HOLON, Israel Most Admired Knowledge City 2011 - Nomination form

Holon is adopting an approach promoting ongoing renewal, innovation and the pursuit of knowledge and information within the organization and from the organization outward. The city has ways of making the knowledge available to all citizens. There are up-to-date technologies, which are accessible to all of the city's inhabitants. The city respects the cultural diversity of its citizens. The city boasts a comprehensive educational strategy that combines all cultural services. The resource and space allocation facilitates cultural activity among community groups. The City's local newspaper is well anchored and its network of libraries is impressive. The City dedicates its streets to the cause of culture. Holon's school network is connected to the city's cultural activity. The City is blessed with several cultural centers that foster tolerance and dialogue between citizens. Visitors, tourists and residents of different localities have equal access to the resources described below. a) Identity, knowledge and relative capital To what extent is the city's identity unique and well positioned (what is the value of the city's brand and reputation)? Holon is a young city. It was founded in June 1940 with the merger of five Jewish neighborhoods to the south of Tel Aviv - following a decree issued by the British Governor. Since the city was founded on sand ( Hol in Hebrew) dunes, the inhabitants of Kiryat Avoda naturally named their settlement "Holon". The name is also perfectly suited due to the fact that it appears in the Bible " Goshen, Holon and Giloh--eleven towns and their villages " (Joshua 16:51). A committee, which was set up in the young settlement, adopted artist Shoshana Berlin's design for the city's emblem, which highlights several elements which have been the city's trademarks since its inception: dunes, sand and sycamore trees, with the inscription "against all odds". And indeed, to this day, the city still has remaining sand dunes to its south. A sand dune park covering approximately 250 acres is in the initial planning stages. The city is endowed with over one hundred sycamore trees, and all efforts are made to protect them for the enjoyment of generations to come. Over the last 17 years, the City of Holon underwent a process of branding and positioning as the "City of Children". Today, Holon boasts the unique identity of the "City of Children". This process is the result of the urban vision whereby Holon would be a leading city in the lives of its children , enabling them to become familiar with, be exposed to and learn through a wide range of activities geared for children. Holon's transformation into a City of Children began with the election of Moti Sasson as the City's mayor and Hana Hertsman as CEO of the Municipality of Holon in 1993 . This process is reflected on various municipal levels. One of them is the establishment of a broad range of facilities providing children-oriented services . The following are among the facilities established over the years: • The "Begova Haenayim" Gallery provides artistic and cultural enrichment for young children and offers activities designed to familiarize children with topics such as: mathematics, electricity, the eye, brain games, etc. • The Havayeda is an interactive science center that introduces children to the world of science. • The Mediatheque boasts an innovative library, a special section designed especially for children and a unique theater geared for young people with original productions, activities, workshops as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the theater world. • DMH (Design Museum Holon) inaugurated with an extensive educational department. • The Israel Puppet Center incorporating: The School for the Art of Puppetry ; The Israel Museum For the Art Of Puppetry, which offers puppet workshops for children as well as puppet theater. • The Israeli Center for Digital Art is dedicated to introducing the world of video art to children and young people. • The Israeli Museum of Caricature and Comics runs workshops for children. • The Israel Children's Museum attracts visitors from all over Israel for a fascinating experiential tour and unique revolving exhibitions, with an emphasis on tolerance for differences between people. The museum features various exhibitions, such as "Dialogue in the Dark" led by blind guides and "Invitation to Silence" led by deaf guides.

2 Alongside these facilities, Holon also promotes the nurturing and enrichment of children in open urban spaces through the original Story Gardens Project, held in public gardens . The Story Gardens feature environmental sculptures created by well- known artists and inspired by famous children’s stories and fairytales ( a link to a movie regarding The Story Gardens in Holon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrMDIcfXxPU ). The Israeli Philatelic Service has issued three stamps featuring Holon's story gardens, with the city's major sites as a background . An additional story garden is featured on the tab of each stamp, so that in total the stamps feature six story gardens. By issuing the stamps, the Israeli Philatelic Service expressed its great appreciation to the unique project, and it is through the stamps that all Israeli citizens will become acquainted with it . Holon's Story Gardens is a special project initiated and founded by Holon Municipality. The gardens are approximately thirty public parks in which the best Israeli artists created and placed environmental sculptures inspired by well-known and appreciated children's stories. The purpose of the project was to raise the awareness and appreciation of children's literature; the project constitutes another stage in the transformation of Holon into a national culture center for children and the whole family. Among the sculptures featured by the stamps are Dudu Gerstein's sculpture inspired by The Soul Bird, one of Noga Yodkewich's concrete hedgehog sculptures inspired by Shumlik the Hedgehog and one of Dorit Levinstein's sculptures inspired by the Where is Pluto? The tabs of the stamps feature the following: a detail from My Uncle Simha garden, of which sculptures were created by artist Ruth Zarfati; details from the Noa's Sign Language garden, of which sculptures were created by artists Effi Hujesta and Yaniv Shimoni; and a detail from Louse Nechama, of which sculptures were created by artist Israela Hargil As the new stamps were issued, Holon Mayor Motti Sasson said, "The stamps commemorate a beautiful project, which pays tribute to children's literature I hope that as people purchase the stamps, they will also come to Holon to visit our story gardens" (http://www.holon.muni.il/Htmls/English/storyGardenStamps.html ). The "Story Gardens" project was conceived as part of the "green lungs" of Holon, which is one of the greenest cities in Israel. Holon's green areas are currently spread over 300 acres (an area which will double over the next few years), about 6500 trees adorn the city and its avenues and 150 thousand flowers are planted throughout the city every year. The

3 30 Story Gardens are spread across the city's various neighborhoods. The Municipality of Holon invested a great deal in developing each of the sculpture sites, surrounded them with greenery and supplied them with benches and playground equipment for children. A great many visitors from Holon and elsewhere grace the City of Children and enjoy the privilege of sharing a chapter from the history of art and culture and of reacquainting themselves with several of the most prominent works in classic and contemporary children's literature . Based on research conducted in 2009, 73% of Holon's inhabitants indicated that the statement "Holon has attractive parks and green spaces" was an accurate description of their city, namely that Holon is perceived as a green, flourishing city. In the study, the inhabitants were asked what, in their opinion, is the best thing that can be said about their lives in Holon. "The city is beautiful and well cared for" and "well developed parks and gardens" were among the attributes quoted as positive aspects of the. Even the street furniture has donned a character all its own – as such, throughout the city, one can find public benches designed with children in mind, in the spirit of the "City of Children". Eighty such benches have been strategically placed in public gardens. These colorful, child size benches are unique to Holon. Another aspect of children's cultural life is the diversity of special events and festivals such as Holon's Adloyada (Purim parade), the country's biggest Purim carnival in recent years; the International Puppet theatre Festival; the Sounds of Childhood Festival, which introduces children to the performing arts in general and to music and dance in particular; and the Israel Festival in conjunction with the Mediatheque's youth theater offering both original and global performances as part of the National Festival events, thereby creating a new niche – namely the Israel Festival for Children in Holon. Alongside all of the above, there are numerous year-round activities which are of ongoing interest to both children and teenagers. Such are the diverse "Community & Leisure" activities offered in the municipal library network, sports centers, entertainment and recreation centers such as the "Spark Yamit 2000" Water Park with its state-of-the-art water slides and spa facilities and other unique centers. Young children's needs are extensively met in after-school care programs, daycare centers, afternoon childcare settings and enrichment programs, while the needs of older children and teenagers are catered to through clubs and activities tailored to age requirements and changing trends.

4 Another dimension in Holon's branding process as a "City of Children" relates to the activity of the municipality's units geared towards children. Within the scope of the annual work plans of the municipality's units , the advancement of Holon as the City of Children is presented as a municipal priority (a topic that the municipality's management wishes to promote – more on the subject of municipal priorities in section 2). Accordingly, every year, each unit must accomplish something incrementally new that is children oriented. By so doing, the Municipality ensures that its vision is indeed becoming reality. The following are examples of municipal, child-oriented endeavors: The Education Administration handles all matters pertaining to elementary and post-elementary education, person-centered care, psychological service, educational welfare, and so forth. The Engineering Administration plans child-oriented signposts, bicycle paths, new educational and cultural facilities, etc. The Infrastructure Administration oversees the construction of educational facilities, upgrades the educational environment, builds public gardens tailored to children's needs with children oriented playgrounds and furniture and of course, story gardens exposing the children to children's literature, the art of sculpting and leisure and entertainment activities in an enriching and educational environment. The aim of this project is to enhance awareness of, and love for, children's literature and to tell the younger generation and recent new immigrants all about the heroes of children's literature in Israel. Keeping with a tradition of leadership and innovation and due to a competitive advantage in the field of design, Holon is becoming one of the world's most prominent locations for design . Holon Institute Technology (H.I.T), the Materials library, and the Israeli Design center web site were the core from which it all began. Holon's and Israel's comparative advantage lies in knowledge and creativity . Design combines both of these elements together. As early as 2002 Hana Hertsman, Holon's Municipality's CEO has come to the conclusion that founding a new design museum in Holon will give the city an additional dimension to its already positive image. Design is considered by CEO Hertsman to be one of the main export sectors of the Israeli economy. And thus establishing Holon as a major hub for design and designers is of national importance ( Link to the movie 'Holon talking design'. The movie is in 2 parts : 1. http://www.youtube.com/user/HolonMunicipality#p/u/9/VLpxMe9sduA 2. http://www.youtube.com/user/HolonMunicipality#p/u/8/gLckLNAvi0w ). Holon seeks to lead and influence the Israeli society and culture, and undertakes this mission both theoretically and practically. Design Museum Holon is the highlight of this mission, reflecting the ongoing commitment of Holon Municipality

