Kiryat Yam

Kiryat Yam (Hebrew: קִרְיַת יָם, lit. Sea Town) is a city in the Haifa Bay district of Israel, about 12 km (7 mi) north of Haifa. It is part of a group of suburbs called the Krayot.

The city sits along the beautiful Mediterranean coast, between Kiryat Haim and the Tzur Shalom industrial area, just east of Kiryat Motzkin.

In 2024, Kiryat Yam was home to many people, making it a lively and growing community. The city is known for its pleasant location near the sea, which offers many opportunities for outdoor activities and relaxation. Its position close to Haifa and other nearby cities makes it a convenient place to live while still enjoying a peaceful coastal atmosphere.

History

The land where Kiryat Yam now stands was bought by a group of Jewish people in 1925 as part of a big purchase from the Sursock family. Later, in 1928, more land was bought for building homes. Construction started in 1939, and the first houses were ready by 1940.

Demographics

Kiryat Yam has 38,945 people. In the north part of the city, many immigrants from the former Soviet Union, North Africa, and Ethiopia live. The city’s leaders made many centers and homes to help these immigrants feel welcome. Kiryat Yam is medium on the socio-economic scale.

Schools

Kiryat Yam has 15 preschools, eight elementary schools, and three high schools named Rabin, Rodman, and Levinson. These schools have about 10,000 students. In 2015, Rodman High School joined Rabin High School, which made Rabin very crowded. Most schools have bus routes to help students travel. However, Rabin High School lost one of its bus lines around 2015 and it has not been added back because of the crowding and problems at the school.

Israeli-Arab conflict

During the 2006 Lebanon War, rockets from Hezbollah hit Kiryat Yam. This damaged some buildings and caused a few injuries.

Urban development

Plans to improve the old Gimmel neighborhood faced challenges. A big company called Rafael Advanced Defense Systems stopped these plans because their main plant is near Kiryat Yam. In 2009, the Haifa district planning committee decided to allow tall buildings in the neighborhood, even though Rafael disagreed.

Neighbourhoods

Kiryat Yam has several neighbourhoods. These include Kiryat Yam (Dalet), which has the area called Almogim. Kiryat Yam (Gimmel) was built in the 1950s. Other neighbourhoods are Kiryat Yam (Bet), Kiryat Yam (Alef), Savyoney Yam, Psagot Yam, and Bne Beitkha.

Notable people

Kiryat Yam has many talented people. Some of them are Avner Shats, an author and poet born in 1959, and Sam Vaknin, a writer born in 1961. Other famous people from the city are Erez Eisen, a musician born in 1980, football referee Orel Grinfeld born in 1981, and footballer Gil Vermouth born in 1985.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Israel

Kiryat Yam works with cities in many countries. These friendships help people from different places get to know each other.