Tamar Regional Council- Business Card 1. General Data

General information: Established in: 1956 Municipal status: Regional Council

Council's area in dunam and dunam 1,650,000 acres: 407,723,879acres Number of residents: 350,1 Municipality budget in NIS NIS 120m (millions) Residents by age: Children: up to the age of 12 14% (%) Youth: between the ages 12-18 4.9% (%) 65 and up (%) 15% Accessibility: distance from The distance from central waypoints ranges between 30 central waypoints and minutes and two hours. highways The includes a number of towns from which the drive time between (in the north) and the Kikar towns is an hour, and between (in the southern part) is two hours. There is no central waypoint, in each town there are different activities . 2. Additional information

General Number of 312 students in schools education students: and preschools together

Number of elementary 1 schools Number of high schools 1 Number of municipal 2 preschools 2. Additional information

Number of community centers 6 Are some of them designated for 2 out of the 6 are designated for the specific populations? elderly, 1 for youth, and the rest are for everyone. Cultural institutions in the city The Ein Gedi Hall and a community hall in . The halls host cultural performances such as plays, music performances, etc. Major sports facilities in the city The Ein Gedi Gymnasium, the Ein Gedi indoor swimming pool, 2 gyms, a tennis court, 2 mini-pitch courts, 2 basketball courts. All courts are owned by the municipality. 2. Additional information 2.3 Tourism

The number of guest rooms in the 4,004 city’s hotels Major touristic attractions in the city Nature and history sites – of the most important in , headed by Massada, David River and Arugot River, which are located in Neveh Ein Gedi, one of the most beautiful and popular nature reserves in Israel. The regional council is located on the shore, and offers organized beaches, diverse resorts and access to walking, biking and jeep trails. 2. Additional information

Petra Center – commercial 2,420 Dunam center Contact: Rafi - 050-9333066

Ein Ha'tchelet shopping center 5,400 Dunam Contact: Israel Binyamin, manager - 0508877778

Mishor Rotem industrial area About 4,000 Dunam. Contact: Pini Harush 08- 6688842 2. Additional information

Situation report on SMEs- small and The Tamar Regional Council includes 480 different businesses. medium - sized businesses The Tamar Regional Council leads its entrepreneurs to turn the geographic challenge and vicinity to leading nature reserves into an entrepreneurial advantage. In the areas of the Council, there are many active projects in the field of tourism: hospitality areas (Khans), bed and breakfasts and resorts, restaurants, guides, art galleries and more. Does the Council encourage the The Tourism and Entrepreneurship Development Unit acts as part of establishment of additional small and the Economic Company. The unit provides consulting services and medium sized businesses? How? ongoing assistance on a very high professional level, starting with the initial idea, with its development, consolidating economic models Contact: Sigalit Shaked, secretary of and up to active ongoing assistance in operating the business. The the Economic Company unit, led by the Council, spends time researching, teaching and 08-6688811 [email protected] encouraging yielding entrepreneurship. The Council also holds a variety of activities for the branding and marketing of the tourist activity in the area, in order to encourage the growth of more businesses. The businesses licensing department assists in promoting the licensing process for business owners. 2. Additional information 2.5 Employment and welfare

What is the number/percentage of residents 320 24% who are assisted by the welfare services? 3. Unique projects

The Tamar School in memory of Yoav Givati

The regional school is located in the southern part of the Dead Sea at the town of Neveh Zohar, which is in vicinity to the Dead Sea hotels. The school is a new school with innovative equipment and advanced technology. We put a special emphasis on continuous innovation and constant updating. The staff has succeeded in developing unique project for the school and to make the curriculum compatible with the location and the population. The school promotes a special project in the field of music and rhythm. All students from first to sixth grade learn music rhythm and singing classes with the best music teachers. The school promotes activities and partnership with the parents and the community. The school has a “Therapy Center”, which includes occupational therapy, communications clinician, art therapy and a psychologist. Contact: Eyal Keidar, principal08-6222222

3. Unique projects

Six Year High School for Environmental Education 3.1 Unique projects- Education, Six Year High School for Environmental Education

A unique school, which is known as the “green school”. Each grade (7th through 12th) focuses on different environmental issues. Learning is about, in and for the environment, with a special emphasis on the Dead Sea Valley and its communities. Learning is done through special projects, such as a unique touristic smartphone App, archeology, a rich field trip program to familiarize with the area and online learning programs, such as “Water in the ” using innovative technologies. Contact: Nahum Hofree, principal 08-6222154