5 to education and culture and its ambition to promote the field of design to a central place of Israel's cultural agenda . Holon City Vision states that "Holon will become an international hub for innovation in the design industry. In Holon City's Priorities and Areas of Emphasis for 2011 we stated that, "the language of design will be implemented while applying ecological principles in the design of street furniture." This document also states that "the promotion of Holon Business and Industrial Zone will be carried out while combining the city's existing design and knowledge abilities for developing the currently active industries and business and attracting new entrepreneurs." These theoretical principles are translated into practice. E.g. for the second consecutive year, all of the municipal galleries focus on exhibitions related to design and its various manifestations. During the approaching year, workshops for designers are planned to be established in Holon Business and Industrial Zone. There, designers will be able to create and produce their art in incubation conditions, flourish and set out on their own independent track after they will have gained experience and reputation. As part of its attempts to promote and support Israeli design and production, Holon Municipality endeavors to integrate designers into its Business and Industrial Zone . Holon Municipality develops a plan according to which designers of several disciplines (e.g. industrial, graphical, fashion etc) will be invited to hire workshop areas in a common complex, whereas the municipality will offer designers processional consulting services by senior designers and marketing and business consulting by professionals. The purpose of founding workshop complex is to facilitate discourse and brainstorming among designers of different disciplines and cooperation with manufacturers based in Holon Business and Industrial Zone; revive Holon Business and Industrial Zone by drawing visitors to the designer workshop complex and incorporating projects into Holon for the benefit of its residents . The complex will include a common gallery where designers will sell their work. The Municipality of Holon conducts periodic surveys, which have revealed that Holon is branded as The City of Children, not just among its inhabitants, but also among the Israeli public as a whole . A survey conducted in March 2009 showed that 62% of the City's inhabitants pointed out that the nickname of "The City of Children" very accurately describes Holon, only 6% stated that it is a poor description of Holon. For the sake of comparison, in 2006, 55% of the City's inhabitants pointed out that the nickname of "The City of Children" very accurately describes Holon .

6 In a survey conducted in 2006 among the Israeli public at large, 43% pointed out that the nickname very accurately describes Holon, 35% indicated that it describes Holon to a certain extent and 21% stated that it is a poor description of Holon. In other words, the image of Holon as the City of Children is also well anchored among the public at large . The City's image was also apparent when the inhabitants were asked to freely point out the good things that can be said about their lives in Holon. The findings of the recent study (2009) indicate that 13% of the inhabitants pointed out that the best thing in Holon is its status as "The City of Children/A city that invests in its children". Only 5% pointed this fact out in a survey held in 2006. This is a substantial increase, which bears witness to the crystallization of Holon's unique identity as The City of Children. Holon's image as the City of Children is also reflected in how it is perceived as a city with high educational standards and a wide range of children's activities. In 2009, 57% of the City's inhabitants pointed out that the statement "a city offering a wide range of extracurricular and leisure activities for children" very accurately describes Holon and 43% indicated that the statement "a city with a high level of educational standards" very accurately describes Holon. The image of the City of Holon as the City of Children is also reflected in the survey conducted in 2007 among young couples with or without children. When Gush Dan residents (excluding Holon) contemplating a move were asked what are the best things that can be said about life in Holon, 20% indicated "a good education system" and 16% pointed out the children's activities/Children's Museum. 49% felt that the statement "The City of Children" very accurately describes Holon, 39% indicated that it describes Holon to a certain extent and 12% stated that it is a poor description of Holon. When they were asked whether they would be interested in moving to Holon, 14% responded that they would be very interested in doing so and the percentage was even greater among young adults aged 25 to 34 (22%). When the question was asked along with an added description of Holon's plusses in the realm of education and children, the percentage of those expressing an interest in moving to Holon increased, reaching 23% among the respondents as a whole and 28% among young people aged 25 to 34. Moreover, since 1997, the negative immigration balance has been declining and in 2007 (for the first time since 1992), the city experienced a positive immigration balance. In 2009 the trend continues as more and more people come to reside in Holon rather then leave her. Demographic trends attest to the fact that Holon's image as a city of children and families is well anchored among the city's inhabitants, who are in no rush to

7 leave it in favor of other towns, as well as among residents who are not from Holon and wish to move to the city. It is important to point out that the fruits of a place's branding are only apparent after about a decade . Now, about 17 years after the start of Holon's transformation into the City of Children, one can see that the city is reaping the fruits of both the tremendous municipal endeavor and its branding . A survey held in 2009 shows that two thirds of the City's inhabitants pointed out that they would not consider leaving Holon and moving to another city. 17% indicated that they considered moving, but decided to stay in Holon. An index assessing the inhabitants' degree of loyalty shows that the vast majority of the city's inhabitants remained loyal to it (72%) . A regression model, which assesses which variables affect the inhabitants' loyalty to the city, shows that factors that boost the inhabitants' loyalty to the city are the following statements: "a city in which the municipality cares about its inhabitants", "a city with a high quality population", "Holon – the City of Children", "a city with attractive parks and green spaces". In other words, the city's branding as the City of Children has a far-reaching effect on the inhabitants' loyalty to the City of Holon. Holon is a city that offers its inhabitants a high standard of living. Based on a survey conducted in 2009, 62% of the inhabitants believe that the standard of living in the city is high at a percentage (60%). Furthermore, Holon's inhabitants believe that the standard of living in the city is high in relation to other cities in the surrounding area. 41% rated Rishon LeZion as a city that offers a high standard of living, 34% selected Tel Aviv, 34% opted for Modi'in and only 11% ranked Bat Yam as a city offering a high standard of living. This perception is also prevalent among young couples from Gush Dan considering a move to another city. A survey conducted among this population in 2007 revealed that 27% of the respondents indicated that the standard of living in Holon is high. Holon is the recipient of multiple prizes and prestigious titles awarded to the city by various objective entities in all areas: economy, education, environmental quality and green areas, quality of service and more . Last year, the Council for a Beautiful Israel granted the Municipality of Holon the "Amit Beautiful City" award for winning the "5 beauty stars" prize for 15 consecutive years as part of the "Beautiful City in a Beautiful Israel" competition. Over the years, Holon won the "Beauty Flag" competition twice – meaning Israel's most beautiful, well groomed and cleanest city (for cities with over 100,000 inhabitants). Furthermore, Holon was granted the "Magshim Israel" award by the Council for a Beautiful Israel for the year 2003 for

8 Peres Park and the Children's Museum. In 2009, Holon won the Azrieli Prize for Urban Planning for its unique environmental sculpture project – "Garden Story", which is a major component in the City's transformation into the City of Children. "Cleantech 2008" – the annual international environmental quality exhibition – selected Holon as one of the 10 leading cities in Israel for its landscaping and decorative accomplishments. The "Green Globe" prize for 2006 was awarded to the Mayor of Holon by the Life & Environment Organization for transforming Holon into a city of children and public parks. Two years in a row, Business Data Israel's survey – which reviews over 200 authorities in Israel annually – determined that the Municipality of Holon excels in its financial stability and the services it provides to its inhabitants. These surveys serve to underscore the fact that for over a decade, the Municipality of Holon was awarded the Minister of the Interior's prize for proper financial management. In 2008, Holon was awarded a seal of approval of four service stars within the scope of the Israel Management Center's (IMC) "Service Excellence" competition. The IMC also awarded Holon first place in the "Customer Service" competition for two years running. Furthermore, the Ministry of the Interior awarded the Municipality annual prizes for excellence in the management of the municipal water system. The Ministry of Education awarded a great many awards to Holon, most notably the National Education Prize for 2005. The National Education Prize, which is awarded annually by the Ministry of Education to a handful of selected schools throughout Israel, was recently awarded to a sizable number of schools in Holon, such as: the Reim Special Education High School, the state-religious Yavne High School and Herzog High School. Moreover, Holon's Youth Department was crowned outstanding department by the Ministry of Education in 2007. Yad Vashem also expressed its recognition of, and esteem for, Holon's educational endeavor for the purpose of perpetuating awareness of the Holocaust and its legacy when it granted the Yad Vashem prize for Outstanding Educational Project to Holon's Beit Lihiyot (a center that promotes awareness of the Holocaust and its lessons to youth) in 2003. Googling "Holon" (in Hebrew) yields 4,100,000 hits. The first 76 results deal almost exclusively with cultural, educational and sports-related topics: the Children's Museum, the Holon Theater, various city schools, Hapoel Holon, t he Havayeda , the Israel Puppet Center, the Museum of Holon History, the Holon Institute of Technology. These results are followed by links to housing in Holon, the Holon employment area, etc. Only link number 77 is negative by nature.

