Rishon LeZion ( , "First to

Zion Zion (; ) is a placename in the Tanakh, often used as a synonym for Jerusalem as well as for the Land of Israel as a whole. The name is found in 2 Samuel (), one of the books of the Tanakh dated to approximately the mid-6th century BCE. It o ...

") is a city in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, located along the central

Israeli coastal plain The Israeli coastal plain () is the State of Israel, Israeli segment of the Levantine coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea, extending north to south. It is a geographical region defined Geomorphology, morphologically by the sea, in terms of to ...

south of

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

. It is part of the

Gush Dan Gush Dan (, ) or Tel Aviv metropolitan area is a conurbation in Israel, located along the country's Mediterranean coastline. There is no single formal definition of Gush Dan, though the term is in frequent use by both governmental bodies and the ...

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

. Founded in 1882 by Jewish immigrants from the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

who were part of the

First Aliyah The First Aliyah (), also known as the agriculture Aliyah, was a major wave of Jewish immigration (''aliyah'') to History of Israel#Ottoman period , Ottoman Palestine (region) , Palestine between 1881 and 1903. Jews who migrated in this wave cam ...

, it was the first settlement founded in Israel by the

New Yishuv The Yishuv (), HaYishuv Ha'ivri (), or HaYishuv HaYehudi Be'Eretz Yisra'el () was the community of Jews residing in Palestine (region), Palestine prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The term came into use in the 1880s, whe ...

and the second Jewish farm settlement established in

Ottoman Syria Ottoman Syria () is a historiographical term used to describe the group of divisions of the Ottoman Empire within the region of the Levant, usually defined as being east of the Mediterranean Sea, west of the Euphrates River, north of the Ara ...

in the 19th century, after

Petah Tikva Petah Tikva (, ), also spelt Petah Tiqwa and known informally as Em HaMoshavot (), is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jews of the Old Y ...

. As of 2017, it was the fourth-largest city in Israel, with a population of . The city is a member of Forum 15, which is an association of fiscally autonomous cities in Israel that do not depend on national balancing or development grants.

Etymology

The name Rishon LeZion is derived from a verse from the

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "Yahweh is salvation"; also known as Isaias or Esaias from ) was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. The text of the Book of Isaiah refers to Isaiah as "the prophet" ...

41:27) and literally translates as "First to

History

Ottoman period (1882–1900)

Rishon LeZion was founded on 31 July 1882, by ten

Hovevei Zion The Lovers of Zion, also ''Hovevei Zion'' () or ''Hibbat Zion'' (, ), were a variety of proto-Zionist organizations founded in 1881 in response to the anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire and were officially constituted as a group at a conf ...

pioneers from

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

(then the

) headed by Zalman David Levontin.

Reuven Yudalevich Reuven Yudalevich (Yudelevitz, Yudelevitch) (; 1862–1933), was a funder and founder of the city of Rishon Le Zion, Israel. He was born in Kremenchuk, Russian Empire, to his father Yehuda. He eventually married Batya Wissel, daughter of Avraha ...

was also a member of the group. The British vice-consul in

Jaffa Jaffa (, ; , ), also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine Sea, Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on ...

, Haim Amzaleg, purchased of land southeast of present-day

, the site of watering holes called ‘Uyūn Qārā (literally 'fountain of the crier') from Mustafa Abdallah ali Dajan. According to Marom, ‘Uyūn Qārā offered "a convenient launching pad for early land purchase initiatives which shaped the pattern of Jewish settlement until the beginning of the British Mandate". Amzaleg signed a declaration to the settlers stating that none of the structures on this land would ever be his own. In addition to the problems posed by sandy soil and lack of water, the newcomers had no agricultural experience. Baron Rothschild brought in experts who drilled for water, finding the groundwater table uneven. Wells were built at a depth of 20–25 meters. After the

Biluim Bilu (; also Palestine Pioneers) was a Jewish movement of the late 19th century, fueled predominantly by the immigration of Russian Jews, whose goal was the agricultural settlement of the Land of Israel. Its members were known as Bilu'im, and ...

arrived, the town slowly began to develop. On 23 February 1883, the settlers found water in the wells. To mark this occasion, the village emblem was inscribed with a verse from the

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

: "We have found water." (Genesis 26:32) Fani Belkind,

Israel Belkind Israel Belkind (, ; 1861–1929) was a Jewish educator, author, writer, historian and founder of the Bilu movement. A pioneer of the First Aliyah, Belkind founded the ''Biluim'', a group of Jewish idealists aspiring to settle in the Land of Isra ...

