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Yokneam Illit


Yokneam Illit is a small city in northern Israel, southeast of Haifa. It is located in a hilly region of the lower Galilee, bordered by Highway 70 and Mount Carmel. Most people from the center of the country are only familiar with Yokneam as a stopping point on their way further up North, but it is actually much more than that. The city has a population of approximately 19,000, and it continues to grow. Its convenient location is one of the city’s strong points: located just 20 minutes away from Haifa, but without the pollution of Haifa and the Krayot. Now that the new segment of the Trans Israel Highway (Kvish 6) has been completed, Yokneam Illit is not far from most places in central Israel. With wonderful views of the Yizrael Valley, the Carmel Mountain range and Ramot Menashe, it is not hard to understand why Yokneam calls itself "Israel's First Green City".
Yokneam’s population is a wide mix, which includes veteran Israelis, new immigrants from Russia and Ethiopia, as well as some Olim from English-speaking countries. The town is a model of integration - both religious and secular residents, as well as veteran and immigrant residents, live side by side in harmony.


Yokneam Illit Stats
Region: North - צפון Climate: Valley/Low mountain
Demographics: Young couples/Young families, Families Medical care:
Maccabi, Meuchedet, Clalit, Leumit
City Type: Small city/Large town עיר קטנה/עירה Affordability: $$$
Sectors:
Chabad, Dati Leumi, Secular		  
Number of English speakers: 5% Population: 19000
Community contacts:
Sharona Stanhill
Email: sstanhill@nbn.org.il
Cell: 054-565-5423
Skype: sharona_stanhill
Go North Klitah Coordinator, NBN
Website: http://www.yoqneam.org.il/, http://www.datibyoqneam.org.il/

Local Employment
Yokneam has 2 hi-tech parks which offer employment opportunities.

Accessibility to Employment
It is possible to live in Yokneam and work in many other places, such as Haifa, Krayot, Karmiel, Afula and Kibbutzim and towns that are within commuting distance. In addition, you can drive to the center of the country (Petach Tikvah, for example), in 45 minutes.



Education / Youth
Yokneam has two Naamat day care centers, a Chabad day care center and many private day care centers, both in town and in the surrounding Kibbutzim and Moshavim.
Free public education in Yokneam begins at age 3, in contrast to most areas in Israel which only have free education from age 5. There is a wide variety of preschools and kindergartens, including Mamlachti (secular), Mamlachti Dati (religious, state-run), Chabad and Torani (more intensely religious, state-run).
Elementary schools include one Mamlachti Dati school called Hadasim, and four Mamlachti schools: Daliyot, Tidhar, Arazim and Oranim, which is Humanistic.
Yokneam has one Mamlachti high school, Ort Alon. Most children in the Mamlachti system attend the local school though some go to private schools such as the Reali School in Haifa, the Megiddo school, the Yagur School and other schools in the area. For children in the Mamlachti Dati system, there is no local Mamlachti Dati high school, but organized transportation is available to schools in the neighboring communities such as Sde Yaakov for boys and Ulpanot in the Haifa and Afula areas for girls. Additional Torani schools can be found in Migdal HaEmek, Rechasim and Haifa.

For university students, Yokneam is an easy commute to Haifa University, the Technion, Alonim, Michlelet Emek Yizrael and other colleges in the area.

There are a number of active youth groups in Yokneam including Bnei Akiva, Tzofim and Hano'ar Ha'oved Vehalomed. There is also a wide range of Chugim (after-school activities) offered for children and youth by the local Matnas as well as privately. There is a Youth Center run by the city, and many activities are available during the school vacations.



Transportation
Yokneam is 20 minutes from the Binyamina train station, which allows for convenient travel by train. There is regular bus service to Haifa as well as to Nazeret, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Efficient and cheap inner-city bus service is available in Yokneam, making it possible to set up one’s life here without needing to purchase a car.


Olim Services
The municipality offers support for Olim. There is an Ulpan available at nearby Kibbutz Yagur, as well as in Haifa, Natzeret Illit and Migdal HaEmek. The existing English-speaking community provides a warm welcome to any new Olim who move to Yokneam.

Amenities / Services
Most amenities and services are offered in Yokneam. The city has banks, a post office, healthcare, driving tests and licenses, a National Insurance office, National Employment Services, a representative of Misrad Hapnim (Ministry of the Interior). There is a large shopping center within Yokneam, and a Shopping Mall that is currently undergoing renovation, which will be developed at the entrance to the city. A small shopping area is also available in the old center of the city (Lev Yokneam) and there are shops in the Old Industrial Estate.

For healthcare services, Kupat Holim Clalit has 2 branches in town and Maccabi has brand new facilities in the centrally located "BIG" shopping center. The Leumit healthcare fund also has a branch in Yokneam. There are two pharmacies, dentists, a Clalit Smile clinic, optometrists and alternative health practitioners. Nearby hospitals are located in Afula and Haifa. There is a new Magen David Adom Station, where many of the youth volunteer, which has an Intensive Care ambulance and two regular ambulances.


Community and Religious Life
Yokneam boasts an active Matnas (community center), with sports activities, art, music, dance and various other after-school activities for youth. It also offers a wide selection of courses for adults, including lectures and work shops. Yokneam has two libraries with a selection of books in English. The Matnas runs a youth center that runs community projects. Yokneam's Matnas also runs a Women's Center (Merkaz Gaya) which offers a range of activities, workshops and lectures for women. During the summer vacation, the Matnasim run day camps for children.

Yokneam has a Tennis Center, basketball courts and a soccer field. There is a city-run Sports Hall, Fitness Center and an outdoor and indoor swimming pool (which offers separate swimming for the Dati population, at certain times). A "Country Club" is currently under development. Many people belong to swimming pools in the local Kibbutzim and to private fitness centers. There is also a theater, which has excellent productions for adults and children.

Yokneam has a wide range of restaurants, many of which are Kosher.

Yokneam has many Orthodox synagogues and Mikvaot. There are also two Kollels which offers a wide range of learning options.


Real Estate
There are a variety of properties available for rental and purchase. Numerous real estate companies operate in Yokneam.

A new green ecological building project in the Shaar Hagai neighborhood is slated to begin in mid 2011.


Neighborhoods
Yokneam is made up of several neighborhoods with a mixture of different types of properties, including apartments and semi-detached houses. Most houses are built by contractors, though there are also some free standing “Bnei Beitcha” houses. The newest three neighborhoods, Givat Alonim, Givat Ya'ara and Givah Yeruka, are in high demand, but rentals and purchases can be found. older established neighborhoods include Ramat Yokneam and Kochav Hayarden.

In recent years, no new houses have been built in Yokneam, making it harder to find rental properties and pushing the prices higher. However, right now a new neighborhood is currently being built with 450 units for sale, including a project built by Emunah for the religious population. More building projects are expected to follow.


Updated: April 23, 2010

Tags: North Small city Large town $$$ Young Couples & Families Families Chabad Dati Leumi Secular