Taxes Are Rising, but Ashkelon’s Arnona Is Still Low
By Stephen Epstein Ashkelon just announced that the city will be raising the municipal tax (Arnona), by 1.92 percent, which is the minimum amount set by the Ministry of Interior. While there are a variety of ways municipalities calculate municipal taxes, each city is able to charge residents different rates and increase beyond the amount mandated by the Ministry of Interior. When comparing Ashkelon’s Arnona rate to other municipalities, we see a big difference in [...]
Holy Sites in the Holy Land: Conflict or Co-Existence?
Ashkelon Academic College is offering a course called Holy Sites in the Holy Land: Conflict or Co-Existence? The following course depicts the ongoing disputes of Israel’s ethnic, national, and religious groups over contested holy places, compared to other noteworthy holy places around the world. The course will engage with the following questions: In what way do holy sites take part in disputes of the urban and spatial landscape? Who determines holy sites and their level [...]
Flamboyant Ashkelon
Anyone visiting Ashkelon over the short winter months will notice thousands of deciduous trees, with dried out bean pods, empty of almost all leaves. But by springtime, they explode in a blaze of color. With thousands of Flamboyant trees in Ashkelon, they transform the city into a color-filled landscape that is unique to Ashkelon. The tree's scientific name is Delonix regia or Poinciana regi, but is commonly called a Flamboyant tree or Royal Poinciana [...]
No Home Without a Shelter
In 1951 Israel passed a Civil Defense Law, which required that shelters be built in all apartment buildings and industrial spaces. As a result, almost all apartment buildings have a Miklat (bomb shelter) on the lower floor or below ground. These shelters are normally equipped with a sink and toilet, emergency exit and have a massive steel door. In some areas of the country, where sirens are very infrequent, residents take advantage of the [...]
Rob Gasner Interview – Fox News
Follow the situation in Ashkelon, join https://www.facebook.com/groups/ashkelon123
Beside the Stilled Waters, Between Sirens
By Alison Tranbarger Epstein A sense of time eludes me. I have freed myself of the normal activities that mark my passage through the daily clock and weekly calendar. The laundry stays piled on the dining room table, where I left it days ago. But which day? Who cares? All that matters is that time has become binary: Sirens and Between Sirens. When Between Sirens, I can float on the most beautiful lagoon one [...]
The Weight of Waiting
By Stephen Epstein The lights are bright, people are coming and going, but everyone has a destination and everyone has a purpose. My wife Alison and I were sitting in the waiting room of the emergency department at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon last night. We were watching a tragedy unfold before our eyes. About an hour earlier, we were both in our apartment in Ashkelon. Alison was working on the design of a [...]
Kids Kicking Cancer Opening in Israel’s South
PLEASE NOTE. THIS EVENT IS BEING POSTPONED. If you had to sum up what Kids Kicking Cancer is all about, it is to ease the pain of very sick children while empowering them to heal physically, spiritually and emotionally. Started in 1999 with 10 kids at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Kids Kicking Cancer is a global organization dedicated to lowering the pain of children through the teaching of martial arts as a therapy. Children [...]
Ashkelon Flea Market
Every Thursday morning, when most people are just starting their days, a dirt lot next to Shufersal Deal in Migdal is transformed into a large flea market. Dozens of people come with their cars or trucks, laden with wares to sell to the local community. A walk through the rows of vendors will make you wonder who buys this stuff, but I have found special items at the Ramla flea market and later sold [...]
Ashkelon Race – May 7, 2021
Following on the success of last year's triathlon, Ashkelon is hosting a race on Friday May 7, 2021. The Ashkelon Municipality, the Sports Department, the Athletics Association and Tri Plus, the production of sports events, are organizing the Ashkelon race, which will include competitions of 15 km, 10 km, 5 km. This is the second time this is being held in Ashkelon. Run Israel describes the race as follows: The race routes focus on the [...]
Central Synagogue of Afridar – Afridar – Orthodox
Beit Knesset Mercaz Afridar/Central Synagogue of Afridar Location: Yehezkel Zonabend St 2, Ashkelon The building was dedicated in 1959 with support of the South African Jewish community. It was recently renovated and is wheelchair accessible. It is an Ashkenaz Orthodox shul. The nusach is Sefard (not Sefardi). The congregation is among the largest in Ashkelon. The grounds are fenced in and children play in the courtyard outside the shul or in the large park [...]
Ashkelon Beach Cleanup
A group of over 20 volunteers spread out over Delilah Beach this morning to clean up some of the mess in the sand and the green areas beside the beach. The dedicated group, equipped with gloves and garbage bags, collected lots of trash, including bottle caps, cigarette butts and a syringe. To learn more about future cleanups and other programs, contact the Young Anglos of Ashkelon (YAA) or Ashkelon123.com. [...]