, Shimshon Belkind, Yoel Drubin, Haim Hissin, and David Yudilovich were among the Biluim who arrived in Rishon Lezion at this time. In 1883, Itzhak Leib Toporovski a blacksmith of the young village created the first iron

plow A plough or (Differences between American and British spellings, US) plow (both pronounced ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses but modern ploughs ...

in the land of Israel, and in 1885 the flag that would later become the

flag of Israel The flag of the State of Israel ( ; ) was adopted on 28 October 1948, five months after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. It consists of a white background with a blue Star of David in the centre and two horizontal blue stripes at the ...

was raised for the first time as part of the celebrations of the 3rd anniversary of the village. When Baron

Edmond James de Rothschild Baron Abraham Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild (; 19 August 1845 – 2 November 1934) was a French member of the Rothschild banking family. A strong supporter of Jewish settlement in Palestine, his large donations lent significant support to ...

took over, sending in his administrators and agricultural guide Shaul Helzner of Mikve Israel, major progress was made in the spheres of agriculture, citrus and viticulture. In November 1883 the first rows were planted, led by ten Russian farmers who were further trained at

Mikveh Israel Mikveh Israel () is a youth village and boarding school in the Tel Aviv District of central Israel, established in 1870. It was the first Jewish agricultural school in what is now Israel and indeed the first modern Jewish settlement in Palestine ...

agriculture school, also funded in part by Rothschild. The Great Synagogue, which became a major focus of life in Rishon LeZion, was built between 1885 and 1889. Under Rothschild's patronage, the Carmel-Mizrahi Winery was, established in 1886. The Baron

and his wife

Adelheid von Rothschild Adelheid von Rothschild (also Adélaïde de Rothschild, 19 August 1853 – 22 June 1935) was a member of the Rothschild family. Biography Adelheid was born on 19 August 1853 in Frankfurt. She was one of three daughters of Wilhelm Carl von Roth ...

came to visit the village a year later in 1887. In 1886, as Rishon LeZion's population of around 300 included several dozen children who required proper education, the Haviv elementary school was established in Rishon LeZion as the first modern school to teach exclusively in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

. Dov Lubman Haviv taught there and Mordechai Lubman Haviv was an educational inspector.

Eliezer Ben-Yehuda Eliezer Ben‑Yehuda (born Eliezer Yitzhak Perlman; 7 January 1858 – 16 December 1922) was a Russian–Jewish linguist, lexicographer, and journalist who immigrated to Jerusalem in 1881, when the Ottoman Empire ruled it. He is renowned as the ...

, the leading figure in the revival of Hebrew, was a teacher in Rishon LeZion, as was his colleague David Yudilovitz. In 1898, the first Hebrew kindergarten in the world was established by Esther (Shapira) Ginzburg a former student of the Haviv school. Naphtali Herz Imber, the later famed Hebrew language poet, lived in Rishon LeZion for a few years in the late 1880s. He recited his poem, Tikvahtenu, to eager ears. In 1887, Shmuel Cohen, a young resident of Rishon with a musical background, observed the emotional response of the local Jewish farmers to Imber's poem. Using his musical skill, he put the poem to music. Cohen's musical composition was an adaptation of a Moldavian/Romanian folk song, "Carul cu Boi" ("The Cart with Oxen"). The catalyst of Cohen's musical adaptation facilitated the quick, enthusiastic spread of Imber's poem throughout all the Zionist communities of

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine was a British Empire, British geopolitical entity that existed between 1920 and 1948 in the Palestine (region), region of Palestine, and after 1922, under the terms of the League of Nations's Mandate for Palestine. After ...

. Within a short few years, it spread globally to pro-Zionist communities and organizations becoming the unofficial Zionist National Anthem. In 1933, at the 18th Zionist Congress in Prague, the Imber/Cohen Zionist National Anthem, formally adopted, was renamed the Hatikvah (The Hope). In November 2004, the State of Israel formally adopted Shmuel Cohen's 1887 musical adaptation to a newly shortened, modified version of Imber's poem, creating the modern Israeli National Anthem, the

Hatikvah Hatikvah (, ; ) is the national anthem of the Israel, State of Israel. Part of 19th-century Jewish literature, Jewish poetry, the theme of the Romantic poetry, Romantic composition reflects the 2,000-year-old desire of the Jews, Jewish people ...

. In 1888, the medicine house, the baron's stables, and the baron's clerks house were built. In 1889 the building in which the Carmel-Mizrahi Winery is located was built. A telephone was added to the winery in 1891 and in 1898 electricity was installed. In 1890, a palm boulevard was planted in the location of the future city park. The Rishon LeZion orchestra was established in 1895. In 1898, the year

Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and lawyer who was the father of Types of Zionism, modern political Zionism. Herzl formed the World Zionist Organization, Zionist Organizat ...

visited the settlement, the city park (then the village park) was established and a water tower was built next to the well. RishonKikarHaMeyasdim02

A founder of Rishon LeZion was Joseph Feinberg the father of

Dora Bloch Dora Bloch (; October 1902July 1976) was an Israeli hostage on Air France Flight 139 on 26 June 1976. Taking off from Tel Aviv, Israel, and destined for Paris, France, the plane soon landed in Athens, Greece, for a scheduled stopover and was ...

. At the year of its founding in 1882, Rishon LeZion had a population of 150. In 1890, Rishon LeZion had a population of 359. Five years later, the figure had risen to 380, and by 1900, to 526.

Village council and JCA administration (1900–1922)

In 1900, the management of the village was transferred from the baron's office to the village council and the

Jewish Colonization Association The Jewish Colonisation Association (JCA or ICA; ) was an organisation created on September 11, 1891, by Baron Maurice de Hirsch. Its aim was to facilitate the mass emigration of Jews from Russia and other Eastern European countries, by settling ...

. Israel's first

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary List of national founders, national founder and first Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency ...