9 Since the algorithm according to which Google functions is rating-based – namely the surfers themselves determine the order in which the results appear – this Google display is the best proof of the current public image of Holon as the City of Children, a city of culture and education. In order for Holon's branding to be effective – and to ensure differentiation – the message must assume a unique design form. And indeed, such a language was developed as part of the branding process. A special font was selected, a snappy slogan coined - "Holon-a Big City for Little Children" – and a logo with a child's image created. It was then decided that any advertising pertaining to The City of Children would employ the same form of coherent, consistent design language. Based on the aforementioned, the city's uniqueness as the City of Children is evident in the daily municipal efforts, the city's large number of child-oriented institutions and organizations, the volume of activities and courses geared for children, the work plan, the rise in the city's population of parents and children, the loyalty of its inhabitants, their lack of desire or intention to leave the city and its image in the eyes of the Israeli public . Today, Holon is acknowledged world wide as the 'children city' and as a top location for design and designers. Many magazines from all over the world have paid tribute to Holon's accomplishments mainly to its Design Museum DMH . AOL has chosen DMH (Design Museum Holon) as one of the 10 buildings one has to see before he dies. Conde Nast Traveler selected the building as one of the new wonders of the world. The Los Angeles Times covered the story of Holon as an 'Israeli city reviving itself as an arts attraction'. The Magazine Monocole chose Motti Sasson as one of the 'freshest movers and shakers' and one of 10 of the most prominent mayors in the world (with Annise Parker of Houston Texas, Stern Nordin of Stockholm, and Takashi Kawamura of Nagoya) Many more magazines have written about the new Design Museum and the City of Holon. Easyjet Airline has posted the DMH as one of the icons representing different counties of the world right beside the Eiffel tower and Brandenburg gate (A few links regarding DMH and Holon as seen in newspapers around the globe : http://www.concierge.com/ideas/designarchitecture/tours/501463?page=3 ; http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/dispatch-israel-by-design/?ref=t- magazine ;

10 http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/israel-design-museum-holon-opens-collection-stuns- visitors/story?id=10013375&page=1 ; http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00673z4 ; http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/feb/07/ron-arad-design-museum-holon ; http://news.travel.aol.com/2010/07/31/buildings-you-have-to-see-before-you-die/ and many more ) Monocle July/August 2010

11 What is the nature of the knowledge-based development strategy and the ability to implement it? Holon's municipal strategy is inspired by the city's vision . At the start of each year, the Municipality's CEO introduces a list of municipal priorities which each manager must take into account in his work agenda for the upcoming year. Each unit in the municipality is required to ascertain what its contribution will be to the municipal priorities by setting objectives furthering these priorities. The municipal priorities are the outcome of the municipal vision and of preliminary strategic thinking based on knowledge, information and data collected on a routine basis by the municipality's strategic planning department . The Municipality of Holon has a strategic planning, information, research and assessment department. The department is a staff unit, which is in charge of information and knowledge in the municipality as well as conferences for the purpose of policy setting and long-term (multidisciplinary) planning. The department helps municipality leaders and managers with decision-making based on data and research. One of the main goals of the strategic planning department is to collect information and turn it into knowledge. The information and knowledge are released and presented to the municipality's senior officials and serve as a decision-making tool for the Municipality's management. The department is active on several levels . Statistical data compilation and publication – The strategic planning department collects and processes data pertaining to the City of Holon and its inhabitants from internal and external sources. The data and information are published in the statistical yearbook published every two years. The statistical yearbook includes a broad range of statistical data covering a period of several years at the municipal level, at the service region (neighborhood) level and at the statistical region level, on diverse topics such as: the area's attributes and climate, the municipal infrastructures, the construction and housing, demographic characteristics, the inhabitants' standard of living, employment and welfare characteristics, business and industry, transport and traffic aspects, education, culture, sports and leisure, health and environmental quality. A special chapter dedicated to the "City of Children" includes demographic data, children's activities, social services, health and education. The annual statistical reports are based on a broad range of sources of information, such as external sources (the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Education, the National Insurance Institute, The National Council for the Child, etc.) and intra-organizational sources (municipality units

12 and subsidiaries). The municipal collection system (the property tax file) and the municipal education system data are among the major sources of information. These systems' data are individual records which are mapped out and assessed at various geographical levels. This information provides up-to-date data in real time, which makes it possible to support informed decision making processes. The yearbook is an important source of data, which makes it possible to identify trends while they are in progress. The information presented in the yearbook is meant to serve as a tool for municipal decision makers and to enhance service. It is important to point out that although the yearbook is published once every two years, the data reach and are processed in the department and then conveyed to the Municipality management all the time, regardless of the timing of the yearbook's publication. Conducting periodical position surveys – The department is in charge of conducting various specialized studies and surveys according to changing needs . These surveys and studies provide feedback from the city's inhabitants as well as from other populations regarding their level of satisfaction, needs, expectations and positions regarding topics within the Municipality's realm of responsibility. Since 1994, a survey assessing the City of Holon's position is held among its inhabitants about once in two years . The findings make it possible to learn about the inhabitants' positions and the extent of their satisfaction with the city and the municipal services. This results in an up-to- date, comparative database reflecting trends and changes in the inhabitants' frame of mind. Monitoring of the annual municipal work plans – the department coordinates and follows up on the preparation of the municipal units' annual work plans stemming from the vision and municipal priorities each year. The programs are drafted in a consistent language featuring a definition of objects, goals and success indices . The programs' implementation is monitored throughout the year. The work plans are available to all and available in the drive shared by all municipal employees, thereby enabling them to review the work plans of each and every municipal unit as well as share knowledge and information . Inhabitants and others who are interested in consulting the municipal work plans are welcome to do so. Once a year, the work plans are presented to an extensive forum (about 300 people) including the Mayor, the municipal management, managers and employees from the rank of section manager and above and subsidiary representatives. During the encounter, each deputy CEO presents the highlights of his administration's annual work plans. The work plans are presented to the forum and shared

13 on the municipal network with the belief that the accumulated knowledge and the municipal endeavor should be transparent and should readily flow between the various municipal units. Long-term planning and policy setting – The strategic planning department analyzes municipal processes, reviews demographic forecasts and assesses demographic trends. The department initiates and oversees the drafting of master plans, defines plans of action while implementing the concept of the service (neighborhood) areas. Each year, the department prepares an urban profile, which is the result of data analysis and processing, research and the surveys and information accumulated during the past year. The City of Holon's profile is a document designed to review the status and position of the City . The document's main goal is to identify the city's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and to analyze the City's status and position in order for it to serve as a basis for the municipality's managers when making their decisions and drafting the annual work plans . The aim is to identify topics warranting future research and analysis and to shed light upon issues that need to be addressed by means of a change in policy and which the strategic planning department and the municipality's management need to focus on. The "City Profile" constitutes an identity card of sorts as well as a magnifying glass for the city's trends, benefits and areas in need of improvement. The document surveys data from various sources: the Central Bureau of Statistics, the National Insurance Institute, the municipal collection system data, the municipal education system data, etc. The strategic planning department coordinates the municipal master plans in various areas – a master plan for transportation that takes into consideration the forecasted number of private vehicles and future means of transportation such as the light rail, cars running on electricity or gas, bicycles, etc; a master plan for green areas, a master plan for multi-story buildings, a master plan for education, culture and social affairs, etc. Every master plan collect the information existing in the various databases – both internal (municipal) and external at the State level – which serve as the foundation for future forecasts for 2015-2020. Public Participation – Two years ago Holon declared itself a "Healthy & Sustainable City", one of the ten principles for sustainable management of a local authority is public participation in municipal decision making and activities. Until today, Holon has held

14 several public participation procedures, (development of the city vision statement, citizen committee regarding "Holon – Children's City", development of the sand park dune.) A group of directors and employees of Holon Municipality and subsidiary companies began a training course on "Public Participation in Policy Design Processes ", with the purpose of increasing the transparency and knowledge and information sharing; enhancing public involvement , as part of the Municipal Areas of 2010 and to developing an overall view, which will respond key issues related to information sharing in an organized way. The training was given by Shatil, The New Israel Fund’s Empowerment and Training Center for Social Change Organizations in Israel, and endorsed by the Holon Municipality Strategic Planning Department. Holon City Manager, Hanna Hertzman, welcomed the change, believing this was an important subject and understanding it was related to sustainability, one of Holon Municipality's areas of commitment for a very long time. Hertsman believed that public participation = sustainability = the next generation, = the children's city and caring to them, = Holon, The Children's City . Public Participation Objectives: to increase transparency, knowledge and information sharing; enhance citizen participation; success of the project. The municipal strategy The city's development strategy is based on its location in the Tel Aviv metropolis, with the aim of identifying its advantages over other cities in the surrounding area and setting it apart from other authorities in the urban expanse. As previously indicated, the municipal strategy strives to implement the urban vision while continuously assessing the actual state of affairs as reflected in the cumulative data, information and research in the strategic planning department and other units. The following are the city's prominent strategic objectives: 1. To make the educational system a leader in its pedagogical preparedness, in its students' academic achievements, its students and parents satisfaction, in the links between the educational institutions and the community, and in its physical infrastructure. 2. To offer varied and high quality services well developed, convenient and available to everyone. 3. To offer Services which enable intergenerational interactions, developed with the inclusion of citizens and openly published for the convenience of the public. 4. To adequately address the needs of citizens in need, elderly and citizens with special needs.

15 5. To ensure that Holon enhances the quality of life and health of its children. 6. To create one of Israel's leading "green" cities both in its existing and new appearance and in the quality of its infrastructures. 7. To provide opportunities for economic development in the fields of industry and commerce. 8. To offer local and external entrepreneurs attractive opportunities for economic development in its area of jurisdiction. 9. To develop a unique and aesthetic municipal appearance and environment, promote waste recycling and high quality residential environment. 10. To be a leading international hub for innovation in the field of design. 11. To achieve excellence in service while providing quality services tailored to the needs of its customers. 12. To attend to the health, safety and welfare of its employees. 13. To lead in the quality of life of its citizens and act in accordance with the principles of health and sustainability. 14. To be a high quality, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary cultural hub ( Holon's vision statement http://www.holon.muni.il/Htmls/English/HolonVision.html ). Only recently the city's vision was revised. This is mainly due to changes and developments in the city and due to global and local trends and changes. Another aspect of strategic development is reflected in the city's industrial area. In an effort to create economic development options, there has been a strategic planning process in order to create a vision, a purpose and an action plan for Holon's industrial area with the aim of outlining the area's future and ensuring its optimal growth by fulfilling its latent potential for the benefit of the city and its inhabitants. A task force undertook the challenge, in collaboration with the Mayor and the Municipality's CEO, Deputy CEO of Industry and Trade, position holders in the Administration, the City Engineer, the Municipality's Treasurer, strategic planning personnel and others. In the wake of meetings with industrialists, real estate personnel and various consultants, and following internal discussions, a vision was defined for the industrial area: " The Holon community industrial and business area will boast innovative economic and organizational approaches, attract businesses and industries, catapult the City of Holon forward and be a leader in the fields of education, technology, sustainability and design at the international and national level ". The strategic guidelines governing the development of the area are: community advocacy, a connection to the city,

