Migdal HaEmek
Migdal HaEmek
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| Hebrew transcription(s) | ||
| • ISO 259 | Migdal ha ʕemq | |
| • Also spelled | Migdal HaEmeq (official) | |
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 Migdal HaEmek
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| Coordinates: 32°40′17″N 35°14′26″E / 32.67139°N 35.24056°ECoordinates: 32°40′17″N 35°14′26″E / 32.67139°N 35.24056°E | ||
| District | Northern | |
| Founded | 1953 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | City | |
| • Mayor | Eliyahu Barda | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 7,637 dunams (7.637 km2 or 2.949 sq mi) | |
| Population (2015) | ||
| • Total | 24,959 | |
| Name meaning | Tower of the Valley | |
Migdal HaEmek (Hebrew: מִגְדַּל הָעֶמֶק, lit. Tower of the Valley, also officially spelt Migdal HaEmeq, Arabic: مجدال هعيمق) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. In 2015 it had a population of 24,959. There is a tower to the north-east, above the town.
Prior to 1953, the area nearest to where Migdal HaEmek was founded was an Arab village named al-Mujaydil. It had existed there since as early as 1596 during the Ottoman era.
In July 1948, the village was depopulated as a result of expulsion operations conducted by Yishuv Golani Brigade forces during the war following British withdrawal, when Israel established its independence.
Migdal HaEmek was started in 1953 as a ma'abara for Jews from Arab countries, before becoming a development town. The original site of the ma'abara was west of the current site, at Shimron hill.
The chief rabbi of the city is Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, who won the Israel Prize in 2004 for his social service work and outreach youth programs. Every year volunteers from Habonim Dror come to Migdal HaEmek to volunteer in the community. Typically these roles include members of Kvutsat Yovel, and involve teaching in primary and secondary schools, and working with local Magen David Adom units.
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