, worked in the winery for two months in the summer of 1907. In 1910, the village bell was constructed next to the medicine house, and in 1912 the first car ("First chariot without horses") appeared in the village. In 1911, 4,000 dunams of land in Rishon LeZion were planted with grapes and 254 dunams with other fruit orchards. In 1913, the governor of Greater Syria,

Djemal Pasha Ahmed Djemal (; ; 6 May 1872 – 21 July 1922), also known as Djemal Pasha or Cemâl Pasha, was an Ottoman military leader and one of the Three Pashas that ruled the Ottoman Empire during World War I. As an officer of the II Corps, he was ...

, annexed the sands around Rishon Lezion to their territory and in 1915 Rishon Lezion was expanded again and was given the territory between it and the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

. In 1913, Nahlat Yehuda, another Jewish settlement, was established north of Rishon Lezion. In 1915 Rishon Lezion and the surrounding area experienced a

Locust Locusts (derived from the Latin ''locusta'', locust or lobster) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they b ...

attack. Ayun Kara was the scene of a bloody battle between Turkish and New Zealand troops on 14 November 1917. Local citizens carried the wounded to a medical facility in Rishon LeZion. A stone

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...

was erected by the people of Rishon LeZion to the memory of the New Zealanders who fell that day, but it has since been destroyed. In the wake of the battle, the

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

ers set up camp at Rishon Lezion, which was described by one officer as a "pretty little hamlet surrounded by vineyards and orange groves." Relations between the troops and villagers were good, and the troops brought the villagers the news of the

Balfour Declaration The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British Government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then an Ottoman regio ...

. In 1919, the women of Rishon Lezion were given

voting rights Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in ...

and in the same year, Nehama Pohatchevsky was elected chairman of the village council which marked the first time a woman was elected to the position. 89002 aerial view of a youth neighborhood PikiWiki Israel

89002 aerial view of a youth neighborhood PikiWiki Israel

British Mandate

In 1924, the British Army contracted the Jaffa Electric Company for wired electric power to the military installations in

Sarafand Sarafand or Sarafend (Ṣarafand / صرفند) is an Arabic rendition of the Phoenician place-name *Ṣrpt. Places * Sarafand, Lebanon, also spelled Sarafend ** Sarepta, an ancient Phoenician city at the location of the modern Lebanese town * T ...

. The contract allowed the Electric Company to extend the grid beyond the original geographical limits that had been projected by the concession it was given. The high-tension line that exceeded the limits of the original concession ran along some major towns and agricultural settlements, offering extended connections to the Jewish settlements of Rishon Le-Zion, Nes-Ziona and

Rehovot Rehovot (, / ) is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. In it had a population of . Etymology Israel Belkind, founder of the Bilu (movement), Bilu movement, proposed the name "Rehovot ...

(despite their proximity to the high-tension line, the Arab towns of

Ramleh Ramla (), also known as Ramle (, ), is a city in the Central District of Israel. Ramle is one of Israel's mixed cities, with significant numbers of both Jews and Arabs. The city was founded in the early 8th century CE by the Umayyad caliph Sul ...

and

Lydda Lod (, ), also known as Lydda () and Lidd (, or ), is a city southeast of Tel Aviv and northwest of Jerusalem in the Central District of Israel. It is situated between the lower Shephelah on the east and the coastal plain on the west. The ci ...

remained unconnected). According to a

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

conducted in 1922 by the British Mandate authorities, Rishon LeZion had a population of 1,396 inhabitants, consisting of 1,373 Jews and 23 Muslims, increasing in 1931

to 2,525 inhabitants, in 648 houses.Mills, 1932, p
23
/ref> File:Sarahanu el 'Amar cropped.jpg, Rishon LeZion 1929 1:20,000 File:el Ramle 1945.jpg, Rishon LeZion 1945 1:250,000 File:AERIAL VIEW OF RISHON LEZION BORDERING ON THE SAND DUNES NEAR THE SEA. צילום אוויר של ראשון לציון.D30-017.jpg, Rishon LeZion 1937

State of Israel

Rishon LeZion was declared a city in 1950, by which time it had a population of around 18,000. By 1983 it had a population of 103,000. In 2006, 222,300 people were living in the city. By 2020, the population is expected to reach 253,600. In 2007, the Rishon LeZion Municipality was awarded the

Ministry of Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, th ...

Prize for Proper Management. In 2016, the Israeli government approved the expansion of Rishon LeZion onto sand dunes west of the city, upon which one of the largest commercial and residential construction projects in the Central District will be built on 1,000

dunam A dunam ( Ottoman Turkish, Arabic: ; ; ; ), also known as a donum or dunum and as the old, Turkish, or Ottoman stremma, was the Ottoman unit of area analogous in role (but not equal) to the Greek stremma or English acre, representing the amo ...

s. Another industrial zone in the western part of the city is planned to be almost doubled in size.

Demographics

The 1922 Census conducted by the British Mandate authorities found 1,373 Jews living in Rishon LeZion and 23 Muslims. According to data from the

Israel Central Bureau of Statistics The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (, ''HaLishka HaMerkazit LiStatistika''; ), abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli government office established in 1949 to carry out research and publish statistical data on all aspects of Israeli life, including ...

as of December , the number of residents in Rishon LeZion is . Rishon LeZion is one of the fastest-growing cities in Israel, and is the third-youngest city in the country, after

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

and

Bnei Brak Bnei Brak ( ) or Bene Beraq, is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an area of 709 hectares (1,752 acre ...