16 leadership, internationalism, the promotion of technology education, sustainability and design, interconnected uses and uniqueness. The participation and discussion of industrialists and real estate personnel continues to better implement the strategic plan and the district's vision. In addition to the aforementioned, the strategic planning department's cumulative data, information and knowledge are processed and presented by the department's team in conferences, meetings and seminars attended by Municipality employees and those of the subsidiaries, and also appear in current reports. The data make up an effective and significant basis for setting a policy and following up on its implementation. What is the nature of the city's strategic information systems? Holon boasts a respectable infrastructure for the advancement of knowledge through the strategic planning department and the information systems and teleprocessing department. Furthermore, Holon aspires to be a city boasting transparency as well as information and knowledge sharing within the organization and outward . This vital topic is one of the municipal priorities that the unit managers are committed to. As part of the efforts toward transparency as well as information and knowledge sharing, a Holon municipality intra-organizational portal was established and serves as a tool through which organizational knowledge and information is channeled. It was dubbed the "Portolon" (Portal + Holon). The Portolon includes up-to-date information on a wide range of topics. Its aim is to expose employees from various departments to organizational information and knowledge, which could help them in their daily tasks. The municipal portal includes current updates on topics pertaining to the Municipality and the City of Holon as well as weekly computer-related tips, which help the employees use their computers more efficiently. The "Spotlight On" corner features interesting reports and surveys written by various municipal players, based on a desire to share the information and knowledge accumulated over the years among Municipal staff and units, information such as - salary and personnel. In addition, different communities within the municipality may share community knowledge among themselves. A special area or portal contains cumulative knowledge and information according to different Municipality communities (such as the Social Services Administration, Income, Property Tax, etc.) Another aspect pertains to information and knowledge sharing vis-à-vis the outside world through the Municipality website. The Municipality is currently working on updating and upgrading the municipal website. Ahead of the website's upgrade, an analysis of the target audience's needs was performed – inhabitants, business owners and city visitors. Based

17 on this needs analysis, a concept that will serve to upgrade and update the website was defined. Furthermore, and with the aim to enable information and knowledge sharing, the Municipality set up a children's website a website for the industrial area. We are in an era of an untofore known wealth of digital information channels. Constantly updated dynamic, active websites, as well as blogs, forums and social networks attract hoards of interested surfers who share information and knowledge and foster social, business and professional ties . As an organization for which service to the public is a priority, the Municipality of Holon is aware of these developments which open up new communication options with various municipal, national and international entities. This is an opportunity to optimize the efficiency of the service, enable maximum transparency and make things easier for inhabitants, visitors and other interested parties who require the municipality's services and those who may be partners to our goals. Holon Municipality is a spear heading, leading municipality in the fields of information and communication with its service recipients through the Internet . It offers a very wide range of contents concerning its areas of operation and responsibility. These are regularly updated, improved, and distributed through a variety of technological means. As unidirectional communication changes into bidirectional one, the use of social network, information sharing websites and blogs gradually develops, with the purpose of taking maximum advantage of the Internet. The Goals of the municipal Online Activities: Give appropriate publicity, both in Holon and outside, to actions taken by Holon Municipality and its plans through the Internet; Offer better response to informational needs of the general public in Holon and outside it; Highlight resident service through content (e.g. rates payment, kindergarten enrollment etc.); Promote strategic plans developed by the municipality through the Internet, e.g. upload plans developed by the municipality regarding one street or another and invite residents to express their opinions and rate different plans; Market Holon Municipality and its actions abroad, with special emphasis on appealing to potential donors; enhance the use of the Internet as an integral part of the routine work of the municipality – publication of tenders, job advertisements etc.; Provide direct means of communication and involvement of municipal officials in different online communities, while responding to the needs and common problems. The strategy for Online Activity

18 The strategic plan is based on five platforms used as information and communication channels: Holon Municipality Official Website, which has functioned, and will continue to function, as the core of the online activity, especially in its new version. Municipal sub-domains/affiliated websites, such as the official website of Holon Business and Industrial Zone, websites of the city's subsidiary companies, culture and community websites, websites of educational institutions and other information providing websites. Social Networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, which give publicity to actions taken by Holon Municipality on the one hand, while on the other hand provide a platform for communication with residents. Information Sharing Websites, such as YouTube, Flickr and alike, to which the Municipality can upload video clips, photos and presentations. These can be easily displayed on Holon Municipality website, enabling it to save the high costs concerning developing and using its own platforms. Municipal Blogs – information and knowledge resources written by municipal officials.

Social Networks

Municipal Holon Sub Domains Blogs Municipality official Website

Online photos and video clips

19 Throughout the previous year, the contents offered by the municipal websites have been diversified and upgraded: the content director receives materials from different entities within the municipality and organizations working with it. She edits and organizes them to adapt them to the needs of Holon Municipality website. Each press release, both those of high and low importance are taken care of and handled in an unprecedented way. Special emphasis is placed on press releases to be displayed on the homepage. These materials are constantly updated according to changes taking place in the city and new information gathered. Relevant photos are added, as well as links to the municipal platforms in Flickr and YouTube when relevant, (this is of high significance in terms of online presence and maintaining a high rank in search engines), pictures and video clips displayed on affiliated websites and sub-domains dealing with culture, community and leisure and media articles addressing these subjects. Examples for New subjects which were uploaded throughout the year: Regularly updated information regarding the public sharing process as part of the development the municipal policy, which constitutes one of the main issues in the city's agenda these days, including commentary and information about the principles of the plan, activities held and topics discussed in meetings, decisions made and progress reports. Environment-related information, in accordance with the Environment Information Act and Regulations – regularly updated data based on measurements made in the field. Regularly updated information regarding the Public Competition for the planning of the new City Square, before and after the winning. Information regarding allocation of public lands, including criteria, decisions etc. in a clear and transparent way. Information regarding the range of veterinary services on offer, including advice, tips, regulations etc. Additional information regarding the Story Gardens – e.g. dedication of the new parks throughout the city, including texts, photos, movie clips, links etc. Holon's Story Gardens as featured on stamps. Resources related to the history of the city, including Songs of Holon as text and music, including links and information about the writers in some of the cases. The history of Holon in Cartoons – text and photos. A history clip in Hebrew and English. "Story Gardens" video clip in Hebrew and English.

20 "Holon the City of Design" video clip in Hebrew and English. "Holon's 70th Anniversary" video clip in Hebrew and English. "Holon the Children's City" video clip in Hebrew and English. A photo Album featuring people who participated in events organized by Holon Municipality. Web pages about Holon based artists and performers, uploaded for the purpose of serving and saluting Holon based artists and performers and giving publicity to their art. Detailed information pages about Healthy Sustainable City – soon to be uploaded. Information in English – about a year ago, the fixed pages and never changing photos of the city's official website in English turned into dynamic, constantly updating pages which provide publicity to topics on the city's agenda. The content director updated these pages on a regular basis, and posts press releases which could be of interest to international audiences, ones of international relevance, ones which positively present the city etc. There are several thinking groups in the city who are in charge of defining `future images`, the most notable among them being the "Children's Parliament" . The Parliament's aim is to implement the concept of "Holon the City of Children" by fostering a young, enterprising democratic leadership, which is involved and has an impact on the lives of the city's children. In the City of Children, the value of contributing to the community is at the core of the children's and teenagers' endeavor and priorities. Of particular note is the massive teenage volunteering as well as the extensive activity of the Youth Council and Children's Parliament. The young leadership forum is a partner to the decision making pertaining to the lives of the children, the teachers and the community. The discussions and decision making processes are held at the municipal and school level, whereby dialogue and joint decision making tools are jointly acquired. The students and teachers study and implement the Pupils Rights Law, the implications of which are realized in the classroom, the school and the municipal parliament. The parliament consists of three representatives from all of the city's (25) elementary schools and a teacher (social coordinator). The parliament convenes once every two weeks in the City Council's large meeting room and the meeting is presided by the chairman and the deputy chairman (usually a child and a teacher or two children) who sit in the chairs of the Mayor and the Municipality CEO, respectively. An in-depth discussion on preset topics is held in the center of the Parliament, in response to member queries. The discussion is held in an organized fashion, with an emphasis on the right to freedom

21 of speech and hearing out a range of opinions. Once a given topic has been exhausted, voting is held and decisions are made and then conveyed to the committees for implementation. The Parliament constitutes a legislative authority, beneath which are committees constituting the executive authority. Each representative takes an active part in one of seven jointly established committees. The Education Administration maintains a data collection system and information database and transfers ongoing information throughout the system. "Eshkolot Yeda" (Knowledge Clusters ) – an information center for all of the city's education personnel regarding new initiatives and developments – was established in the municipal training center for the teachers of Holon. The Holon center for the treatment of learning disorders and children at risk has set up a professional website designed for the center's teachers in Holon and for all of the parents of the students at risk. The website provides the parents with ready, up-to-date and professional information. Every month, the Head of the Education Administration extracts an Internet file with a mailing list of 2,500 people, managers, coordinators, department heads and Municipality employees to inform them of the relevant initiatives, innovations and updates. The Education Administration established the Knowledge and Information Center, which coordinates and processes statistical data for all of the system's senior officials. This unit is run through the strategic planning department. Within the scope of the municipal information infrastructure, a leading force in the city is the Mediatheque, which constitutes the living, breathing heart of knowledge and future thinking and imaging . The Mediatheque features an active discourse with various interested parties, and defines future trends, which will form the basis of the actual plans to be implemented. The Mediatheque is a creative, innovative and multidisciplinary cultural institution offering a wide range of cultural activities in all art forms. The Mediateque serves several independent functions under a single roof, yet they are interconnected through synergetic, interdisciplinary endeavor. The Mediatheque Theater for Children and Youth This is the largest creative repertoire theater of its kind in Israel, with 7 new productions every year – the only one with a home of its own. The Theater also puts on special productions for the Israel Children's Festival and features performances from abroad. Moreover, the Theater operates a performing arts studio. 2010 marks a record year in the number of awards and prizes won by the theater for Children and Youth in Holon: 10 prizes were presented to productions, including Stage

