CONTENTS

• Commerce and Health Services
• Transportation
• Residents
• Community Services & Institutions
• Education
• The Neighborhoods
• Absorption Programs
• Real Estate

It seems that nearly all who come to visit Zichron Yaakov as tourists fall in love with the town. Who could blame them? Zichron has a world-famous winery; a quaint, brick-paved downtown district; and a stunning view of the Mediterranean coast. The town’s residents know that it has much more to offer, including beautiful homes, lovely neighborhoods, good schools, and proximity to places of employment. 

Zichron is one of the oldest towns in the modern history of Israel. It was founded as an agricultural settlement in the late 19^th century by members of the Eastern-European Hovevei Tzion movement. When the community began to struggle, it was assisted by Baron Edmond de Rothschild. The town was eventually named in honor of Baron Edmond’s father Jacob. The Baron created new industry for the town’s residents by building a winery and planting extensive vineyards.  Zichron became a hotbed of activity against British rule during the period of the Mandate and figures prominently in the life of one of its best known residents, Sarah Aaronsohn. 

Commerce and Health Services back to top^
Zichron has a lovely historic downtown area, with a wide selection of shops, restaurants, and various professional services.  In a newer section of town, there are supermarkets and malls. Residents can get most everything they need in Zichron, but it is comforting for them to know that the commercial center of Or Akiva is only about 15 minutes away. Zichron also has a private country club, with outstanding athletic facilities.

Each of the kupot holim has offices in Zichron. There are also several dentists, optometrists, and alternative health practitioners. Nearby hospitals are located in Netanya and Haifa.

Transportation back to top^
The vast majority of Zichron residents have at least one car. The town is by no means isolated: it is 10 minutes from the Binyamina train station, which can bring the commuter to work in Haifa or Tel Aviv within 40 minutes. Bus service is available to each of these destinations, as well as to Jerusalem.  Zichron is now quite spread out, and growing rapidly, so even navigating the town can be difficult without a car. There is no bus service available to transport residents within Zichron Yaakov.

Residents back to top^
The residents of Zichron Yaakov are a diverse lot – in particular if you look at the population as a whole instead of just the English speaking population. Zichron has Ashkenazim, Sefaradim, and Yemenites. Among the Anglos, there are a fair number that are involved in the major Orthodox synagogues in the town, but there are also quite a few who attend the Conservative and Reform synagogues. A large Haredi presence is also felt in Zichron, where they have established a flourishing school system and community institutions to meet their needs.  Zichron also has a sizable number of secular residents.

Unlike many other towns that date back to the early days of the Yishuv, Zichron was originally founded by religious settlers. The synagogues were always important community institutions and the historic commercial district was always closed on Shabbat. There are some residual tensions over this, but in general, people seem to get along.

Many of Zichron’s residents, especially those who have moved in over the past 10 years are professionals with young families. A large number of them work in hi-tech centers in nearby Petah Tikva, Caesaria, or in one of Haifa’s industrial parks. 

Community Services and Institutions back to top^
Zichron has an active community center with sports, music, and various other after school activities for children.  It also offers a wide selection of courses for adults, including lectures through its “College for Adults.”  The town is currently building a new library to serve the community’s needs.

Zichron has synagogues large and small. A number have been around since the early days of the old Yishuv. There are also kollels that offer a wide range of learning options. A number of years ago a garin of young Torani families moved from the hesder yeshiva in Maalot to Zichron Yaakov with the intention of establishing a branch of the yeshiva. The branch has since disbanded, but several of the families have remained in Zichron and strengthened its Torah institutions. 

Community Involvement back to top^
Residents of Zichron Yaakov enjoy living in a town with a small community feeling, where the community does not envelop the individual. They feel that they have the support and community resources associated with living in a large town, but enjoy some of the intimacy of a much smaller community.

Education back to top^
Zichron has no fewer than 11 ganim, which generally serve the neighborhood in which they are located. A gan for children with special needs is also available to the community, as is a private English-speaking gan. There are two government-sponsored ganim for the religious population. 

Elementary school aged children in Zichron generallssy attend the Yavetz government religious school http://www.scool.co.il/yavetz/index.asp?id=1, the Nili government school, or the Horesh government school http://hachoresh.org.il/homepind.htm. Yavetz attracts children from all over Zichron, while Nili and Horesh each cater to specific neighborhoods. The Nili school offers a wide range of after school activities for a fee.  A small number of religious and non-religious children attend a new democratic school located on nearby Kibbutz Maagan Michael. For high school, students from Zichron Yaakov generally travel to schools in Hadera, Kfar Pines, and Haifa

The Neighborhoods
Like most cities and larger towns, Zichron is divided into a series of neighborhoods, each with its own qualities and character. It is important to remember that in Zichron Yaakov, many of the neighborhoods are within easy walking distance to others, so living in a particular neighborhood does not necessarily restrict a resident’s social life. 

Neve Baron
Neve Baron is built such that each home has some view of the sea. It is beautifully kept, with pretty gardens and house-fronts and has a large number of Anglo families. This neighborhood has been expanded over the past 5-6 years, extending eastward and westward,

Mul HaYekev
Mul Hayekev is among Zichron Yaakov’s newer neighborhoods and was built in the late 1990s. It is located just south of the center of the town. It has attracted many Religious-Zionist families that live within a block or two of each other, alongside non-religious families. This neighborhood too is home to Anglos and native Israelis.

Givat Eden
Givat Eden is situated on a northern hill of Zichron Yaakov, and it comprises mostly new, fully detached upper-scale houses. It is within walking distance to the center of town. In comparison to other neighborhoods in Zichron, Givat Eden has fewer Anglos.

Vilot BeHoresh
Like Mul HaYekev, Vilot Behoresh was also built up in the late 1990s. It stands between Givat Eden (north) and the center of the town and consists primarily of a single building project. The prices of these houses are higher or equal to those in Neve Habaron. In this neighborhood too a significant number of Anglos have made their homes.

Neve Remez
Neve Remez has grown in popularity in recent years. It is an older neighborhood that has become more upscale in the past few years as families have taken old homes on large plots of land and have expanded them. This neighborhood has a character of its own, combining the old and the new. 

Shekhunat Yaakov/Hazon Ish and Ramat Zvi
The latter is a mixed religious/non-religious neighborhood, in which a number of Anglo Haredi families live, while the former is primarily Haredi and there are is only a very small number of English-speaking families there (if any). Both neighborhoods are a bit older and less heterogeneous than the others.

Absorption Programs back to top^
Zichron Yaakov’s Anglo community has always taken care of its own and welcomed new residents. Zichron does not have an absorption center or formal absorption program, but services generally needed by new olim can be found reasonably near by. Ulpanim are located in Haifa and Pardes Hanna and government offices, including the absorption ministry, are in Hadera. Some residents suggest that Zichron may not be the best choice for a first destination upon aliya. This may be less the case for families with good Hebrew, familiarity with Israeli institutions, and employment. 

Real Estate back to top^
While Zichron Yaakov has many things going for it, inexpensive housing is not one of them. The least expensive housing option, a 3-4 room apartment, is likely to cost about $160,000. Cottages can be found for as low as $240,000 in some neighborhoods. Prices for villas (200 plus meters) begin at about $400,000. Rent for a 3 room apartment averages about $500 per month, while a 4-5 room apartment will cost about $750. Villas generally rent for considerably more, but are usually within the range of $750 to $1200 per month.