, with 31.1% of the population being children and teenagers, and 61.4% of all residents being aged 40 or under. In addition, the city has attracted significant immigration, including from English-speaking countries. The city is expected to have a population of around 270,000 by 2030. Its population growth rate is about 5% per year. The majority of the city's residents are

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

Economy

Rishon LeZion's main industries today are

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...

s and

commerce Commerce is the organized Complex system, system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions that directly or indirectly contribute to the smooth, unhindered large-scale exchange (distribution through Financial transaction, transactiona ...

. Factories and workshops are located in the old industrial zone, which has become a popular venue for

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

s, dance clubs, and restaurants. Industry in the city is largely divided into two industrial centers: the old industrial zone in the north of the city and the new industrial zone in the west of the city. The three major malls in Rishon LeZion are ''Rothschild Center'' in the old downtown center, ''Gold Mall'' (''Kenyon HaZahav'') in the New West district, and the newly constructed ''Azrieli Rishonim''. Companies such as

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

Gazit-Globe G City formerly Gazit Globe () is a leading global real estate company focused on the ownership, development, and management of income-producing properties for mixed use including retail, office and residential located in densely populated urban ...

Volvo The Volvo Group (; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distribution and sale of truck ...

, and

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

are expected to open in the Maayan Sorek area. As part of the city's 5-year plan to be completely water-independent, construction of a

desalination Desalination is a process that removes mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination is the removal of salts and minerals from a substance. One example is Soil salinity control, soil desalination. This is important for agric ...

plant is planned for Rishon, which will produce 3.7 million cubic meters of water per year. The city already hosts the large Shafdan recycling plant.

Local government

Mayors

* Elyakum Ostashinski (1950–51) * Aryeh Sheftel (1951) *Moshe Gavin (1952–55) *Gershon Man Mankov (1955) *Hana Levin (1955–60) *Aryeh Sheftel (1960–62) *Noam Laoner (1962–65) *Aryeh Sheftel (1965–69) *Hananya Gibstein (1969–83) *

Meir Nitzan Meir Nitzan (; 18 May 1931 – 19 April 2025) was an Israeli politician. He was mayor of Rishon LeZion for five consecutive terms. Background Meir Nitzan was born in Bucharest, Romania as Meir Mintz. He lived in a displaced persons' camp in Cyp ...

(1983–2008) * Dov Tzur (2008–2018) * Raz Kinstlich (2018–Present)

Education and culture

PikiWiki Israel 9694 jewish laureates promenade in rishon lezion

Rishon LeZion has twenty-three elementary schools, nine middle schools, and twelve high schools. Rishon Lezion's College of Management has a student population of 10,000. Sixty percent of twelve graders in the city qualify for a matriculation certificate. Rishon LeZion holds an annual wine festival. The Rishon LeZion

Amphitheatre An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...

Live Park has hosted overseas artists such as

Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, she became a cultural phenomenon during the mid 199 ...

alt-J Alt-J (stylised as alt-J, real name Δ) are an English indie rock band formed in 2007 in Leeds. Their lineup includes Joe Newman (guitar/lead vocals), Thom Sonny Green (drums), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards/vocals), and formerly Gwil Sainsbury ...

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...

Avicii Tim Bergling (8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii, was a Swedish DJ, remixer, and record producer. At age 16, he began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first record deal. He rose ...

Jason Derulo Jason Joel Desrouleaux (born September 21, 1989), known professionally as Jason Derulo (; formerly stylized as Derülo), is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Since the start of his solo recording career in 2009, he has sold over 250 m ...

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), known professionally as Flo Rida ( ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 debut and breakout single "Low (Flo Rida song), Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the ...

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...

and

Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall musician. Paul's first album, ''Stage One'', was released in 2000. He gained international fame with his second album, ''Dutty Rock'', in 2002. Its single "Get Busy ...

. The city has a municipal

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

, an amusement park (

Superland Superland is an amusement park in Rishon LeZion, Israel. Superland covers an area of about and has three roller coasters, three wet and dry facilities, a cablecar, and a bungee jumping "Skycoaster." Superland opened to the public in 1991 and ...

), and a beach promenade. ''Heychal HaTarbut'' (Hall of Culture) is a venue for classical concerts, theatre performances and cultural events. It has a larger theatre for shows and two smaller ones for art workshops. The Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion has participated in music festivals all over the world. It was awarded the ACUM Prize in 1991. The city also has beautiful architecture and museums like the Rishon LeZion Museum and the Yaakov Agam Museum.

Landmarks

Landmarks in Rishon LeZion include the history museum; the

Carmel Winery Carmel Winery () is a vineyard and winery in Israel. Founded in 1882 by Edmond James de Rothschild, its products are exported to over 40 countries. It is the largest winery in Israel, with a local market share of almost 50%. Overview Carmel W ...