22 Production of the Year for Children award and Stage Production to the Year for Preschool children award. The performances also won the Best Stage Production Award in Haifa's International Festival for Children's Theater. The central library also holds cultural and leisure activities, the majority of which stem from the connection between the world of literature and the world of theater – namely creative writing workshops, a selection of courses, literature events hosting top authors and morning discussions on literature-related topics. The central library, which is Israel's largest public library, has 7 branches throughout the city, one of which is the first Haredi (Ultra-orthodox) library in Israel. The Library also holds activities geared toward the community. An initiative which has already become a flagship project is "The Young Author" program, which hosts over 100 children with unique writing skills and sees them through Hebrew and English writing workshops. The only materials library of its kind in Israel – one of 12 worldwide – operates as part of the Mediatheque library contains many hundreds of innovative, unconventional products. The material library serves the increasing need of professionals in the fields of design, architecture, engineering, industry and academy for up-to-date, available information about everything new in the world of materials. The library, "iMatter", was opened in 2008 with the support of Holon Municipality and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, as part of Holon Mediatheque and Design Museum Holon. The Material Library is a unique, one of a kind project in Israel. Visitors of the display area of the library are welcome to explore and touch hundreds of samples of a wide range of colors, textures coatings and prints, from different fields of design and industry. All the materials in the library are catalogued and documented in a special website built as a search engine for raw and semi-product materials, and constitutes a necessary tool for professionals who use these materials. The purpose of the iMatter Material Library is to serve as an intermediary between professionals in the fields of design and architecture and material suppliers, for business purposes as well as partnerships. The library staff seeks to raise the awareness of using the new, innovative materials in private, commercial and public projects and educate the next generations of technological and material innovation. In addition to these, iMatter offers its members and professionals visiting it lectures, evening seminars, consulting services, special discounts on professional literature, group visits, corporate seminars etc. Since Design Museum Holon opened its gates to the public in 2010, iMatter library turned into part of the museum. As part of the realization of the goals set by Holon Municipality,

23 Design Museum Holon will turn into a leading international hub for innovation in the industry of design. A few of the missions of Design Museum Holon are to create, maintain and lead an active design scene for exploration and introduction of innovations in the field of design, both in Israel and abroad, while turning into one of the opinion leaders of the international design scene. The Holon Cinemateque - the Cinemateque chose animation in general and Israeli animation in particular as its central theme; accordingly, it is currently building an Israeli animation archive, screens short animation films as an intro to each film ( animateque ) and strives for the advancement of Israeli animation. In 2010 Holon Cinematheque became the center for the art of film for the residents of Holon and its surroundings, offering original and exclusive film programs; A creative combination of different art disciplines was formed as part of the activity of Holon Mediatheque, an art and culture center; this was realized through a range of one time events. Holon Cinematheque chose to promote and place special emphasis on Israeli animators, providing them a platform for special screenings and exclusive animation- themed events. Among others, Holon Cinematheque launched the Maratoon Contest for Original Israeli Animation and laid the foundations for the Israeli Animation Archive. The Israeli Museum of Caricature and Comics , the first of its kind in Israel with the aim of furthering an understanding of and familiarity with visual creation, as reacting to and coping with sociopolitical reality. The museum promotes research on caricature and comics in Israel as reflecting and criticizing the local lifestyle. Moreover, there are workshops for children throughout the year and focused activities during school holidays. The Design Center is the first milestone in the construction of the Holon Design Museum , inaugurated march 2010, is the first museum of its kind in Israel. The Holon Design Museum is part of a long standing commitment to culture and education in the city of Holon. The Museum's vision states that " The Holon Design Museum will serve as a leading hub for design innovation ". In March 2010 Design Museum Holon opened its gates to the public. Within a short period of time, the museum was ranked by an International tourist magazine as "One of the New Wonders of the World". Opening the new museum constitutes an important stage in implementing design processes in the city of Holon. The establishment of Design Museum Holon is a high point in the ongoing process of transforming the city of Holon into an epicenter of culture and education . Over the past decade, the city has introduced a wealth of edification programs, launched

24 cultural festivals, opened new museums and introduced urban art installations, all leading to the enrichment of municipal life . The primary goals of Design Museum Holon are to inspire and challenge the design community and the general public’s perception of design and the way it affects their lives . The city of Holon, under the direction of Mayor Motti Sasson and CEO Hana Hertsman, turned to Ron Arad, world renowned designer and architect, to create an iconic building that would provide visitors with an immersive environment in which to gain access to and explore the world of design ( Link to a movie regarding DMH http://www.youtube.com/user/HolonMunicipality#p/u/24/ANpynpW3Lb8 ). The museum wishes to bring the discussion and exploration of design to the forefront. In conjunction with the museum’s opening, the city of Holon celebrated its seventieth year taking the opportunity to feature design concepts in its many galleries, outdoor exhibition spaces and special events . The Laboratory – the laboratory of Design Museum Holon is an active space , hosting students attending courses Israel's leading design schools (e.g. Bezalel, Shenkar, Holon Institute of Technology, College of Management etc.) for one semester. During the semester, rather than attending the classes in their schools, students will come to The Laboratory where, alongside the exhibition and within a design-themed complex, they will join the professor leading the course for a whole semester of research, work and creation. The audience visiting the exhibitions will be able to visit The Laboratory and be introduced to the processes students undergo throughout their studies. The Laboratory also holds meetings of children and their parents with the museum guides, who introduce the children to the world of design in original, innovative ways. What is the extent of the city's social cohesion? Holon is a city of strong social cohesion . In a study conducted in 2009, 76% of the inhabitants indicated that they were proud to be inhabitants of Holon and 76% indicated that they would recommend that their friends move to the city. Similarly, most of the inhabitants did not consider leaving the city (67%) or considered leaving and then decided to stay (17%). The inhabitants' loyalty is also reflected in a loyalty index: 72% demonstrating a high degree of loyalty to the city and only 9% demonstrated a low degree of loyalty. The inhabitants of Holon have expressed a high level of satisfaction with their city's housing options. In the last survey, 82% of the residents indicated a high level of satisfaction while only 6% indicated a low level of satisfaction. A comparison between

25 surveys conducted over the years shows an ongoing and substantial rising trend in the level of satisfaction of 13% in 2001. At the neighborhood level as well, the level of satisfaction was found to be high, namely 73% of the inhabitants are satisfied with the neighborhood they live in. Every two-three years, the Central Bureau of Statistics publishes a social index for all of Israel's cities. The index is a combination of the population's basic characteristics in each city. Each local authority was assigned to one of 10 clusters, based on its socioeconomic index. In 2006, Holon belonged to cluster 6, which is characterized by a middle class population. The index consists of several variables, such as: demographic variables, the percentage of eligibility for high school matriculation, motorization level, average per capita income, percentage of job seekers and recipients of income support or unemployment insurance. Within the scope of the city's vision and strategic lines of action Holon strives to be open to the community and contributes to its progress. The Municipality of Holon aims to promote social cohesion through the City's Social Services Administration and its subsidiary, the Community and Leisure association . Holon's Social Affairs Administration handles a wide range of individual, family and community oriented services and strives to meet the goals and objectives involved in treating this population based on the Ministry of Social Affairs' policy and in cooperation with the Municipality's management and policy. The Administration's activity involves collecting and analyzing information, setting priorities, planning, assessing outputs and defining work procedures founded on both professional principles and proper management. The Administration strives to achieve a positive turnaround in the lives of the individual, the family, the group and the community and to help those among them who find it difficult to function on a regular basis and to cope with hardship and crises. The aid provided is therapeutic, supportive and mediative in nature and also includes the provision of services. This service aims to improve their condition, help them escape their hardship and encourage them to integrate within society. The Social Services Administration employs social workers specializing in various areas, professional adjunct employees as well as administrative and eligibility employees. For the purpose of its mission, the Administration leans on organizations and non-profit associations, which are partners to project development and services located in the city for the well being of the community as a whole and the specialized populations in particular.

26 The services are geared to serve all population sectors by age group, main characteristics and needs: Individuals and families Individual and family caregivers provide assistance to families from all social strata. These are families with at least one child under the age of 18, who find it difficult to function for different reasons – from normative reasons such as illness, bereavement, disability, divorce, substance abuse, delinquency and accidents to domestic violence and more. The aid provided is of a therapeutic nature (individual/group sessions and involvement in various projects), supportive, mediative as well as material. Preference is given to families with a range of problems such as severe social and economic hardship or families in which the children suffer from neglect or emotional deprivation. The elderly The elderly population is marked by a decline in physical functioning, exposure to illnesses, a drop in income, a lack of occupation as well as social and familial loneliness. All of these make it difficult for the elderly to function in their daily lives. Treatment involves bolstering the older person's spirit, advising him and his family, offering personal services tailored to his social, functional and health status, while adhering to the guideline of helping the elderly to continue to live at home, in their natural surroundings. Extensive efforts are also being made at the community level and numerous facilities for the elderly are made available. As part of our outlook and vision to preserve the city's sense of community, the elderly remain a part of the community through a `supportive community` project. The `supportive community` is a program that meets the needs of the elderly population, which prefers to maintain its independence. The project was designated to provide the elderly with a wide range of home-based services, which serve as a support and safety net and enable them to continue to live in their familiar environment and enhance their quality of life. The `supportive community` provides its members with a wide range of services ensuring quality of life, independence and privacy. It creates a "setting without a setting" for its members and enables them to continue to live at home, in their natural surroundings, and to enjoy a particularly extensive basket of services: a community handyman – repairs service at home, assistance with daily chores, a distress button available 24 hours a day, medical and ambulance services and membership in a pensioners club at no extra charge. The club offers extensive and unique social activity, including lectures, tours, plays and workshops, a community newspaper, a sympathetic ear, community house