3. Unique projects

The Girl’s Dance School 3.1 Unique projects- Education, The Girl’s Dance School

Unique and professional center for dance: classical, modern and hip-hop for ages 4-18. contact: Sima Schwartz – Regional Culture Coordinator and Principal of the Girl’s Dance School [email protected] 0507355349

3. Unique projects

Members theatre Selected theatre performances from the best theaters in Israel, coming especially to the towns’ halls. Conatact: Sima Schwartz – Regional Culture Coordinator and Principal of the Girl’s Dance School, [email protected] tel: 0507355349

3. Unique projects

Music program The Council promotes unique music programs as a developmental quantum leap for all ages. Contact: Galit Herman – activities coordinator, [email protected] Tel: 0507355380

3. Unique projects

National and international cultural events

The best and most important cultural events in Israel take place in the area of the Tamar Regional Council; they put an emphasis on combining high culture with breathtaking nature sites, in which the events take place. Contact: Shahaf Homeri – Assistant to Head of Council [email protected] tel: 052-6205444

3. Unique projects

The international Opera Festival at the Nature’s Cultural Hall

At the Nature’s Cultural Hall in Massada, a joint opera festival of the Council and the Israeli Opera takes place each year. The festival has changed the regional cultural map and constitutes an important milestone in the Israeli culture in recent years. Contact: Shahaf Homeri – Assistant to Head of Council [email protected] tel:052-6205444

3. Unique projects

Tamar Festival

One of the oldest and most important music festivals in Israel. Five days of music across the Council, during the Succot holiday. Contact: Shahaf Homeri – Assistant to Head of Council [email protected] tel: 052-620544

3. Unique projects

424 Festival

A rave music festival at the Nature’s Cultural Hall in Massada, held in October, this exciting festival draws tens of thousands of people to nature. Contact: Shahaf Homeri – Assistant to Head of Council [email protected] tel:052-6205444

3. Unique projects

The Ein Gedi Race 3.2 Unique projects- Culture and leisure, The Ein Gedi Race

One of the oldest and well known sports events in Israel, which is 'a must' for every Israeli sprinter. A large number of heats on the Dead Sea shores, in the perfect weather during the winter months. The race is a perfect practice for the Israeli marathon season. Contact: Shahaf Homeri – Assistant to Head of Council [email protected] tel:052-6205444 3. Unique projects

The Desert Challenge race 3.2 Unique projects- Culture and leisure, The Desert Challenge race

Two days of sports activities including a night run and bike races. The event includes a tent and caravan sleeping area and includes the perfect weather, even at night, to the desert moonlight. Contact: Shahaf Homeri – Assistant to Head of Council [email protected] tel:052-6205444 3. Unique projects

Gran Fondo Tour Arad-Tamar 3.2 Unique projects- Culture and leisure, Gran Fondo Tour Arad-Tamar

An international professional bike race, which combines extreme bike lanes on the famous slopes from Arad to the Dead Sea. The race takes place in March, with the perfect weather. Contact: Shahaf Homeri – Assistant to Head of Council [email protected] tel:052-6205444 3. Unique projects 3.3 Tourism Ein Gedi beach 3.3 Unique projects- Tourism, Ein Gedi beach

The beach is located on a beautiful lookout point, and it is the only public beach next to the natural sea basin. In recent years the beach suffers harsh damages caused as a result of a decrease in the sea level and the flood damages that worsen each year. Along with a specific rescue project of the beach and its accessibility, the Council now leads a model project to make its northern beaches accessible and to reopen an accessible attractive beach for travelers and tourists, in which they would be able to learn about the unique qualities of the sea and the challenges we deal with as a result of the sea level decrease. The project is done in collaboration with the Israeli Government Tourist Corporation. Contact: Roni Burg 08-6688851

3. Unique projects 3.3 Tourism Kikar Sodom Ecological Park 3.3 Unique projects- Tourism, Kikar Sodom Ecological Park

The Kikar Sodom Ecological Park is the southern entrance gate to the Dead Sea area, and it constitutes an exit point for a large number of biking and walking paths. These paths offer a large variety of levels and offer a peak at the wild nature and the unfamiliar part of the . The park’s location was selected in order to enable a peak at the wonders of the desert, and to connect between a large number of experiences in the area. The park will expose the visitors the Sodom salts – a piece of land which in the past was known only to experts. Today we are finishing the second stage of the park’s planning, which will include an ecological pool. The park’s expansion will help us continue strengthen the tourism in the area and activities in the park. The project is done in collaboration with the Jewish National Fund and the Ministry of Agriculture. Contact: Roni Burg 08-6688851 3. Unique projects 3.4 Housing Land plots for construction – Ein Tamar and Neot Hakikar 3.4 Unique projects- Housing, Ein Tamar and Neot Hakikar