; the administrative center of

, now a soldiers' memorial; the Great Synagogue; the Well; the old water tower; and Beit Sefer Haviv, the first Hebrew School. "Open Doors" is a holocaust memorial which is a sculpture designed by Filipino artist Luis Lee Jr. It was erected in honor and thanks to President Manuel Quezon and the Filipinos who saved over 1,200 Jews from

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. Former mayor Meir Nitzan initiated the construction of a promenade honoring Jewish Nobel Prize laureates in the neighborhood named Kiryat Hatanei Pras Nobel (קריית חתני פרס נובל). The promenade that was name
Nobel Laureates Boulevard
(in Hebrew טיילת חתני פרס נובל) starts at the beginning of Eli Wiesel St. and continues through Henry Kissinger and Rene Cassin Streets in Kiryat Hatanei Pras Nobel. The boulevard has a pedestal erected for each laureate. The circular medal on top of the pedestal includes the year of the award in the center of the medal; the name of the laureate, the country, and the prize field are shown in both Hebrew and English. The citation of the Prize is listed on an additional plaque on the side of the pedestal. The scientific advisor of the project was Rishon Lezion resident, Prof.

Israel Hanukoglu Israel Hanukoglu (, ) is a Turkish Jews, Turkish-born Israeli scientist. He is a full professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Ariel University and former science and technology adviser to the prime minister of Israel (1996–1999). He i ...

Geography

Rishon LeZion is located on the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain and the northern

Shephelah The Shephelah () or Shfela (), or the Judaean Foothills (), is a transitional region of soft-sloping rolling hills in south-central Israel stretching over between the Judaean Mountains and the Coastal Plain. The different use of the term "Jud ...

. The city sees the majority of its annual of precipitation between October and March.

Neighborhoods

Rishon LeZion can be divided into four main quarters: the old city, the eastern housing projects, the northern (old) industrial zone, and Western Rishon LeZion. There is also an industrial zone on the southern tip of the city, next to Gan Sorek.

Old city

The old city of Rishon includes the original neighborhoods, some buildings dating back to Rishon's founding in 1881. This quarter is located in the city center, between and around Herzl and Jabotinsky Streets. It includes the following neighborhoods: Nahalat Yehuda (on the northernmost tip of Rishon); Neve Hillel; Bnot Hayil; Abramovich; Katzenelson; Remez (Giv'at Levinson), on the southwestern tip of old Rishon; Rishonim (Gan Nahum), to the east of Remez

Shikunei HaMizrah

The Eastern Housing Projects ( ''Shikunei HaMizrah'') was Rishon's quick expansion to the east. It is dominated by the housing projects (''shikunim'') there, in the ''Shikunei HaMizrah'' neighborhood itself. The eastern projects stopped developing when they reached the fences of the

Tzrifin Tzrifin () is an area in Gush Dan (Dan Region) in central Israel, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the two cities. Nearly the ...

military base. When and if Tzrifin is sold to private contractors as planned, this quarter is expected to expand significantly with new lucrative housing projects. Other smaller neighborhoods include Revivim, Kidmat Rishon, Ne'urim, Rambam, Neve Hadarim,

HaShomer Hashomer (, 'The Watchman') was a Jewish defense organization in Palestine founded in April 1909. It was an outgrowth of the Bar-Giora group and was disbanded after the founding of the Haganah in 1920. Hashomer was responsible for guarding Je ...

, Kfar Arye, Mishor HaNof and Kiryat Simha.

Old industrial zone

The industrial zones in Rishon LeZion are called ''Mabat'', an abbreviation for ''Miskhar, Bilui VeTa'asiya'' (Commerce, Pastime and Industry). The northern zone is the oldest and original industrial zone, once full of light industry and glass factories. Today, it is known for its prolific nightlife.

West Rishon

West Rishon LeZion is the conglomeration of the new neighborhoods of the city, built in the 1980s and 90s. The west also has a higher land value because of its relative proximity to the

. It includes the entire city west of Tzahal Road. The quarter includes the new industrial zone (Western ''Mabat''), and several residential neighborhoods: Neve Eliyahu (or Ramat Eliyahu), Neot Shikma, Neve Dekalim, Neve Hof (or Pueblo Español), Neve Yam, Kiryat Rishon, Kiryat Cramim, Kiryat Ganim, Neot Ashalim, Kiryat Hatanei Pras Nobel (''lit'' Nobel Prize Laureates' Town)

Sports

Rishon LeZion is known for its achievements in

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

and

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

. In handball, Hapoel Rishon LeZion and Maccabi Rishon LeZion dominate the handball league. Hapoel has won more than seven domestic championships and cups in a row, with stars like goalkeeper Vladimir Zaikman and field-players Idan Maimon and Dudi Balsar. Its biggest rival, Maccabi took the championship title from Hapoel in 2005/06. Handball is also a dominant sport in Rishon LeZion high schools. The ''Amit Amal'' high school handball team has won the world championship several times. In chess, the ''Rishon LeZion Chess Club'', founded in 1939, is one of the leading clubs in Israel, in senior, women and youth leagues. Israeli grandmasters such as

Boris Alterman Boris Alterman (, ; born May 4, 1970) is a Ukrainian-born Israeli chess International Grandmaster, Grandmaster, FIDE Senior Trainer (2010), advisor of the Junior (chess program), Junior chess program. He started playing chess at the age of 7. H ...

play for Rishon. World champion

Garry Kasparov Garry Kimovich Kasparov (born Garik Kimovich Weinstein on 13 April 1963) is a Russian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion (1985–2000), political activist and writer. His peak FIDE chess Elo rating system, ra ...

was a former member. WikiAir_IL-13-06_008

Hapoel Rishon LeZion is the major

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club, currently playing in the second tier, although the club played in the past in the top division, even as recently as 2011–12. The club also appeared in two cup finals, in

1946 1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...

and in

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

and won the

2012–13 Toto Cup Leumit The 2012–13 Toto Cup Leumit is the 23rd season of the second tier League Cup (as a separate competition) since its introduction. It will be held in two stages. First, sixteen Liga Leumit teams are divided into four groups. The winners and runne ...

