Ashkelon אשקלון
“Also
Y'hudah took Gaza with its
territory, Ashkelon with
its territory and Ekron with its territory. So HaShem was with Y'hudah.”
Shof’tim.(Judges)1:18
One recent visitor to Ashkelon described it as a Florida Paradise without the crime and the hurricanes. Indeed this is a correct description. Ashkelon is located as a southern coastal gateway to Israel and one of its most beautiful cities. With beautiful homes, apartments and condos lining beautiful paved streets with palm trees and other natural beauties, a person will be immediately enticed to want to move here.
Definitely, Ashkelon is more beautiful then Florida! And 100% Jewish!
With the Florida weather, sunshine, and modern shopping malls, the people who live here enjoy a high quality of life.
With 10 kilometers of beaches that are not over
crowded, one has a quick getaway in a moment’s time to peace and serenity.
Because of the beach, families always have somewhere to go together that is safe
and relaxing. And yes there are condos over looking the Mediterranean Sea. For those traveling outside the city, you will be less then one hours drive to
Tel-Aviv, Holy Jerusalem and Beersheba.
Ashkelon is a Jewish city with a population over 120,000 people and
contains all the important amenities needed for such a city. Such as the…
Brazilai Medical Center.
This
5-story Hospital is one of Israel’s top healthcare institutions serving over
400,000 people in the surrounding Lakhish region. It contains 1,500 staff
including 240 doctors and 500 nurses. There are also plans to double its bed
capacity.
Educational facilities in Ashkelon are top rate. Here is a quote from the city. They describe it this way…
“The
city has placed maximum means at the disposal of the educational system --
spacious buildings, sophisticated equipment, and innovative teaching aids --
enabling Ashkelon students to attain a high level of achievement.
The educational system of Ashkelon is part of the ISO-9,000 Process for the
improvement of the quality of education.”
Ashkelon university has an enrollment of about 8,000
students. It contains a wide variety of coarses and degrees, as well as adult
educational programs and an ulpan for learning Hebrew.
The
photos below are of the Ashkelon university.
Among some of the benefits the government provides are, subsidized art
and music education for pre-schoolers.
Subsidized swimming and tennis lessons for kids in grade 4 and 5. There is also
Marine education for the junior high school students and
University courses for outstanding
students. There are additional lessons and support for weaker students. It is a
great place to educate your children.
From Ashkelon you can travel on a Modern train service to other parts of the country.
At this time in Ashkelon they are approaching the completion of the worlds most technologically advanced water desalination plant. It will be one of a few in the world that passes the water through the process of reverse osmosis. The water produced in Ashkelon may be the purest in the world. Is the water you are drinking now safe?
Ashkelon is home to several different cultural and musical festivals. The city has also a Conservatory, a Municipal Youth Orchestra and live theater.
They
also have a progressive marina providing a southern gateway to the
Mediterranean. It is the Ashkelon
Mariana.
It
has the capacity for the docking of 600 sea vessels. Some boaters might like to
know it is only 195 nautical miles to Larnaca, Cyprus.
There are near by are Hotels
for
tourist with entertainment and shopping for the visitors.
The Ashkeluna Water Park provides
entertainment for locals and visitors alike. It contains a picnic area and a
place to buy food. Besides the water park on the beach one can find an
amphitheater, museums tennis and more.
If you like Museums then there is the Archaeological Park of Ashkelon. It is also a place to picnic and see ancient wonders. Did you know that Ashkelon is mentioned by name and found written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics on pottery shards? Less ancient then that we can find it written of the mighty man Samson. It says in the Tanach,
“Then
the Spirit of HaShem came upon him mightily and he went down to Ashkelon….”
There are 3 industrial parks in Ashkelon
including one being developed for high tech industries, and another one is among the most modern in the country. Among the local industries
are 40 mid size factories and about 1,000 workshops and small industries. The
city also has been
given a preferred status by the Israeli
government in the area or tourism, and declared a national tourist site. This
means investors can receive grants up to 24% of their investment and other tax
exemptions.
There are government plans up coming in the
next few years to open a new phase in tourism development, which would include,
besides new hotels and other things, there will be two world-class international
golf courses. There will be nothing like it in the Middle East. But tourism is not the only preferred status for Ashkelon.
There is also a special status for industrial development and developers can
qualify for loans grants and tax incentives. In other words Ashkelon is thriving
and is a good place to work and to invest.
The city of Ashkelon coordinates with other
Jewish agencies to help settle New Olim in the area. They will assist new comers when
they first arrive at the airport and take them to their destination. They will
provide temporary subsidized housing for a month at the Barnea Absorption
center, while they help the people find a permanent housing solution. They will
receive all manner of assistance in helping people establish themselves
including among other things, schooling, banking, health insurance and ulpan.
Ashkelon in undeniable a good place to live, work and relax. A good place for your family and a home in the Holy land that G-d has set aside for you. Visit one of their beautiful parks.
What are you waiting for? It is time to scout out the land for a place to live and you might as well check out Ashkelon. It is time to put your trust in G-d and take the beautiful road and come home.
So when are you coming Home?!
“Those who trust in HaShem are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so HaShem surrounds His people, from this time forth and forever.” Tehillim (Psalms) 125:1-2,
הודו ל'' כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו
