Anyone
who thought that in choosing to live in a city one must sacrifice cleanliness
and well-kept common areas must visit Ma’aleh Adumim. Ma’aleh Adumim
has all the trappings of a city: an enclosed mall and strip-mall, a
municipal government center, intra-city transportation, a large library,
health services, etc., but it is clean and pleasant. This demonstrates
the municipality’s commitment to maintaining a high quality of life.
Looking around Ma’aleh Adumim, it is clear that the planners viewed
it as a residential city – one that offers all the services of a mid-sized
city – but whose primary purpose is to provide a home for its residents. 
Commerce
and Health Services back to top^
Here are just a few examples of the variety of commercial establishments
in Ma’aleh Adumim: a mall with food court, hardware store, supermarket,
mini-markets, pharmacy, banks, stationary store, film and camera shop,
bookstore, bakeries, movie theaters, and clothing shops. And if you
ever need anything else, the center of Jerusalem is only 10-15 minutes
away.
All
of the kupot holim have clinics in Ma’aleh Adumim, and the city
also is home to a TEREM Medical Center, which provides emergency
services. In addition, Ma’aleh Adumim has two Tipot Halav (well
baby centers), a dental practice, optometrists, a child development
center, and three veterinarians.
Transportation back
to top^
Residents of Ma’aleh Adumim can travel anywhere within the city on
a special intra-city bus, the #10 route. Ma’aleh Adumim is also a pedestrian-friendly
city. Through a complex network of foot-paths, it is possible to travel
all over Ma’aleh Adumim without ever crossing a major street. There
are four bus routes, Egged 173, 174,175, and 176, that travel between
Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem every 10-15 minutes. From the central
bus station in Jerusalem, it is also possible to take a direct bus
to Tel Aviv. This would make it possible to travel by bus to Tel Aviv
from your home in Ma’aleh Adumim in about 1 1/2 hours. Some people
do drive daily from Ma’aleh Adumim to Tel Aviv and, depending upon
traffic, can arrive there within 50 minutes.
Many
of Ma’aleh Adumim’s residents manage just fine without a car. The
supermarket and most minimarkets deliver, and the number 10 bus,
which circles the city, makes it easy for residents to travel anywhere
within Ma’aleh Adumim. As is the case wherever you live, the need
for a car is much greater among families with several kids, who
plan to travel together as a family.
Residents back
to top^
As one would expect in a city, Ma’aleh Adumim’s population is diverse.
They run the spectrum of religious observance and national origin.
The English-speaking community tends to be mostly Religious-Zionist,
and mostly in their late 30s to early 40s. However, new projects under
development are attracting younger families to the area.
Professionally,
residents are involved in just about every field imaginable. Most
commute to work in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or other nearby commercial
centers, but a fair number also work in Ma’aleh Adumim. The city’s
numerous educational institutions and its commercial district,
Mishor Adumim, provide opportunities for employment.
Community
Services and Institutions back to top^
Ma’aleh Adumim’s Matnas resembles a country club more than a community
center. It offers dozens of activities for all ages, sports, concerts,
shows, and an outstanding music program. There are also tennis courts
and basketball courts.
Religious life in Ma’aleh Admum largely revolves around the 15-20 synagogues
spread throughout the various neighborhoods. Yishivat Birkat Moshe,
a Religious-Zionist hesder yeshiva, also serves as a spiritual center
for the city, and its teachers and advanced students offer classes
for the larger community. Two synagogues in particular, Mitzpeh Nevo
in the Mitzpeh Nevo neighborhood and Musar Avicha in the Klei Shir
neighborhood, have a significant number of English-speaking people.
Education back
to top^
Ma’aleh Adumim offers educational programs from preschool through college.
There are numerous maon programs, and no fewer than 39 different ganim
spread throughout the city. In general, residents are satisfied with
all of these services.
Primary
education is provided at two state schools, one state religious
school, and one semi-private religious school. Most of the children
from English-speaking backgrounds attend Ma’aleh HaTorah, a Torani
public school. The school is housed in a large, modern facility.
Parents have a high level of involvement in the school and are
generally satisfied with the education their children are receiving.