27 visits as well as consulting and information services. The program is co-run by the Holon Municipality's Social Services Department–services for the elderly, the Holon Association for the Elderly, the Tigbur Company, the Community and Leisure association in collaboration with Eshel – The Association for the Planning and Development of Services for the Aging in Israel and the Ministry of Social Affairs. There are currently 3 neighborhoods operating in the city, and the plan is for the entire city of Holon to become a `supportive city`. Rehabilitation The rehabilitation department cares for people with developmental, physical and mental disabilities. The department aims to help these individuals with their occupational, family and social rehabilitation process, while taking into account the individual patient's disability and limitations as well as the principle governing their integration within the normative community to achieve normalization. Moreover, assistance is provided to the family for the duration of the disabled patient's life, including assistance with seeking appropriate facilities outside of the community. Child and youth services Within the scope of these services, care is provided to children with functional difficulties with the aim of ensuring their proper growth and development. Welfare officers (specially appointed social workers) handle cases where a minor's mental and physical well being is at stake in their capacity pursuant to the Youth (Care and Supervision) Law and the Helpless Persons Law. Efforts focus primarily on leaving the children at home with their families and in their natural environment. To this end, services are offered within the community: daycare centers, afternoon child care programs, after-school programs, caregivers, and family care within the scope of the Center for Parents and Children. In cases where there is no option to leave the child at home, an out-of-home arrangement is sought. The unit for young women in distress The Unit handles teenage girls who find it difficult to fulfill the roles generally accepted and carried out by girls of their age. These girls are likely to fail to adjust to any work or study environment, as a result of which they are liable to experience heavy social and family pressure, which in turn makes it even harder for them to fit into a normative social setting. This state of affairs pushes these young women even further to the margins of society. Working with these girls focuses on making lifestyle changes, reinforcing normative behavior patterns and changing their negative self-image. Efforts are also made on the

28 community level. Specialized facilities are being developed for these young women in order to help them move forward, rehabilitate them and facilitate their adjustment to a normative social environment. The addiction treatment unit The unit deals with: rehabilitating former alcohol, gambling and/or drug addicts and offering assistance to their families; rehabilitating released prisoners and the families of those currently incarcerated. Furthermore, the unit cares for teenagers and young people who need/are addicted to drugs or alcohol and their families. Addicts are first referred for physical detox to one of the facilities designed for this purpose. Once the detox process is over, the patient is admitted to the unit for the rehabilitation process, which is the difficult and meaningful stage and consists of personal, family, occupational and social rehabilitation. Treatment for prisoners who are not substance abusers also follows the route of personal, family and occupational rehabilitation. The unit features intensive therapeutic sessions with the clean addict, with the aim of helping him to integrate and acquire effective and normative functioning skills. The therapeutic agenda includes a follow-up of the patient's drug-free state, an understanding of the circumstances that led to his addition and positive reinforcement ahead of his reintegration within normative society. The unit is run by social workers, with the collaboration of an autonomous professional employee who is a rehabilitated addict and helps to create a bond between the addicts and the professional employees. Within the scope of the rehabilitation treatment, the patients are referred to a day treatment center, which prepares them to adjust to day-to- day life in the community. Once the course of treatment at the unit is completed, a ceremony is held and the graduates are awarded a diploma; some of them integrate within the community and join various volunteer activities. Th e family and couple therapy unit The unit provides therapy for couples and families with the aim of enabling couples to enhance their relationship and better function both as married couples and as parents. The therapy is provided for the couple or the entire family, depending on the circumstances. The service is available for all Holon inhabitants at a subsidized cost, according to Ministry of Social Affairs tables. The domestic violence prevention and treatment unit The unit addresses manifestations of violence between couples. Treatment is aimed at both men and women. The following therapeutic models are available: individual/group

29 therapy, preliminary consulting for individuals involved in violence and offering initial aid in emergency situations, community action to raise awareness of domestic violence, and advising those seeking care about the various community services available to victims of spousal violence. The service is available for all Holon inhabitants at a subsidized cost, according to Ministry of Social Affairs tables. Moreover, the administration is involved in volunteer work . The City of Holon is considered one of the leading cities in the realm of volunteer work – a city in which volunteering has become a way of life. Thousands of volunteers take part in a wide range of volunteer activities and invest time and effort to help and contribute to the community. Bet Mitnadev ( Volunteer Center ), which has been in operation since 1997, serves as a home for the promotion of volunteer work in the city. Every year, the Mayor's Volunteer Shield ceremony is held to highlight and show appreciation for the activity of the most prominent volunteers. Once every two years, an event is held to salute the volunteers and a pamphlet summarizing the activity of the volunteer organizations is distributed to all of the city's inhabitants. Moreover, training, enrichment and remuneration will be made available to volunteers throughout the year. Holon's volunteer organizations are united under the auspices of the Council of Volunteer Organizations. The Council was founded with the aim of furthering, promoting and representing the topic of volunteering in the city. The volunteer organizations operate in various areas for the purpose of individual and community well being and to improve quality of life in the city. Holon's Community and Leisure association was co-founded by the Municipality of Holon and the Association of Community Centers . The Network runs seven community centers in Holon; three sports centers; six training centers: a professional dance center, a personal development center for adults (40+), the Steinberg Arts and Music Center , The Museum of Holon History and the Hosmasa Museum, the Maor Center for the diagnosis of children with ADD and ADHD and five youth centers. Thousands of the city's inhabitants from the age of 3 months to golden agers actively participate in all of the association's centers. The association believes that a strong community is the key to a good personal and family life. Accordingly, the Association's strategy is to initiate, manage and maintain activities in Holon which enable and encourage individuals to take an active part in their community's life . Each Association activity and service is planned in such a way as to grant the customer a community experience – meaning interaction and

30 connection with other people. The Community and Leisure association sees itself as a partner to community endeavor in the city and as such, creates collaborative ventures with other entities operating both in and outside of the city. The following are among the Association's partners: the Education Administration, the Social Affairs Administration, non-profit associations and funds, health funds and private entities. The Community and Leisure association runs community projects in its various centers throughout the year. The aim of these projects is to foster ties between the inhabitants and strengthen their social involvement in the City of Holon. The Association features activities for the benefit of various population sectors, as well as population- centered activities for the sake of the community. The projects operate in youth and community centers. The community centers are the very core of the community in which they operate . They meet the enrichment, sports, cultural and leisure requirements of Holon's inhabitants and impart socio-educational values. The community centers hold neighborhood ceremonies such as a Holocaust Day ceremonies, Simchat Torah celebrations, etc. The main content areas addressed by the Community and Leisure association are as follow: early infancy, by running daily pedagogical settings such as nurseries, kindergartens, afternoon childcare programs for kindergarten children and after-school programs for school aged children. The Klein community center runs the Shinei Halav Center, an early childhood development center for children aged 0 to 6 and their parents. The golden age clubs for senior citizens provide a social setting offering a wide range of enrichment, learning and leisure activities. The clubs operate under each community center and are spread out throughout the city. Hatzav, the municipal youth movement, is active in all the community centers. The movement's members are children and teenagers from grades 1 to 12. The movement is run by counselors from the community who are trained for the task (training course, seminars, etc.). The Jewish renewal theme in the community offers a wealth of fascinating options for learning about and connecting to Judaism from a personal, open and freeing angle . The programs are run in all Association centers and they combine contemporary Israeli cultural life with rich age-old tradition through experience and inspiration. The following are a few sample programs: holidays in the community, a contemporary discourse on the Bible portion of the week, holiday ceremonies, community leadership and more.

31 There are clubs for special populations throughout the various community centers and they constitute social centers that offer learning and enrichment in addition to a wide range of social activities, i.e. a club for the deaf, a club for the blind, a club for the disabled, and so forth; Halomi , a teenage volunteer project offering social activity and help with homework; the Amitim project, which helps the mentally challenged to integrate within the community; and the Noam project, which offers cultural activities for special education children during the holidays. The Association further runs several projects enabling both teenagers and adults to volunteer and contribute to others less fortunate in a wide range of areas. In addition, the Association holds a diverse range of activities in other areas such as: immigration absorption, community volunteering, sports and healthy lifestyle, dance, art, learning centers, youth and youth at risk, music, Jewish identity, the book lending project, culture and events. Holon Department of Education, Community and Leisure Network, the Coalition against Violence and the municipal parents committee – school committee for parents and Holon community of parents act in three key levels, with the needs of the community in mind and faith in parents' role as leaders and reformers. Based on this rationale, the city established the Community of Horim Osim HAIL (Parents think, learn and initiate) . An additional community – an online forum for parents in Holon – and a weekly newsletter were launched as well. Parents think – parents are part of the establishment of the community and play an equal part in its establishment and brainstorming sessions. Parents initiate – parents initiate activities and issues related to parenthood and leading in-community processes, based on their strengths and broad experience. Parents learn – workshops and courses for parents, in which parents learn about their parental role as part of the process; the content of the courses will include sessions of which role will be to provide tools and skills for creating communities and operating them in practice. HALEL program created in Holon. Connects its students to the unique centers where they grew up. HALEL enables the elementary school students to become connected with the cultural richness, nature and with the communal domains that Holon has . The program means to enrich and expand the variety of learning and experiencing activities. Holon, having rich cultural and communal programs and sites, is inviting students to a personal learning voyage.