. Other active football teams are Moadon Sport Shikun HaMizrah (playing in

Liga Alef Liga Alef () is the third tier of the Israeli football league system. It is divided into two regional divisions, north and south. History League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Howe ...

), Hapoel Nahalat Yehuda (playing in

Liga Bet Liga Bet () is the fourth tier of the Israeli football league system. It is divided into four regional divisions. History League football started in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. However, the financial ...

), and Moadon Sport Rishon LeZion (playing in

Liga Gimel Liga Gimel (, lit. ''League C'') is, since 2009, the fifth and bottom division of Israeli football league system, Israeli Football League. From Liga Alef and downwards, including Liga Gimel, each league is separated by region. History Liga Gimel ...

). Other football clubs previously played in the city, such as Maccabi Rishon Lezion, which played at the top division during the 1940s and the two seasons after the

Israeli Declaration of Independence The Israeli Declaration of Independence, formally the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (), was proclaimed on 14 May 1948 (5 Iyar 5708), at the end of the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war phase and ...

, as well as smaller clubs which played in the lower tiers, such as Beitar Rishon LeZion, Hapoel Bnei Zion and Hapoel HaMegabesh Rishon LeZion. The main football stadium in Rishon LeZion is the 6,000-seat

Haberfeld Stadium Haberfeld Stadium (, ''Itztadion Haberfeld''; also known as the ''Superland Stadium'') is a multi-purpose stadium in Rishon LeZion, Israel. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Hapoel Rishon LeZion. The st ...

, which hosts matches of Hapoel Rishon LeZion. Other, smaller stadiums, are located in Shikun Hamizrah, in Nahlat Yehuda, and in the Superland amusement park complex. The Maccabi Rishon LeZion basketball team is a long-time member of Ligat HaAl, the top division. The team plays at Bet Maccabi Arena, which seats 2,500. Maccabi The team was a rival to Israel's top club and European champion,

Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv () is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such as football, basketball, j ...

in the 1990s. It was a surprise Ligat HaAl champion in the 2015–16 season. The Maccabi Rishon LeZion handball team is a long-time member of Ligat Ha'Al, the top division. Maccabi Rishon LeZion is the Israeli club to win the greatest

national championships. The city also is home to the new 3,000-seat Athletics Municipal Stadium, which was built between 2001 and 2013, with the intention to host international athletics competitions.

Transportation

Rishon LeZion can be accessed by road from several major highways. Public transportation includes

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

train A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...

and

share taxi A share taxi, shared taxi, taxibus, or jitney or dollar van in the US, or marshrutka in former Soviet countries, is a mode of transport which falls between a taxicab and a bus. Share taxis are a form of paratransit. They are vehicles for hire and ...

Rail transport

The

Rishon LeZion HaRishonim Railway Station Rishon may refer to: * Singular for Rishonim, "the First Ones", early Rabbis and Poskim * Rishon LeZion, a city in Israel * Rishon model, a preonic model of sub-quark particle physics. *Rishon Bhadain Rishon Bhadain (born 17 August 1998) is ...

is located to the south of the city center, in the middle of HaRishonim Interchange, at the intersection of the new Highway 431 and the Rishon LeZion – Ness Ziona road. There are direct trains from the HaRishonim Railway Station to

Lod Lod (, ), also known as Lydda () and Lidd (, or ), is a city southeast of Tel Aviv and northwest of Jerusalem in the Central District of Israel. It is situated between the lower Shephelah on the east and the coastal plain on the west. The ci ...

Rosh HaAyin Rosh HaAyin (; ) is a city in the Central District of Israel. It is located in the eastern ravine of the Sharon River, opposite the Samaria Mountains. The city is named after its location at the source of the Yarkon River (“Ras” meaning sou ...

, Hod HaSharon and

Kfar Saba Kfar Saba ( ), officially Kfar Sava , is a List of Israeli cities, city in the Sharon plain, Sharon region, of the Central District (Israel), Central District of State of Israel, Israel. In 2019 it had a population of 110,456, making it the 16th-l ...

. All stations of

Israel Railways Israel Railways Ltd. (, ''Rakevet Yisra'el'') is the state-owned principal railway company responsible for all inter-city, commuter, and freight rail transport in Israel. Israel Railways network consists of of track. All its lines are standar ...

can be accessed using the transfer stations at Tel Aviv and Lod. The Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan Railway Station is in the western part of the city, situated on the new rail line from Tel Aviv to

Ashdod Ashdod (, ; , , or ; Philistine language, Philistine: , romanized: *''ʾašdūd'') is the List of Israeli cities, sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District (Israel), Southern District, it lies on the Mediterranean ...

via Moshe Dayan station and

Yavne Yavne () is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel. In 2022, it had a population of 56,232. Modern Yavne was established in 1949. It is located near the ruins of the ancient town of Yibna (known also as Jamnia and Jab ...

