Bet Shemesh
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| Hebrew | בית שמש |
| Government | City |
| District | Jerusalem |
| Population | 61,900 (CBS end of 2004) |
| Jurisdiction | 50,500 dunams (50.5 km²) |
- Beth-shemesh is the name of several ancient Biblical towns.
Bet Shemesh (בית שמש; unofficially also spelled Beit Shemesh) is a city in the Jerusalem District in Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2004 the city had a total population of 61,900.
The ancient city of Bet Shemesh ("home of the sun" in Hebrew) was named after the Canaanite sun-goddess Shemesh, which was worshipped there in antiquity. The ruins of the ancient biblical city can still be seen in the tell of Bet Shemesh, located near the modern city.
Image:Modern bet shemesh.png Image:BetShemesh.jpg
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[edit] Demographics
According to CBS, in 2003 the ethnic makeup of the city was 100.0% Jewish and other non-Arab, with no significant Arab population. There are thousands of Jewish immigrants. See Population groups in Israel.
According to CBS, in 2001 there were 24,500 males and 24,600 females. The population of the city was spread out with 47.6% 19 years of age or younger, 17.1% between 20 and 29, 18.8% between 30 and 44, 9.4% from 45 to 59, 2.1% from 60 to 64, and 5.0% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 11.2%.
Bet Shemesh has a considerable Orthodox Jewish population, including a sizable Chareidi (ultra-Orthodox) segment, that continues to expand and grow as religious families look beyond the more central areas of Jerusalem for available housing suited to large families. Many synagogues and yeshivas have been built in the community. Movements represented in Beit Shemesh include Ger, Belz, Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok, Satmar and Neturei Karta.
[edit] Income
According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 12,518 salaried workers and 849 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 4,858, a real change of 7.3% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 6,631 (a real change of 8.9%) versus ILS 3,162 for females (a real change of 1.3%). The mean income for the self-employed is 5,840. There are 744 people who receive unemployment benefits and 2,701 people who receive an income guarantee.
[edit] Education
According to CBS, there are 40 schools and 9,322 students in the city. They are spread out as 29 elementary schools and 6,619 elementary school students, and 15 high schools and 2,703 high school students. 50.1% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001.
[edit] Industries
Among other crops, grapes are grown here. A local wine is produced by "Singer Cellars" now known as "Berry Ridge Winery", which recently expanded operations and is now fully certified as Kosher. This boutique winery produces small batches of high quality wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Meritage, which can be orderred with personalized artistic labels. The wineryhas won international awards for both the wines and the labels. Grapes are also processed by winemakers in neighbouring areas, e.g. Cremisan cellars in Beit Jala.
During the hi-tech boom it was host to several hi-tech startups, among them, Alchemedia, 2am and Shoutmail. Today hi-tech is still a central industry. Companies like Degel Software, NMS, and Net2phone have offices in the Bet Shemesh area.
Also located in Bet Shemesh is Bet Shemesh Engines Ltd. (BSEL) which manufactures and repairs jet engines and jet engine components.
[edit] Synagogues
- Beit Medrash Torani Leumi (Rabbi Avishai David)
- Ohel Yonah Menachem
- Netzach Menashe
- Ateret Shalom
- Kehilla Datit Leumit, Migdal HaMayim.
- Beit Knesset Feigenson (Nofei Aviv Synagogue)
[edit] External links
- Shemesh OnLine - community guide and directory
- Beit Knesset Feigenson - Aviv Community Synagogue and Web site
- Beit Knesset Ohel Yonah Menachem- OYM website
| Jerusalem District | ||
| Cities | Bet Shemesh · Jerusalem | Image:Israel jerusalem dist.png |
| Local councils | Abu Ghosh · Mevaseret Zion · Qiryat Ye'arim | |
| Regional councils | Mateh Yehudah | |
de:Bet Schemesch es:Bet Shemesh he:בית שמש nl:Bet Shemesh ro:Beit Şemeş sv:Bet Shemesh
