Tzur Hadassah

Tzur Hadassah

צוּר הֲדַסָּה
تسور هداسا
Tzur Hadassah צוּר הֲדַסָּה; تسور هداسا
	Tzur Hadassah
	Coordinates: 31°43′3″N 35°5′38″E / 31.71750°N 35.09389°E
Country	Israel
District	Jerusalem
Founded	1960
Population (2022)	12,142

Tzur Hadassah (Hebrew: צוּר הֲדַסָּה, lit. Rock of Hadassah) is a local council located in the Jerusalem Corridor, located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) southwest of Jerusalem, at an altitude of 755 meters above sea level, located on Route 375 west of Betar Ilit, about one kilometer west of the Green Line, adjacent to the Palestinian village of Wadi Fukin. In 2022 it had a population of 12,142.^[1] In 2023 it was awarded local council status.^[2]

History

Tzur Hadassah was established in 1956 as a regional centre for nearby moshavim such as (Bar Giora, Mata, Mevo Beitar and Nes Harim) on land that had belonged to the depopulated Palestinian village of Ras Abu 'Ammar.^[3] It was named for the Hadassah organization.

The town has four neighborhoods: The "Vatika" (Old Tzur Hadassah and Shehunat HaMeah); New Tzur Hadassah (Shehunat HaEmek); Sansan (Sansan Mt.); and Har Kitron (Kitron Mt.) which forms the second half of the horseshoe topography of Tzur Hadassah.^[4] In 2016, plans for expansion were approved to add 15,000 new residents within 5 years.^[5]

In 2023, Tzur Hadassah became a local council and Tomer Moskowitz was appointed mayor.^[2]

Schools and synagogues

Tzur Hadassah is home to 4 primary schools, 1 religious, 1 mixed, and 2 secular. The religious school is called Lavi, the mixed (both religious and secular) is Maayanot, and the secular primary schools are Hadassim and Tzurim. Hadassa is home to Kehilat Shir Chadash (formally Kehilat Tzur Hadassah).

The Kehila has an active chapter of the Israeli Reform Youth Movement Noar Telem. The congregation plays a leading role in the town’s social and cultural life. Between 2006-2014 rabbi Ofer Beit-Halachmi got the congregation into a new building and created a moving voice in the community, leading in projects such as environmental programs, teen programs, and civic engagement such as volunteering in immigrant communities.^{[citation needed]}

Landmarks

The Harei Yehuda riding stable is located in Tzur Hadassah, at the edge of the Sansan nature reserve. It was established in 1991 in the old part of Tzur Hadassah and moved to new facilities in 2004.^[6] The Israel National Trail, marked with orange, blue, and white stripes, reaches Tzur Hadassah on its way westward.^[7] In 2014, construction workers discovered a large stalactite cave located beneath parts of Tzur Hadassah, the Parks Service sealed off entrance to the cave system.^[8]