(West). There are future long-range plans for someday connecting the Rishonim station with Moshe Dayan station, while constructing a couple of additional railway stations in between them. The Green Line of the

Tel Aviv Light Rail The Tel Aviv Light Rail (, Romanized: ''Ha'rakēvet Ha'kalā Be'Tel Avīv'', , Romanized: ''Qītar Tall ʾAbīb Al-khāfifa''), also known as Dankal (, ) is a mass transit system for Gush Dan, the Tel Aviv metropolitan area in central Israel. T ...

and the M1 Line of the

Tel Aviv Metro Tel Aviv Metro (also MetroTLV) is a planned subway system for the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area. It will augment the Tel Aviv Light Rail and Israel Railways suburban lines and consist of three underground metro lines and 109 stations to form a rapi ...

are planned to run through Rishon LeZion.

Bus transport

The bus companies serving intercity lines in Rishon LeZion are: Egged, Dan,

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 . Etymo ...

, Metropoline, and

Kavim Kavim () is an Israeli bus company based in Holon. It was founded in 2000 and provided lines in the eastern Gush Dan region - the towns/cities Kiryat Ono, Petah Tikva, Or Yehuda, Givatayim and others. In February 2005, Kavim expanded to the n ...

. Rishon LeZion has an intracity bus network operated by Egged and Dan. Most lines are metropolitan, continuing to

Bat Yam Bat Yam ( ) is a city on Israel's Mediterranean Sea coast, on the Central Coastal Plain just south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area and the Tel Aviv District. In , it had a population of . History British Mandate Bat Y ...

Holon Holon (, ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located south of Tel Aviv. Holon is part of the Gush Dan, Gush Dan metropolitan area. In , it had a population of , making it the List of cities in Israel, tenth most populous city in Isra ...

, Tel Aviv and Jaffa. The bus lines are augmented by share taxis operated by Moniyot HaIr.

Notable people

Yaacov Agam Yaacov Agam (; born 11 May 1928) is an Israeli sculptor and experimental artist widely known for his contributions to optical and kinetic art. Early life, family and education Yaacov Gibstein (later Agam) was born in Mandate Palestine. His fat ...

(born 1928), sculptor and artist *

Zohar Argov Zohar Orkabi (; July 16, 1955 – November 6, 1987), known professionally as Zohar Argov (), was an Israeli singer. A distinctive voice in the Mizrahi music scene, Argov is widely known in Israel as "The king of Mizrahi music". However, he remai ...

(1955–1987), singer *

Linoy Ashram Linoy Ashram (; born ) is a retired Israeli individual Rhythmic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnast. She is the Gymnastics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's rhythmic individual all-around, 2020 Olympic All-around Champion, the 2018 Rhythmic Gymnas ...

(born 1999), retired individual rhythmic gymnast, first Israeli Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics *

Daria Atamanov Daria Atamanov (, ; born December 6, 2005) is a retired Israeli individual Rhythmic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2022 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, 2022 European all-around Champion, and the 2023 Rhythmic Gymnastics Wor ...

(born 2005), world champion

rhythmic gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and rope. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, fle ...

* Eliza Banchuk (born 2007), world champion rhythmic gymnast * Yigal Bashan (1950–2018), singer, songwriter, and actor *

Tal Ben Haim Tal Ben Haim (or Tal Ben Haim I, ; born 31 March 1982) is an Israeli former professional association football, footballer who played at either centre back or right back (association football), right back. He has played for Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. ...

(born 1982), international footballer * Shmuel Cohen (1870–1940), musical composer of the Israeli National Anthem, the

Shoshana Damari Shoshana Damari (; 31 March 1923 – 14 February 2006) was an Israeli singer known as the "Queen of Hebrew Music." Biography Shoshana Damari was born as Shodia Damari on the eve of Passover in Dhamar, Yemen as the eldest daughter in a family ...

(1923–2006), singer *

Tal Dunne Tal Michael Dunne (; born 25 February 1987) is a Welsh-born Irish/Israeli former basketball player for Ironi Nes Ziona of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Early life Dunne was born in Aberystwyth, Wales, to an Irish father and Israeli mo ...

(born 1987), Welsh-born Israeli professional basketball player for Ironi Nes Ziona *

Artem Dolgopyat Artem Olegovich Dolgopyat (; ; born 16 June 1997) is a Ukrainian-born Israeli artistic gymnast who specializes in the floor exercise. He is the 2020 Olympic champion and the 2023 World champion in the floor exercise. He also won two sil ...

(born 1997), Olympic champion and world champion gymnast *

Noam Dovrat Noam Shimon Dovrat (; born July 16, 2002) is an Israeli basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Premier League. He primarily plays the point guard position. He was named the 2020 Israeli Basketball Premier League Discovery of the Ye ...

(born 2002), basketball player *

Mei Finegold Meital Slominsky (; born 16 December 1982), known by her stage name Mei Finegold (), also credited as Mei Feingold, is an Israelis, Israeli singer. Her third-place finish in ''Kokhav Nolad 7'', Israel's version of ''Pop Idol'', launched her car ...

(born 1982), singer *

Shai Gabso Shai Gabso (; born July 20, 1984) is an Israeli actor and singer. He won third place in the first season of ''Kokhav Nolad'' ("A Star is Born") and first place in the second season of ''The Singer in the Mask''. Early life Gabso was born in R ...

