Eden Mashur Executive Director of Immanuel with Rabbi Yaakov Weingarten
Ezra Gershy Mayor of Immanuel
The Shomron Regional Council was founded on the 19th of April, 1979.
All the Local Councils in the Shomron started out as communities of the Shomron Regional Council, grew and developed, and when they reached the appropriate numbers of families- were declared by the Interior Ministry as independent authority/ local council. Today there are seven of these: Ariel (city), Elkana, Oranit, Kedumim, Karnei Shomron, Alfei Menashe, Immanuel (Emanuel).
The population of the Council is about 20,000 people, living in 34 communities.
The largest community in the Shomron Regional Council today is Sharei Tikva, numbering more than 1000 families, and the youngest is Nofei Nechemia, numbering 12 families.
The municipal area of the Council spreads across 2,800 square kilometers (about 10% of the area of the State of Israel). According to its municipal area, the Shomron Regional Council is among the largest authorities in Israel.
The municipal boundaries: North: the communities of Ganim and Kadim, reaching to Megiddo Junction. West: the community of Tzufim, reaching to Kefar Saba. South: communities of Peduel and Alei Zahav, reaching to Ben Gurion International Airport. East: the community of Migdalim, situated on the border of the Jordan Valley.
The Council is divided into geographic regions- where each region has its own characteristics:
The Northern Shomron region: Ganim, Kadim, Hinanit, Homesh, Hermesh, Tal-Menashe, Mevo Dotan, Reichan, Sanur, Shaked- all the communities are secular, except for Tal-Menashe.
Central-Western Shomron: Avnei-Hefetz, Barkan, Ma’aleh Shomron, Nofim, Selait, Einav, Etz Efraim, Peduel, Tzufim, Kiryat Netafim, Revava, Shavei Shomron, Sharei Tikva- mixed population (secular and religious). Most of the communities are large and well established. If you add to them the Local Authorities in the Shomron, all of which are located in this region, the Jewish population numbers about 60,000 people.
Mountain Communities- Elon Moreh, Itamar, Har Bracha, Yitzhar (one block), and joining them Kefar Tapuach, Rechalim, Nofei Nechemia and Migdalim.
All the communities have similar characteristics: intoxicating view, life close to Nature, supportive social community, life based on values, high educational standards from infancy to academic levels, close to the large Israeli cities, possibility of employment in the community (local and regional Industrial Zones), diverse cultural activities, and successful blend of all the range of Israeli society in joint living and achievement.
Since 1986 (the first “Intifada”) and afterwards in 1994 (following the “Oslo Accords”) and since Rosh HaShana 5761 (October 2000), the communities of the Council have suffered (along with all the citizens of the State of Israel) from an ongoing war of the Palestinian Terror Organizations. In the course of all these years, the communities of the Council continue to lead normal lives even in the shadow of the threats of war and terror, and even adding new families to their communities.
Throughout the years, the population of the Council has risen (through natural growth, and by adding new families) by an average of 7% per year.
Hatzalah Rescue Villages and Settlements:
Alei Zahav
Avnei Hefetz
Barkan
Bruchin
Einav
Elon Moreh
Etz Efraim
Har Bracha
Hermesh
Hinanit
Itamar
Kfar Tapuach
Kiryat Netafim
Maale Shomron
Mevo Dotan
Migdalim
Nofei Nehemiah
Nofim
Peduel
Rachelim
Revava
Shaarei Tikva
Shaked
Shavei Shomron
Tal Menashe
Tzofim
Yakir
Yitzhar
Hatzalah Rescue Moshavim:
Reihan
Salit
website: http://www.shomron.org.il/
