Hgr"ch ordered: Nazareth Illit will become Hod Hagalil

If there is no last-minute change, Nazareth Illit will separate from its name, and will soon be renamed Hod Hagalil.


The one who required changing the name of the city was Hgr'ch Kanievsky. Hgr"ch commented on the fact that the charedi residential project named Har Yona, was located in Upper Nazareth, as he says, the "city name" does not sound good in the 'Jewish ear'.


During the Second Temple there was a small settlement in Nazareth, until the Byzantine period it was a Jewish city, but later, Christians settled there, until today, although it bears an Arab character due to the Arab population, it has Christian holy places. In contrast, Upper Nazareth, in whose jurisdiction is the neighborhood of Mount Yonah, 75% of its demographic composition is completely Jewish.

Har Yonah project was named so after Yonah Hanavi, who according to tradition, was born in the village of Mashhad (Gat Hefer is the biblical city) located opposite the mountain ridge – where he is also buried. Till today there are pilgrimages to his grave by various organizations who visits the graves of tzaddikim buried in Arab areas.


In an interview with the Mishpacha paper, the incoming mayor of Bnei Brak Rabbi Avraham Rubinstein said that he was sent by Hgr"ch to the Nazareth Mayor Shimon Gapso, to ask him to change the name of the city. Indeed, during a council meeting, held three years ago, the council approved the Gapso proposal to change the name of the city and not include the name Nazareth.

The decision itself, has not yet received the approval of the Ministry of Interior. "It is not easy to just change the name of a city in Israel," say the project heads to B'Chadrei Charedim, "but Gapso who eager to bring new residents to his city, and since the beginning of the project is pushing the issue strongly and in every arena possible, is hoping to get through even this hurdle."


The municipality appealed to the people and called them to suggest new names for their city, using the city website. Over the years, many suggestions flowed. In recent days the decision was made by Gapso on the name Hod Hagalil.

Meanwhile, the Belze Hasidim Institutions Center signed a purchase four hundred housing units in the new Kiryat Belze which will be established in Har Yonah. Under the agreement - already signed by the auction heads project leaders - four hundred apartments will be sold in three stages. First two hundreds units will be occupied within 22 months. During the second and third stage each time one hundred units will be populated. The expectation is to finish all marketing and occupancy in the new Kiryat Belze, within three years.


The agreement received the consent and blessing of the Belzer Rebbe, and tomorrow night (Tuesday) a lechaim is expected to take place at his residence on the occasion of the launch of the new Kiryah, attended by heads of the housing committee and the parties involved in the transaction.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!