singer, dancer, and runway model *

Moran Mazor Moran Mazor ( he, מורן מזור; born 17 May 1991) is an Israeli singer. Mazor rose to fame as the winner of the first series of the Israeli reality show "Eyal Golan is Calling You" in 2011. In 2013, Mazor won the Israeli national selection ...

(born 1991), singer * Sofia Mechetner (born 2000), model, the face of

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds 42.36% shar ...

Avihu Medina Avihu Medina ( he, אביהו מדינה, born August 19, 1948 in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli composer, arranger, songwriter, and singer of Mediterranean Israeli music. Medina was born in Tel Aviv. He was the third son of Aaron and Leah Medina. His m ...

(born 1948), composer, arranger, songwriter, and singer *

Adir Miller Adir Miller ( he, אדיר מילר, born ) is an Israeli actor, screenwriter, and comedian. He is well known for his dry humor and his split second improvisation skills. Early life Miller was born in Holon, Israel, to Jewish parents who were Holo ...

(born 1974), actor, screenwriter and comedian *

Moshe Mizrahi Moshe Mizrahi ( he, משה מזרחי; 20 September 1950 – 11 December 2022) was a senior Israel Police official and a member of Knesset for the Labor Party (2013–2015) and Zionist Union (2018–2019). Mizrahi received a bachelor of Law de ...

(born 1980), basketball player *

Lior Narkis Lior Narkis ( he, ליאור נרקיס; born November 8, 1976 in Holon, Israel) is an Israeli singer. Biography Lior Narkis was born in Holon. His father, David Narkis, was of Iraqi-Jewish origin. His mother Hanna Narkis, was of Serbian-Jewis ...

(born 1976), singer * Avi Nimni (born 1972), footballer * Oren Nissim (born 1976), footballer *

Chen Reiss Chen Reiss (born 1979, he, חן רייס) is an Israeli operatic soprano. She began piano studies at age 5, ballet at age 7, and voice lessons at age 14. She decided to focus on vocal studies by age 16. Reiss performed leading parts at the Vie ...

(born 1979), opera singer *

Irina Risenzon Irina "Ira" Risenzon-Nahmany ( Risenzon, he, אירה ריסנזון; born 14 January 1988) is a retired Hungarian-born Israeli rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2008 Grand Prix Final all-around bronze medalist. Early and personal life Irina Risen ...

(born 1988), rhythmic gymnast * Shira Rishony (born 1991), Olympic judoka * Peter Roth (born 1974), rock singer & composer *

Ben Sahar Ben Sahar ( he, בן שׂהר, changed the Hebrew spelling of his surname from ; born 10 August 1989) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as a striker for Maccabi Haifa and the Israel national team. At 16, Sahar was the equivalent ...

(born 1989), football player * Moti Sasson (born 1947), Mayor of Holon *

Hezi Shai Hezi Shai ( he, חזי שי, born 1954) is a former tank commander in the Israeli Defense Forces. During the 1982 Lebanon War, he was one of five Israeli soldiers declared missing in action after their tanks were hit during the Battle of Sultan ...

(born 1954), IDF tank commander *

Sofi Tsedaka Sofi Tsedaka ( he, סופי שרה צדקה; born ), also known by her post-conversion name Sofi Sarah, is an Israeli actress, singer, television presenter and politician. Born into a Samaritan family in the city of Holon, Israel, Tsedaka f ...

(born 1975), actress, singer, television presenter and politician * Arie Vardi (born 1937), pianist & teacher * Rahel Vigdozchik (born 1989), Olympic rhythmic gymnast * Amos Yaron (born 1940), IDF major general *

Avraham Yosef Harav Avraham Yosef is the former Chief Rabbi of Holon and Sephardi representative on the Chief Rabbinate Council (Moetzet Harabbanut Harashit). He stepped down from his positions after pleading guilty to breach of trust, after using his office t ...

(born 1949), rabbi and son of Ovadia Yosef * Rami Yosifov (born 1966), guitarist of

Teapacks Teapacks (also known as Tipex) ( he, טיפקס) is an Israeli band that formed in 1988 as HaHotzaa La'Poal (Hebrew: , ''The Execution'') in the southern Israeli city of Sderot. Originally the band was named after the correction fluid Tipp-Ex, b ...

Oren Zeitouni Oren Zeitouni, ( he, אורן זיתוני; born February 18, 1976) is a former Israeli footballer. He most recently played for Maccabi Netanya in the Israeli Premier League, but has been forced to retire because of injury. Playing career He bega ...

(born 1976), footballer *

Moses Hacmon Moses Hacmon (born October 29, 1977) is an Israeli photographer. Biography Moshe (Moses) Hacmon was born in Tel Aviv. He studied cinematography and fine art at the Avni Institute of Art and Design and attended the Technion – Israel Inst ...

(born 1977), artist, Trisha Paytas spouse

Twin towns – sister cities

Holon is twinned with: *

Andong Andong () is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city. Andong is a ...

, South Korea *

Anshan Anshan () is an inland prefecture-level city in central-southeast Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, about south of the provincial capital Shenyang. As of the 2020 census, it was Liaoning's third most populous city with a population ...

, China *

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

, United States *

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

, United States *

Hann. Münden Hann. Münden (short for Hannoversch Münden) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. Münden lies in the district of Göttingen (district), Göttingen at the confluence of the Fulda River, Fulda and Werra rivers, which join to form the Weser. It ha ...

, Germany * Mitte (Berlin), Germany *

Suresnes Suresnes () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. Located in Hauts-de-Seine, from the centre of Paris, it had a population of 49,145 as of 2016. The nearest communes are Nanterre, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud a ...

, France

Gallery

File:Holon Convoy.jpg, Convoy being assembled at Holon, 1948 File:PikiWiki Israel 8157 design museum in holon.jpg,

Design Museum Holon Design Museum Holon is the first museum in Israel dedicated to design. The building of the museum was planned and designed by Israeli architect and industrial designer Ron Arad in cooperation with Bruno Asa.Holon Children's Museum File:PikiWiki Israel 32816 The lion that loved strawberry story garden in Hol.JPG, PikiWiki Israel 32816 The lion that loved strawberry, story garden in Holon, sculptor:

Asaf Lifshitz Asaf Lifshitz ( he, אסף ליפשיץ; born 1942) is an Israeli sculptor. Many of his statues decorate different central places all over Israel, from Metula in the north to Beersheba, Beer Sheva in the south. Early life Lifshitz was born in 1 ...

References

External links

Holon Municipality official site (English)Friends of Holon Foundation (English)Design Museum Holon (English)Hapoel Holon Basketball Club official site (Hebrew)Holon's Story Gardens (1/2)Holon's Story Gardens (2/2)Youth week in Holon (Hebrew)City blog presents the best part of the Holon city (Hebrew)The Holon H-500 Information Arena (English and Hebrew)
{{Authority control Cities in Israel Samaritan culture and history Populated places established in 1936 1936 establishments in Mandatory Palestine Cities in Tel Aviv District