32 HALEL program (Adapting Learning to Person) seeks to shape an independent researching learner, who absorbs knowledge from his near surrounding . The program was born and developed in Holon for the benefit of its students. The general idea is that the learner, as a city resident, lives within a multi challenging surrounding, sport centers , art and nature – all of which are the result of years of building the city and grooming it . The idea of adapting learning to person is similar to a situation when you enter a big library in order to read and study a topic which interests you. You choose whichever book you like, the topic, how much time you will be spending reading it and which further books to look for. HALEL works in the same way. The student chooses the research center, the research topic and the nature of the research he will be performing. This idea was recently developed in a chain of schools in the United States. However, there are numerous examples for this program in Israel as well which build an independent and researching learner. The uniqueness of the program in Holon is in the amount of research centers it has and in the fact that we do not dictate to the learner the topic of the paper, the work paste and how it will be submitted. The Municipality runs a wide range of specialized youth programs aimed at preventing teenagers from slipping into a life of crime and indeed, between 2001 and 2004, there was a substantial decline in the number of juvenile criminal files. Since then the number of juvenile criminal files has remained stable every year. Holon features a multi-dimensional preventive program run in cooperation with the educational, social affairs, police, security and community parties involved. The program operates on three separate intervention levels: Initial prevention is on a universal level, with a program aimed at all children and teenagers. At this level, the efforts are invested in "vaccinating" the health population. For example, the "Pas-sport" program makes sports centers available in the evening hours for youth activities and combines sports activity with educational/ideological content such as: "The Power is in your Hands" program which teaches self control and personal responsibility; the "Violence Prevention" program that began as a pilot in the Jesse Cohen neighborhood and was highly successful; self-defense and close combat workshops for all female 8 th graders in the city; "Holon's nocturnal patrol car", which is available five evenings a week in various areas of the city to respond to teenagers' needs if required, etc.

33 The secondary prevention is on a differential level and is designated for a population that was diagnosed as being at risk. It consists of programs such as "A sympathetic Ear- Personal Tutoring", "Theater and Music at ORT Miterani" and the Telji Club, a combat arts club in Tel Giborim. These programs include treatment options, a review of attitudes and values and the development of personal and social skills for the purpose of problem solving and decision making. The tertiary prevention level is designated for a population that was identified as having social functioning problems, a history of drug and alcohol abuse, delinquency, etc. This population sector requires treatment and rehabilitation facilities such as "Etgarim" for the advancement of youth; a unit addressing the needs of troubled young women; a parent group for teenagers with drug abuse problems in the substance abuse treatment unit; a theater group for immigrant teenage girls", etc. These activities are conducted in cooperation with the treatment units. Holon is home to a unique center by the name of Beit Lihiyot, which is in fact a home for Holon's Holocaust survivors . The home has two main objectives: the first is to provide a warm home for Holocaust survivors offering social activities along with professional support. The home holds choir activities, Kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming the Sabbath) ceremonies, study evenings and educational tours. The second objective is to provide an educational source for children and teenagers who visit during the school year to hear stories and testimonies first hand, whereby the emphasis of these testimonies is on "being a human being". This is a home that speaks of joy, heroism, mutual aid and spiritual strength, rather than sadness or hate. Beit Lihiyot won the Yad Vashem prize for outstanding educational enterprise and upgrades its activities from year to year. The last project to come out of Beit Lihiyot is a story book suitable for early childhood describing six childhood testimonies by Holocaust survivors. Holon has always welcomed new immigrants from all over the world . They built their homes in the city and contributed to its growth and development. Since the large immigration wave from the CIS in the late 80s, Holon has welcomed about 31,000 new immigrants. Holon welcomed about 350 Ethiopian families, 100 of whom arrived in 2008/9 and created unique programs to help them adjust, in line with the special needs of the community. A unique group of Syrian immigrants also chose to settle in Holon and the city is also home to immigrants from Iran. These communities have joined the more veteran communities, so as to facilitate their optimal integration within the city and its social fabric.

34 Through Beit Ha' oleh (home for immigrants), the Municipality strives to do its part in ensuring a smooth transition for new immigrants by collaborating with all the parties involved in the immigration process : social services, immigrant absorption, education and so forth. The following are among the department's realms of activity: identifying the immigrants' needs, understanding problems and offering appropriate solutions; holding activities aimed at creating a sense of belonging to the city in particular and to the State of Israel in general; referrals to professional sources and helping new immigrants to cope with their daily adjustment challenges; providing a solution to the cultural needs of immigrants by preserving their unique heritage on the one hand and familiarizing them with Israeli culture on the other hand; running projects on the education of children and youth, social services, culture, etc; encounters with veteran inhabitants, forming contacts and community involvement; familiarization with Israel and the City of Holon – tours, lectures, etc; familiarization with the Jewish and Israeli tradition, with an emphasis on customs and holidays; setting up a steering team consisting of new immigrants to initiate activities tailored to their changing needs; providing needy immigrants with clothing and furniture donated by inhabitants. The management of Beit Ha'Oleh is currently being passed on to the Community and Leisure association and will henceforth be known as the socio-cultural center for new immigrants. The Center plans to offer a wide range of community services to the immigrant population, in addition to the ulpanim (Hebrew language teaching for new immigrants) operating in the area. The Municipality of Holon maintains close contact with bereaved families and military units . The unit handling the connection between the Municipality and the bereaved families in Holon was established about eight years ago. There are approximately 800 bereaved families living in the city – a population marked by special needs and a high degree of sensitivity. The path leading to the families was fraught with difficulties. Establishing basic trust in the relationship was a lengthy and complex process. The trust network materialized as a result of hard work, including an investment of financial resources by the Municipality and backup by the Mayor and the Municipality CEO. The unit helps families, inter alia , with organizing memorial ceremonies, fun outings and other events and is instrumental in enhancing the ties between them and the Municipality. The Municipality's management allocated a small hall in the Yad Labanim Memorial Complex for the bereaved families' use. This hall serves as a club and a home for these families.

35 The home is open 3 days a week and offers these families a meeting place, social games, various courses, trips in Israel and abroad, etc. Several years ago, the exhibition commemorating Holon's fallen was replaced by a new one suited to the new millennium. The exhibition is a project designated to commemorate the men and women of Holon who fell in Israel's wars since the establishment of the State providing information about the fallen – personal details, photographs, biographies, decorations and commendations, descriptions of battles and war sites, albums, personal exhibits and more. The project was implemented in collaboration with the Yad Labanim Memorial Complex and will be exhibited every year on Israel's Memorial Day for Fallen IDF Soldiers in the Municipality Square. There are about 120 IDF widows living in Holon. The Municipality has made it possible to hold afternoon courses and activities in the Pensioners Club and helps the widows as much as possible. The memorial room for the fallen at the Yad Labanim Memorial Complex has been upgraded. The monument commemorating the fallen, which is located opposite the Holon Municipality building, has also been renovated and – unfortunately – now has added commemorative plaques to remember the names of the fallen. A Yad Labanim flagpole has also been erected at the site. Once a year, an IDF recruit conference is held, inviting about 2,500 of Holon's youth about to enlist in the army. The conference is an expression of caring, i.e. "We are with you all the way". Once a year, a conference for discharged soldiers is held at the Holon Theater. The aim of the conference is to present the full range of study, training and employment options under a single roof as well as to offer a comprehensive lecture on the rights of discharged soldiers, distribute information booklets, etc. The Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers has rented 8 apartments for lone soldiers. Each apartment houses about 8 soldiers as well as lone soldiers through private rental. Twice a year, the soldiers are invited to a dinner prepared by pensioners. The City of Holon has adopted the artillery corps: Battalion 55, the Pillar of Fire Division as well as the Center of Computing and Information Systems. In times of peace, Holon helps the adopted units a great deal throughout the year by offering fun outings and even acquiring sports equipment and sending packages to the families of soldiers in distress. In times of war, the schools, kindergartens, city institutions and Municipality employees join forces to donate various items to the soldiers. Conversely, the adopted units also do their part for the City's community. During Passover and Rosh Hashanah, the units help to distribute packages to the elderly, lend a helping hand in special education schools, etc.

36 What is the nature of the City's relationship with the environment on the regional, national and international level? Mr. Motti Sasson has been serving as the City's Mayor for the past 3 terms (17years) and now, in 2010, he was elected for a fourth term. This fact reflects political and institutional stability , which enables the Municipality and its leaders to further projects and both short- and long-term plans. In 2006, during the Second Lebanon War, the City of Holon adopted the City of Hatzor HaGlilit, which was under missile fire. Children from youth movements in Katzrin and Kiryat Shmona came to the city and were hosted by community centers, youth movements and the homes of members of the movements. During Operation Cast Lead, Holon adopted the City of Ashkelon and the town's children were invited to take part in activities in the City of Holon, with the aim of protecting them, boosting their spirits and assuaging their fears. The Mayor and Municipality CEO are members of various public councils and committees, such as Mifal Hapayis (the Israel National Lottery) and the Israel Council for Art and Culture. Moreover, the Mayor is a member of the Tel Aviv Regional Building and Planning Committee, an Ayalon Park Director, Chairman of the Struggle Against Aircraft Noise forum, etc. Membership in the various councils enable the Mayor and the Municipality CEO to serve as leaders and frontrunners on topics they take to heart, as well as issues which are crucial to the future of the children of Holon and Israel. The mayor also leads the battle against the noise of planes flying over Holon and diminishes the quality of life of its citizens. In 2010 Holon launched a Facebook group supporting that battle against the noise of planes, named "Let us sleep peacefully – Residents of Holon and its surroundings against night flights." Headed by the mayor of Holon, who is also the incumbent chairperson of the Forum of Leaders of Local Authorities against Noise of Planes, Holon municipality intends to take several measures against the decision, including making an appeal to the Supreme Court. In addition, as aforementioned, Holon Municipality decided to open a Facebook support group which residents whose quality of life would be affected by the decision can join to express their protest and make decision makers change their decision. This is an exceptional manifestation of a case where a municipality, which is a public organization, undertakes to lead a public, legal battle through a social network and other means, due to its care for its residents' health and quality of life. Members of the group include residents from Holon as well as from the surrounding cities ( A link to the

