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Rehovot
Located in Israel’s central region, approximately 20 kilometers south of Tel-Aviv, the city of Rehovot was built on colonial land owned by the Zionist philanthropist Edmund James de Rothschild. Uniquely different from the towns surrounding it who received financial support from the Baron de Rothschild, Rehovot was founded by immigrants wishing to free themselves from the aid and supervision of the Baron.
Rehovot – An Independent Agricultural Settlement
In 1890 Israel Belkin, along with several other Jewish immigrants from Poland, founded the town of Rehovot as a democratically operated agricultural community. Rehovot quickly became famous for its production of grapes, almonds and citrus fruit. By the mid 1960s Rehovot was named the state’s primary citrus supplier, a title which grew to unprecedented heights when the nearby city of Ashdod opened its port, allowing Rehovot’s produce to reach Europe by sea.
Then, in 1932 a Center for the Study of Agriculture was built in the city. In 1960 the center was named an outpost of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Department of Agriculture—one of Israel’s main academic centers and a world renown research institution. Today Rehovot is home to the Weizmann Institute of Science, one of the world’s foremost institutes of higher education specializing in the sciences.
Israel tours often pass over Rehovot, claiming that the city offers too little to do. But with its history as one of the state’s most important farming settlements and the Weizmann Institute campus on its grounds, Rehovot is well worth a visit. Plus, being a mere half hour drive from Tel-Aviv makes visiting the city easy and accessible for any Israel travel.
Although Rehovot enjoyed prominence as an important agricultural settlement in the 19 th and 20 th centuries, it is worthwhile noting that the city’s history begins long before.
Rehovot in the Bible
Rehovot gets its name from the Book of Genesis where it is said: “and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said: 'For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land” (26:22). Though not located where the Biblical town of Rehobot is believed to have been (somewhere in Israel’s southern desert region) Israel Belkin, one of the town’s founders, thought the name Rehovot—meaning wide open spaces—fitting and called the new town as such.
Not much is known about the Biblical city of Rehobot. Form the little that is known, the town is believed to have been prosperous and lively. It is commonly held that Israel Belkin proposed the name Rehovot as a means of proving to the surrounding towns that they can succeed in building a fully functioning community without the patronship of the Baron de Rothschild.
Rehovot - Weizmann Institute of Science
Established in 1934 by Dr. Chaim Weizmann (trained as a chemist), the Weizmann Institute of Science is one of Israel’s six major universities. Named the Daniel Sieff Institute of Science upon its establishment, the institute’s name was changed in 1949 to honor of its creator—Chaim Weizmann, the first president of the State of Israel.
The Wiezmann institute is a world leader in the fields of advanced mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and computer science, awarding some 2,500 students M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees annually.
Group travels as well as private tours to Israel are welcome at the Weizmann Institute throughout the academic year. Its 1.2 square kilometer campus is an interesting blend of over 70 learning halls, green lawns, landscaped gardens and history. Indeed, the home of Israel’s first President, Chaim Weizmenn’s home is located on campus, as is the famous archive contacting his papers and lectures in chemistry given at the institute.
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