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"Beit Shemesh: House of the Rising Sun " a Bet Shemesh Travel Page by gilabrand

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"Beit Shemesh: House of the Rising Sun " a Bet Shemesh Travel Page by gilabrand

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gilabrand   
You were born an original; don't die a copy.


Real Name: gila brand
Lives In: Jerusalem, IL
Member Since: Jan 01, 2004
VT Rank: 385

 

Page Views: 1,438            Last Visit to Bet Shemesh: March, 2006      

Beit Shemesh: House of the Rising Sun

by gilabrand - last update: May 5, 2009

ONCE BARREN HILLS
Back in the 1950s, Beit Shemesh was what Israel called a "development town." Now that sounds promising, but development towns were generally dinky places in the middle of nowhere that became a kind of catch-all for refugees and new immigrants. Beit Shemesh was one of them. In those early days of the state, the government sent newcomers to transit camps called "ma'abarot" and then plonked them down in hicktowns like Beit Shemesh.

If you look at the above picture, you will see that Beit Shemesh today is not bad at all, despite the stigma that clung to it for years. And every one of those trees you see, coloring the hills green, was planted by Jewish immigrants ("olim hadashim") from Arab countries who were brought here to clear the rocky fields and build a "House in the Sun."

Hebrew glossary:
Beit = House
Shemesh = Sun

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Comments for gilabrand about Bet Shemesh
RhineRoll Sun Jul 1, 2007 19:27 UTC
 Is this really Israel? Looks like Germany (except the palm tree :)
lionreb Sun Apr 1, 2007 19:14 UTC
 Lovely picture!
Soore Sun Feb 18, 2007 02:25 UTC
 Great translation ! Never thought about Beit Shemesh in such a beatiful way
evaanna Sat Jul 29, 2006 21:33 UTC
 Beautiful picture and great scenery.
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