A smaller number of children of English-speaking olim attend Sdei
Hemed
Many
of the girls on Ma’aleh Adumim attend the ulpena Tzvia, located
on Ma’aleh Adumim, upon graduating from elementary school. Tzvia
is known for high expectations in both religious and secular learning.
However, the school also emphasizes character development and skills
considered essential to young religious women.
Ma’aleh
Adumim has a well-developed program for children with special needs.
Schools have both special education tracks and inclusion programs.
In addition, there is an afternoon club-house program specifically
for children with special needs.
Ma’aleh
Adumim has an active Bnei Akiva chapter, that figures prominently
into the lives of the city’s young people.
Neighborhoods & Community
Involvement back to top^
Ma’aleh Adumim is divided into 8 neighborhoods (Mitzpeh Nevo, Nofei
HaSela, HaMetzadim, HaNehalim, Avnei HaHoshen, Megadim, Massuah, and
Tsemah haSadeh), and it is likely that this number will increase as
the city continues to prosper. Mitzpeh Nevo is the only exclusively
religious neighborhood. It is home to about 450 residents, including
a fair number of English-speaking olim. Residents estimate that the
number of English speakers in Mitzpeh Nevo is around 25 percent. Mitzpeh
Nevo is home to both the most Anglo of the synagogues in the city,
and the hesder yeshiva, Birkat Moshe. Although it is the city’s northern-most
neighborhood, most places in Mitzpeh Nevo are only a few minutes walk
from schools, stores, and all other services. Mitzpeh Nevo is the only
neighborhood in Ma’aleh Adumim that
is closed to automobile traffic during Shabbat and holidays.
All
other neighborhoods are mixed religious/secular, and the residents
seem to really like it that way. So long as you know some Hebrew,
you can easily tell which neighborhood you are in. The names of
the streets are consistent with the name of the neighborhood. For
example, streets in the Nehalim (meaning – rivers) neighborhood
include Nahal Vardit, Nahal Zohar, and Nahal Hever, some well-known
rivers in Israel. There is a considerable amount of mixing between
residents within their neighborhoods and a strong sense of community
throughout Ma’aleh Adumim.
Physical
Surroundings back to top^
Ma’aleh Adumim is located on the periphery of the Judean Desert. It
is surrounded by exquisite panoramic views. To the north and west are
the hills of Jerusalem, including Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives.
The view toward the east and south is of the tranquil hills of the
Judean Desert. The planners of Ma’aleh Adumim were evidently keenly
aware of the challenges in building a city atop a hill with beautiful
views and an ecologically sensitive environment. Houses are mostly
built low, facing scenic landscapes.
It
is difficult to over emphasize the priority Ma’aleh Adumim has
placed on beautifying its public spaces. The city has maintained
over 1,100 dunams of green areas, built dozens of playgrounds,
planted flowers in its traffic circles, and installed outdoor sculptures.
In recognition of its efforts, Ma’aleh Adumim won the Beauty and
Environmental Quality award given by the Council for a Beautiful
Israel.
Absorption
Programs back to top^
Absorption into the community is facilitated informally by neighborhood
residents. An oleh is likely to find the smoothest and warmest welcome
among other North American immigrants. The synagogues tend to be the
most popular places for olim to meet their neighbors and begin to socialize.
However, that does not mean that only religious olim will be warmly
welcome. Ma’aleh Adumim residents are happy to see newcomers – be they
religious or not – and will welcome them graciously into their homes.
It is just that Shabbat in general is the time of leisure and socialization,
and the synagogue is the place where most of this happens.
Ma’aleh
Adumim does run some ulpan programs in the city, which serves largely
the Russian community, but many new North American immigrants travel
to Jerusalem for a wider variety of levels. Representatives from
a few of the governmental ministries come to Ma’aleh Adumim once
a week for public reception hours. Olim can tend to most of their
bureaucratic needs during that time, and if they need anything
else, Jerusalem is only 10-15 minutes away.
Real
Estate back to top^
There are numerous housing opportunities currently available in Ma’aleh
Adumim. Three-bedroom rental apartments can be found for $750-900; four bedrooms in the $850-1100 range.
New medoragim and larger apartment building projects are currently
under construction. A new 3 bedroom apartment is in the $180,000-$225,000
range. Larger, 4 or 5 bedroom apartments average $190,000-$250,000.
Second-hand apartments and cottages are also available throughout the
city.
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