Modi'in Illit

**Modi'in Illit**
	Modi'in Illit
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	;
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Country	Israel
District	Judea and Samaria Area
Government	City (from 2008)
Hebrew	מודיעין עילית
Name meaning	Upper Modi'in
Population	38,000 (2007)
Area	4,746 dunams (4.746 km2; 1.832 sq mi)
Mayor	Rabbi Yaakov Gutterman
Founded in	1994

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Modi'in Illit (Hebrew: מודיעין עילית‎, lit. Upper Modi'in) is an Israeli settlement and city in the foothills of the Judean Mountains, midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is often referred to as Kiryat Sefer (lit. "Book Town"), the name of the settlement’s original neighborhood.

Modi'in Illit is positioned within the West Bank, 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) from the 1967 Green Line, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the 443 highway. Modi'in Illit is unique in that it is built on privately-owned land, and its first homes were completed in 1994. As its name implies, Modi'in Illit is a suburb of Modi'in. The local council of Modi'in Illit was given city status on March 7, 2008, by Aluf Gadi Shamni.^[1]

[edit] Population

According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2007, the town had a total population of about 38,000,^[2] making it the largest Israeli settlement in the West Bank.[2] The city has a large annual growth rate of 18 percent, due to new home construction and natural population growth. An estimated 70 percent of the population is under age 40. There are many immigrants, mostly from England, France, Switzerland and the United States. The entire population of Modi'in Illit is observant Jews, following strict adherence to Shabbat, kashrut, and tzniut. Most residents are Ashkenazi Jews in the Lithuanian tradition, but there are also Sephardi and Hasidic Jews.

Modi'in Illit has 30 elementary schools and 20 secondary schools (seminaries and yeshivas). The city is home to many commercial enterprises. Because of its sizable English-speaking immigrant population, it has become a center for high-quality outsourcing by American companies. There are approximately 80 synagogues. A significant number of men study the Torah full time.

Situated 286 meters (938 feet) above sea level, Modi'in Illit has mild winters and hot, dry summers with temperatures averaging 32°C (88°F) during the day.

[edit] Kiryat Sefer

Kiryat Sefer, the largest neighborhood in Modi'in Illit, was established in 1994. In keeping with its name, "Book Town," each of its streets is named after a landmark sefer (book) written by Gedolei Yisrael. These include: Chofetz Chaim (by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan), Noda BiYehuda (by Rabbi Yechezkel Landau), Meshech Chochma (by Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk), Avnei Nezer (by Rabbi Avrohom Bornsztain) and Sdei Chemed (by Rabbi Chaim Hezekiah Medini).

Kiryat Sefer was originally a biblical city, mentioned in the Book of Judges. Kiryat Sefer was destroyed by the Romans in the second century. The remains of the village was the focus of an archeological excavation during the 1990s, which has been preserved within the area of the modern city.

The second-largest neighborhood in Modi'in Ilit is Achuzat Brachfeld (Brachfeld Estates), home to a branch of the famous Mir Yeshiva. Modi'in Illit's immediate neighbors are Moshav Matityahu (home of Rabbi Zev Leff), and Hashmonaim.

Rabbi Meir Kessler is the chief rabbi and Rabbi Yaakov Gutterman is the town's mayor.

[edit] Terror Attack

On Monday morning December 29th 2008 around 8am, an Arab worker fixing a heating system on a 6th story apartment on Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi Street in Ahuzat Brachfeld struck his supervisor with a sledgehammer to his head[3]. The attacker then proceeded to the street and attacked several passersby, stabbing several of them. After he managed to stab four Jews and beat up several others, he was shot and seriously wounded by an emergency response team member.^[3] The attack vindincated the sentiments of many residents, who had long feared the presence of hundreds of Arab workers in the town. Following the incident Mayor Gutterman decided to ban Palestinians from entering Modiin Illit, even those with work permits. Israeli Arabs, however, cannot be withheld entry.^{[citation needed]}

In the wake of the incident anti-Arab graffiti has begun to appear in the town, particularly in locations where Arabs work. Most of the graffiti urges employers not to hire Arabs.^{[citation needed]}