CONTENTS

• Commerce and Health Services
• Transportation
• Residents
• Community Services and Religious Life
• Education
• Absorption Programs
• Real Estate

The residents of Mitzpe Netufa confess that they never really get entirely accustomed to the beauty of their home. Even those that have lived on the yishuv for twenty years still wake up, look outside at the mountains and lush vegetation, and say “How great are Your works Hashem.” For the visitor to the yishuv, it is hard to believe that people actually live among such natural magnificence; for the resident, it is difficult to imagine why anyone would not want to live there.  

Commerce and Health Services back to top^
The yishuv does have a minimarket located onsite, which supplies residents with most of the essentials they need. Residents do more extensive shopping in the larger towns and cities where they work. There are a couple of small businesses located on the yishuv, including one, a computer company, that employs several Mitzpe Netufa residents.

Mitzpe Netufa has a Leumi kupat holim clinic located on the yishuv. Any emergency needs can usually be met by the eight physicians who live on the yishuv. Hospitals are located nearby in Poriya (15 minutes) and Afula (½ hour). Dentists, optometrists, and other medical practitioners also have offices in the nearby towns.

Transportation back to top^
A car is a necessity at Mizpe Netufa, where there really is no public transportation available. Most people commute to work in private cars, carpools, or in transportation provided by their employers. The majority of residents commute to work in Tiberias (20 min), Afula (½ hour), Karmiel (40 minutes), the hi-tech park in Migdal HaEmek (35 minutes), Haifa (50 minutes), Rosh Pina (20 minutes), or Tzfat (one hour). Several residents even commute to Jerusalem (2 hours) and Tel Aviv (90 minutes), both using the new Trans-Israel Highway.

Residents back to top^
The majority of Mitzpe Netufa’s residents have academic backgrounds. They work in a variety of different field, including medicine, engineering, computers, education, and the trades. The residents chose the yishuv because they wanted to be in a fairly small religiously-committed community, while realizing their Zionist dream of settling the Galilee. The residents describe their yishuv as warm and open, a place where people truly care about their neighbors. They also emphasize the diversity of residents’ political outlooks, and the general air of tolerance that prevails.

Community Services and Religious Life back to top^
Mitzpe Netufa residents emphasize that they live in a very community-oriented yishuv. There are numerous yishuv-wide activities, including holiday programs, after-school groups for children, and even an English-language book club with participants from around the region.

All residents of the yishuv daven together at the yishuv synagogue except during holidays, when there is a separate Sefaradi minyan as well. There is a wide variety of Torah classes offered on the yishuv by the yishuv’s Rabbi and several of its residents. The classes are offered on Shabbat and during the week. There are classes especially for men, women, and children. Friday morning beit midrash

Education back to top^
Residents are generally satisfied with the ganim and maon on the yishuv. Elementary school-aged children attend the local government religious school on Kibbutz Lavi. The school has a diverse range of students from various backgrounds, many dedicated teachers, and innovative programs. While facilities are below the level most Anglo olim are accustomed to, the children get a fine education. A few families on Mitzpe Netufa have begun sending their children to a Noam elementary school in Tiberias. Virtually all the children on Mizpe Netufa are actively involved in Bnei Akiva

Most of the older children in Mitzpe Netufa stay fairly nearby for high school. The majority of girls go to the well-regard ulpena in Tiberias; a smaller number dorm-in at the ulpena in Kfar Pines, another well-thought of school. Boys also have a wide range of choices, including a yeshiva in Tiberias, Meron, and Chispin.

Absorption Programs back to top^ ^
Mitzpe Netufa is not an absorption center with a network of ulpanim and support services in place. But it is a yishuv with idealistic and caring residents who are deeply committed to helping to settle olim. When a new family comes to Mitzpe Netufa, the community is ready with an adoptive family, meals, and people available to help with the many details associated with settling in at a new country. There are ulpanim and government offices in Tiberius, Karmiel, and other nearby places. As is the case with most yishuvim, residents must pass through an acceptance committee.

Real Estate back to top^
There really is no second-hand housing market at Mitzpe Netufa, where only one family has left the yishuv in the past 10 years. This fact alone says quite a bit about the yishuv. Construction has begun on shlav gimmel, where residents are building their own single-family homes. It is expected that 150 meter single-family house on ½ a dunam will cost about $250,000.