Hod Hasharon

The status of the city was assigned only in 1990 . But the history of the city began much earlier - from the 1920s, when four moshavas were founded here: Magdiel, Ramataim, Kfar Hadar and Ramat Hadar. The first inhabitants of the moshavim were mainly immigrants from Poland and Lithuania . Swamps were drained, gardens and plantations were laid. The main occupation of the moshavim residents was gardening and growing citrus and avocados. And still in the city there are many gardens. In 1963, there was a merger of moshavim into one settlement. In the late 1980s, the population, due to the great repatriation, increased sharply and in 1990 the settlement became a city.

The creation of the city as a merger of moshavim led to interesting results. The large area of ​​the city allows building not so closely as in other cities of the center. Hod Hasharon also differs from other cities in the center by the absence of barracks-type houses built in the 1950s and 1960s. There is also no so-called social housing for low-income families. High-rise buildings are underway in the city recently and in not very large volumes. Hod Hasharon is the only city in the center of the country where cottages are preferred. This explains the relatively high cost of housing and Arnona - the municipal tax. The desire to preserve the "rustic" look of the city is understandable, but according to experts, such a construction policy is unlikely to last long. Almost 50% of the city square is occupied by public buildings: city government and culture buildings, schools and gymnasiums, sports facilities, parks and squares.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics of Israel , the population at the beginning of 2018 was 61 102 people ^[1] .

The 40th highway connecting the city with Petah Tikva and Kfar Saba divides the city into western and eastern parts. From the south, the city is bounded by the Yarkon River, and from the north, the Geya highway. The presence of one highway for exit (entry) into the city created certain inconveniences, especially during rush hours. But recently, a junction with Highway 4 (bypassing the Raanan intersection) has been built and the construction of the 2nd exit (entrance) on Highway 5 is nearing completion. Thus, Hod Hasharon gets convenient access to two major highways and, accordingly, anywhere in Israel. And Highway 40 connects the city almost directly with Ben Gurion Airport.

The city has many small cozy squares and three parks. The recently built park on the southern outskirts, one of the most beautiful in the country, is a great place to relax or play sports. On the outskirts is the industrial zone of the city. However, the main places of work of residents are the adjacent cities - Kfar Saba , Petah Tikva , Raanana , Herzliya and Tel Aviv . In fact, Hod Hasharon is a sleeping city with a developed infrastructure - shops, cafes and restaurants, schools and kindergartens, swimming pools and cinemas. The city has a small “Russian” community, which however has its own pensioner club and a kids club. There are also several "Russian" stores.

Twin Cities of Hod Hasharon:

•   Dorsten , Germany ^[2]
•   Sinaia , Romania
•   Izmir , Turkey

Neta Barzilai is an Israeli singer, the representative of Israel at Eurovision 2018 and the winner of the competition.

Official website of the municipality