In recent years, the Council has laboriously prepared land plots released many agricultural areas in a national project. Today, the agricultural Moshavim of Ein Tamar and Neot Hakikar are ready for significant increase of the population that will strengthen the unique operations of the area, when next to agriculture the desert ecological tourism will continue to grow, fields that are only possible at this unique area. Contact: Adva [email protected] TEL: 086598246, 0549151680 4. Future development directions

Neveh Ein Gedi development and Neveh Ein Gedi includes the most beautiful and planning exciting natural resources in the area. The area’s crowning glory is the David and Arugot Rivers, which Roni Burg have an abundance of unique animals and plants. The 08-6688851 rivers’ sweet and cool water flows all year long, and [email protected] constitutes a perfect refuge for animals and people during the hot summer days. Next to the reserve lies the Ein Gedi beach, the only public beach in Israel located on the natural shore of the Dead Sea, and to its south situated Kibbutz Ein Gedi, which is immersed in the botanical garden’s greenery. The Council is leading a joint move for all elements in the area, to plan the entire area as one cluster characterized by a uniform planning and accessibility between the sites, with an emphasis on the area’s worries, which are derived from the decline in the Dead Sea level. 4. Future development directions

The university The location of the university research center in research center for the Dead Sea studies was set next to Massada Massada – the most popular Shahaf Homeri tourist site in Israel. The research center, which is being 08-6688833 currently established in collaboration with the Tel Aviv [email protected] University, will draw its strength from the significant location, which draws values of environment and heritage. The expansion of Kibbutz Ein Gedi will enable recruiting great personnel to work at the research center. 4. Future development directions Kikar Sodom tourism master plan Contact man: Roni Burg 08-6688851 [email protected] The Moshavim of Ein Tamar and Neot Hakikar are located at the heart of the wild nature, between the southern pools of the Dead Sea and the Desert ravines. The Council is leading a renewed planning of the area that would turn the area of Kikar Sodom to an artery that connects the southern Dead Sea to the Peace Road to , in order to complete the unique tourist route in this region – from highway 90 to Eilat through scenic and environmental attractions. The entrance gate to the Peace Road will be located at the Kikar Sodom Ecological Park, which reveals and provides accessibility to the Zionist agricultural settlement, unique environment and scenic conditions, rare animals and plants, and more. The Kikar Sodom route will complete the existing road and enable direct scenic tourism between two of the most popular sites in Israel – the Dead Sea and Eilat. Likewise, roads and paths will be made accessible that reveal unknown Israeli scenery. This development will enable to continue developing unique desert environmental tourism in the beautiful landscape of the Judaean Desert. 4. Future development directions Neveh Zohar industrial area

Contact man: Gary Amal Director General, the Dead Sea Regional Enterprises Company Tel: 08-6688811

The industrial area for "light industry" is defined in the city building plans as a light industry area waiting for investors. 4. Future development directions The Matzok Neighborhood – planned expansion

Contact: Eilam Raz Tel: 052-3960718

For a number of years the Council has been promoting moves for the expansion of the community in the Kibbutz and the acceptance of new families that will come and integrate in the unique fabric and grow next to the rare natural resources in the area. These days two plans are being advanced – the first is for the rehabilitation of infrastructure and building restoration of the old neighborhood of the Kibbutz (Neighborhood A), which lies at the heart of the botanical garden, and the second is a plan to establish a new residence neighborhood at the cliff’s slope facing the Dead Sea. 4. Future development directions Neveh Zohar community town

Shahaf Homeri Tel: 08-6688833

The community expansion of the town of Neveh Zohar is going to be built right on the water, facing the breathtaking Moab scenery. The developing town is going to be based entirely on tourism, and offer a rustic touristic experience, different from that offered in the developing touristic area between and Hamei Zohar, with hotel developments. A system of promenaded will connect the town to the hotel area, so that the tourist will have a complete tourist experience.