(born 1984), singer * Gideon Gechtman (1942–2008), sculptor *

Boris Gelfand Boris Abramovich Gelfand (; born 24 June 1968) is a Belarusian-Israeli chess player. A six-time World Championship candidate (1991, 1994–95, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2013), he won the Chess World Cup 2009 and the 2011 Candidates Tournament, mak ...

(born 1968), chess grandmaster * Rami Gershon (born 1988), international footballer * Eliyahu Giladi (1915–1943), executed Lehi fighter *

Ya'akov Hodorov Ya'akov "Yankele" Hodorov (; 16 June 1927 – 31 December 2006) was an Israeli football goalkeeper in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. He is one Israel's best goalkeepers of all time and the leading goalkeeper of his generation. Football career Hod ...

(1927–2006), goalkeeper *

Nitzan Horowitz Nitzan Horowitz (; born 24 February 1965) is a politician and former journalist who served as Israel's Minister of Health from 2021 to 2022. He is the former leader of Meretz. He previously was the chief U.S. correspondent and commentator for t ...

(born 1965), politician *

Ziv Kalontarov Ziv Kalontarov (also "Kalontorov", "Kaluntarov", and "Kalntrov"; ; born 15 January 1997) is an Israeli Olympic swimmer and the reigning European Games champion in the 50 m freestyle. In April 2015, Kalontarov won the International School Sport ...

(born 1997), European champion swimmer *

Tomer Kapon Tomer Capone (also Kapon, Kappon, or Capon, ; born 15 July, 1985) is an Israeli actor. He has starred in a number of popular Israeli exported television series such as ''Hostages'' (2013–2016), the political thriller television series ''Fauda'' ...

(born 1985), film and television actor * Anastassia Michaeli (born 1975), television journalist, presenter, politician * Yagutil Mishiev (1927–2024), author * Shlomo Molla (born 1965), politician * Muki (born 1975), singer *

Peter Paltchik Peter Paltchik (; ; born 4 January 1992) is a Ukrainian-born Israelis, Israeli Olympic and former European champion judoka, competing in the under 100 kg weight category, of which he was the number 1 ranked judoka in the world. Paltchik won ...

(born 1992), Olympic and European champion judoka *

Ophir Pines-Paz Ophir Pines-Paz (; born 11 July 1961) is an Israeli former politician who served as Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Science, Culture & Sport, and as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party from 1996 until 2010. Biography Ophir P ...

(born 1961), politician * Sefi Rivlin (1947–2013), actor and comedian *

Hilla Vidor Hilla Vidor (; born 20 October 1975) is an Israeli actress. Early life Vidor was born in Rishon LeZion. Due to financial difficulties, she dropped out of school at the age of 17 and moved out of her parents' house to live with her grandmother in ...

(born 1975), actress * Sagiv Yehezkel (born 1995), international footballer * Tomer Z, drummer,

Blackfield Blackfield is a collaborative music project by the English musician and founder of Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, and Israeli rock musician Aviv Geffen. Together, six albums have been released under the moniker. The first two records, '' Blac ...

Eran Zahavi Eran Zahavi (also spelled Zehavi, , ; born 25 July 1987) is an Israeli professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward. Zahavi was named Israeli Footballer of the Year twice (2013–14 and ...

(born 1987), international footballer * Bat-Sheva Zeisler, singer and voice teacher

International relations

Rishon LeZion is twinned with: * Admiralteysky (Saint Petersburg), Russia *

Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...

, Romania *

Debrecen Debrecen ( ; ; ; ) is Hungary's cities of Hungary, second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain Regions of Hungary, region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the large ...

, Hungary *

Gondar Gondar, also spelled Gonder (Amharic: ጎንደር, ''Gonder'' or ''Gondär''; formerly , ''Gʷandar'' or ''Gʷender''), is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on ...

, Ethiopia *

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

, Lithuania *

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

, Ukraine *

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

, Poland *

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

, Germany *

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...

, France (1986) *

Prešov Prešov () is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is the seat of administrative Prešov Region () and Šariš. With a population of approximately 85,000 for the city, and in total more than 100,000 with the urban area, it is the second-largest city i ...

, Slovakia (2008) *

Prince George's County, Maryland Prince George's County (often shortened to PG County or PG) is located in the U.S. state of Maryland bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population was 967,201, making it ...

, United States *

Teramo Teramo (; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo. The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Italia) and the Adriatic coast. Th ...

, Italy (1988) *

Tianjin Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...

, China During the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

in 1991, the mayor of

, Germany, made a surprise visit to Rishon LeZion. According to

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' (; originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , , ) is an List of newspapers in Israel, Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel. The paper is published in Hebrew lan ...

, he felt he could not sit quietly at home while missiles were falling on his sister city. Throughout the war, he stayed at the home of Rishon LeZion mayor

and accompanied him on visits to sites hit by missiles. In 2009 a memorial was erected in Rishon LeZion to the 10,000 German and Austrian Jews who found refuge in the Philippines during the

Shoah The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

References

External links

Rishon LeZion City Hall

Places to Visit in Rishon LeZion
(English)
Rishon Le-Zion Digital Family AlbumRishon LeZion museum website
(in Hebrew) {{Authority control Jewish villages in the Ottoman Empire Populated places established in 1882 Cities in Central District (Israel) 1882 establishments in the Ottoman Empire 1882 in Ottoman Syria