Suburban Israel: Rishon LeZion

I had successfully delivered myself and E without injury to Rishon LeZion. During the drive, there wasn’t anything particularly different in the scenery between Tel Aviv and Rishon. Then again, I wasn’t exactly looking anywhere but forward while I was driving. There could have been a naked Rabbi riding a camel bareback across the desert for all I knew.

After an AMAZINGLY warm and hearty meal with E’s family, I went on a walking tour of Rishon with her and her brother.

Rishon is notable because in 1882, it was the countries second Israeli settlement. It’s also home to the first Hebrew school and kindergarten. To put it into an American context, Rishon is like an Israeli Jamestown but with less British Colonialism, Native Americans, and pestilence.

Rishon LeZion Sign

(above) Gan HaMoshava, the city park

From downtown, we walked towards a new monument called “Park of the Leaders of the Nation”. (I think maybe something is lost in the translation there.) It’s a monument for the 33 nations that voted for the foundation of Israel.

(above) Thank you, Peru!: Entrance to the park.

(above) John Lennon

(above) The mini “Mount Everest” statues were nice too.

I hadn’t thought about the way suburbs all have the same standard of normalcy whether it’s in North America or otherwise. It took a moment of effort to realize I wasn’t standing in a Chicagoland town. Actually, it felt more like a California suburb (The palm trees, you know) but without the ocean.

Rishon is a historic place, yes. But just like all historic places, they fall to tourism and consumerism. It’s a growing major city (the fourth largest in Israel) and seems to have a lot to offer for those who want the convenience of a big city but want to leave the insanity of living inside urban Tel Aviv.

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