‘They placed the ark of G-d onto the wagon…. The Cows set out on the direct road…. to Beit Shemesh' (1 Samuel 11: 11-12)
I live in Beit Shemesh, which is Israel’s fastest growing city. In 1995 this sleepy town had only 17,000 residents, today the population stands at 160,000. Based on construction and demand, in 5 years this number is expected to increase to 250,000. From every vantage point, one can see new neighborhoods being built on the horizon.
The majority of Beit Shemesh’s residents are observant Jews. Olim (immigrants) from English countries like the U.S., Canada and U.K. make up a sizeable part of its population. In some of the neighborhoods English, rather than Hebrew, is actually the more dominant language.
Beit Shemesh was founded in the early days of the State of Israel. It has grown to become an amazing place to raise a large family, having beautiful parks, great schools, many synagogues, and a low crime rate. However, the story of Beit Shemesh did not begin in modern times, but in the Bible.