Kiryat Tivon, Israel – The park in the hills
In 1956, several settlements were combined to form Kiryat Tivon, “the park in the hills”, now a town with a population of some 17,000. It is situated on the slopes of Mount Carmel in the mountainous landscape of Galilee, 18 kilometres to the east of Haifa. Roads sweep in generous curves through the parks and gardens surrounding the residential areas. There is no industry in Kiryat Tivon. Instead, plenty of cultural and sports facilities.
From a historical point of view the town‘s significance is not to be ignored; 2000 years ago there was a Jewish town in the hills around Kiryat Tivon, Beit She'arim, seat of the then highest Jewish court of justice. The catacombs of this ancient town have been excavated and surrounded by pleasant parklands. They can now be visited by groups and individuals interested in archaeology.
The contacts with the Israeli town, begun as early as 1968, are particularly meaningful for Braunschweig, as they reflect the constantly growing friendship between Germany and Israel.
On 18 June 1981, a friendship agreement was concluded, which was later converted into a twinning agreement, signed in Kiryat Tivon on 11 September 1985 and in Braunschweig on 2 June 1986.
As a symbol of the good contacts between the two cities, Kiryat Tivon opened the friendship garden “Kiryat Tivon – Braunschweig” in 1991, and Braunschweig renamed a green space at the ancient train station to “Kiryat Tivon Park” on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the partnership in 1996.
For many years a lively youth exchange programme has been carried out and organised by the Braunschweig youth department. The high school Wilhelm-Gymnasium participates in this exchange. Besides there is also a student exchange program between the Waldorfschule Braunschweig and the Shaked Waldorf High School in Kiryat Tivon.
To learn more about the current activities with Braunschweig’s twin city, please click here:
Apart from this, an annual artist exchange has been established by the support of the Braunschweig Association of Artists and the Foreign Relations Committee in Kiryat Tivon. Also other groups like athletes, scientists or citizens groups visit their twin city regularly.
Nearly every year the German-Israeli Society in Braunschweig organizes study excursions to Israel, which include a visit to Kiryat Tivon. It also seeks to deepen the citizens' understanding for each other by arranging lectures, exhibitions and music- and dance performances. The Jewish community, the Society for Christian-Jewish Co-operation, and the City of Braunschweig support this.
Please click here for further information about the German-Israeli Society:
Voluntary service in Israel
Since 2015 there is the possibility to accomplish a voluntary service in Kiryat Tivon which is organised by the “Stiftung Ökumenisches Lernen der Evangelisch-lutherischen Landeskirche in Braunschweig” (Foundation for oecumenic learning at the Regional Lutheran Church in Braunschweig). For this purpose, young people from Braunschweig work in a day care centre for old people, in the Jewish-Arab Waldorf kindergarten “Ein Bustan” or in “Kfar Tikva”, the “Village of Hope”, an establishment similar to a kibbutz for people with disabilities.
For more information and experience reports, please see:
Contact
Local Council Kiryat Tivon
Address
Ben Gurion Square
Kiryat Tivon/Israel