37 facebook support group set up by the municipality of Holon: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=100864336622767 &ref=ts ). Holon is a member of "Forum 15", which incorporates cities with independent financial resources . These cities do not get revenue support or government development grants and are run as a closed independent unit by virtue of their independent financial resources. The following cities are members of the forum: Ashdod, Givatayim, Herzliya, Hadera, Holon, Haifa, Kfar Saba, Netanya, Petach Tikva, Rishon LeZion, Rehovot, Ramat Gan, Raanana, Tel Aviv-Jaffa as well as Beersheba. There is a long list of public institutions and bodies of national importance operating in the cities that are members of the forum, namely educational/research and development centers and Israel's leading universities; theaters and leading cultural centers; advanced industrial and hi-tech areas; major medical centers and hospitals, etc. These bodies operate, inter alia , through the municipalities' promotion, assistance and support. The broad scope of the population served by these cities and their role on a national scale, places the cities of Forum 15 at the forefront of Israel's national challenges and difficulties, such as: economic development and the development of sources of employment, research and development, health, education, culture, transport, quality of the environment, sanitation, infrastructure development, urban planning, coping with welfare situations, immigration absorption and more. Notwithstanding the above difficulties and challenges, and despite the fact that these cities are not entitled to government grants, in the last few years, the 15 municipalities have become an island of stability and success in the public and local arena. The Chairman of the Forum of 15 is Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Mr. Ron Huldai and its Director General is attorney Eitan Attia. The Forum of 15 cities is striving to redefine the central government's relations with Israel's major cities, with the aim to achieve a decentralization of authority as well as extensive management autonomy for the major cities. It also aims to promote, assist and develop the Forum's cities through joint enterprises. The following are the main topics currently addressed by the Forum: An updated municipality law and economic-management autonomy for the major cities; overseeing a comprehensive legislative process to legislate a new municipality law, which will facilitate true local government in Israel, promoting decentralization initiatives for the major cities in the realms of transport, education, environmental quality, policing, municipal surveillance and more.

38 The following are joint projects undertaken by the major cities: identifying and promoting advanced technological enterprises for the Forum's cities for the benefit of the municipalities, the cities and the quality of life of their inhabitants (networking the major cities with a wireless system using WiMax technology; promoting the cellular parking initiative; networking the major cities with fiber optic infrastructure; promoting advanced transport solutions, etc.); environmental quality and protection: getting Israel's major cities to join forces with the European Union's treaty on climate change and air pollution reduction in large cities (the initiative includes signing the European treaty and adopting a detailed master plan to reduce air pollution in each of the large cities, including setting measurable objectives and striving to meet them); settling the issue of building waste; planting roof gardens; preserving energy in public buildings; promoting green transportation, etc. and many more. Education: protecting state education in Israel from the continued erosion it has experienced in the last few years. Planning and construction: the process involves the consolidation of national outline plans with an impact on the urban sector in Israel; a follow-up of the implementation of national outline plan 35 and its continued progress; slowing down the suburbanization process in the agricultural areas; involvement in promoting development programs and urban sector renewal; involvement and assistance with furthering a building and planning reform – extending local committee authority to planning and building, amending paragraph 197 of the Planning and Building Law, etc.; representing the major cities in the government and the Knesset; handling of and involvement in legislative matters, state budget, national planning, etc; representing the major cities in court on issues crucial to the major cities; promoting and leading public struggles in favor of the major cities and their inhabitants. In addition to Holon's membership in the Forum of 15, the City's interaction with its surrounding cities is positive. Collaborative ventures are held on various topics. The City routinely oversees planning ventures with its neighboring cities: Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion, Bat Yam, Azor and Mikveh Israel. The jointly assessed issues include: transportation, logistic service sites and environmental quality aspects. For example, joint efforts are being made on public transport methods, bicycle paths connecting between the cities, border area planning and the preservation of nature values. Holon serves as a role model both for the surrounding cities and on a general basis. In the area of education, the Education Administration holds a series of activities with the "Sharon Park" Recycling Center (Ayalon), including a joint curriculum. The education

39 system recycles paper in collaboration with the "Amnir" plant and batteries in collaboration with Ramat Hovav. There are collaborative efforts with the Mikveh Israel Youth Village, including botanical studies and the study of Israel's agricultural heritage. The Special Education System collaborates with regional industrial and service plants in order to help students join the workforce. Three high schools are running a comprehensive educational program with schools in Berlin, Hann-Münden (Germany) and Suresnes (France) . Community centers offer a Jewish identity program in collaboration with the Jewish Federation in New York. And an additional high school runs a joint theater program for Jewish youth with Arab youth from the Arab Democratic School of Jaffa. The city's financial system is run in an appropriate and balanced manner and serves as a model for many of Israel's cities . Proof of the matter lies in the fact that the Municipality is awarded prizes for its proper financial management, human resource development and environmental quality preservation. Moreover, the City conducts professional tours for professionals from other municipalities who visit Holon. For the past decade, the City of Holon has been presenting a budgetary surplus. According to the BDI group's ranking of municipalities and local authorities, for several years now, Holon has been ranked among the five most stable and efficient cities from a financial point of view. Every year, the BDI Group ranks the degree of stability and efficiency of Israel's local authorities. These indices assess deficit commitments, loan burdens, self-income and the authority's ability to provide a high level of service with minimum resources. On an international level, Holon maintains ties with several cities worldwide - a Twin City Pact was signed with the following cities: Suresnes (France), Hann-Münden (Germany), Berlin-Mitte (Germany), Dayton, Ohio (USA) and Anshan (China). Furthermore, a "partnership of kindness" was formed with the city of Andong in South Korea. Within the scope of these relations, there are youth delegation and knowledge exchanges as well as reciprocal hosting of artists. Delegations from the twin cities regularly take part in the City's events, such as the Adloyada (Purim parade), Independence Day, etc. The Wedding community in Berlin is adopting a municipal kindergarten. The community of Philadelphia's Jews is adopting the neighborhoods of Jesse Cohen and Tel Giborim and even donated a vast amount of money to build two ultra modern sports centers in these neighborhoods. The Holon Institute of Technology (H.I.T) enhances Holon's ties with academic and professional entities in Israel and abroad . The Institute was founded in 1969 and in

40 1999, became an independent academic institution of higher learning sanctioned by The Council for Higher Education. The Institute focuses on teaching the sciences, engineering and technology, technology management and design and engages in theoretical and applied research based on a broad and multidisciplinary approach to advanced technology in its scientific, professional, economic and cultural aspects. The Institute qualifies gifted scientists, engineers, managers and designers who – once they complete their studies – fill key positions in the knowledge industries and spearhead industry and economy . Teaching and research – two interrelated fields – are the core of the Holon Institute of Technology's endeavor. Along with the faculty members, scientists supported by research grants, post-doctoral students, H.I.T students as well as graduate degree studies in collaboration with universities all take part the research. In the last few years, the Institute substantially expanded its research activity by recruiting outstanding scientists as faculty members. The expanded research activity is reflected in the substantial increase in the number of scientific publications, in the major professional journals and in the competitive research grants awarded by the various government ministries, international research foundations and the European Union. The Aim of the Holon Institute of Technology's research authority, which was founded in April 1996, is to promote and contribute to scientific research. To this end, the research authority is gathering information on financing sources and research foundations and spreading it among the academic faculty members. The research authority initiates contacts with government research foundations, international and bi-national foundations, hi-tech industries as well as organizations and institutions promoting and financing theoretical and applied scientific research. The Holon Institute of Technology's scientists maintain close professional ties with their colleagues in universities and research institutes in Israel and abroad , which is reflected in joint scientific publications, research projects and researcher exchanges. Industrial companies – both in Israel and abroad – have also shown an interest in maintaining institutional ties with the H.I.T in the area of research and development. As a result of these ties, industrial companies have signed collaborative R&D agreements with the Institute and even donated funds to build laboratories. The city holds conferences and study days on education, culture, sustainability and design. These conferences are attended by visitors from other cities in Israel and worldwide. The cultural conferences are held within the scope of international

41 festivals held in the city. The women's festival is held in the city every year around International Women's Day on March 9 th and pays tribute to the success stories of women in various sectors and fields of endeavor. In addition to shows and cultural events, two main sessions are held: one is held in collaboration with the Israeli Association of United Architects, which invites leading international female architects to participate in a symposium on feminine presence in the world of architecture, planning and building. Another session within the scope of the Women's Festival is a Women in Business session held in collaboration with one of Israel's leading economic magazines, which places Israel's economic leadership side-to-side with leading visitors from abroad on a single stage. The 2010 Women's Festival will feature a female physicians' session addressing the female point of view on the world of medicine in general and swine flu in particular to be moderated by the President of the World Health Organization who is also a invited speaker. For the first time in Israel in terms of its scope, Holon Municipality, the Israeli Community of Designers and Design Museum Holon have initiated Israeli Week of Design . The Israeli Week of Design will include "Designed in Israel IV", an exhibition endorsed by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor and private businesses. The exhibition will present the achievements of the Israeli design and feature approximately 200 pieces of industrial design, graphic design, branding, packaging design, interactive design and jewelry design. Another major exhibition to take place as part of the Israeli Week of Design is "Designers of the Future IV", which will feature selected final projects of the 2010 graduates of the leading schools of design in the disciplines of industrial design, graphic design and jewelry design. Alongside with the exhibition, several other events will be held in collaboration with the Israeli Community of Designers, including exhibitions, seminars and publication of catalogues presenting the achievements of professionals in the different disciplines of design in Israel as well as the ones of the local economy, technology and industry. In addition to these, Israel Design Week will include an Independence Day poster exhibition, "Blue-White" poster contest for students of designs endorsed by the "Blue-White Headquarters" under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, and for the first time ever, Expo Blue-White – Designed and Made in Israel" endorsed by the "Blue-White Headquarters" under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor and Manufacturers Associations of Israel. These events will serve as a direct link between Israeli design and industry and present leading Israeli companies which develop, manufacture and successfully market their products in Israel and abroad.

42 Within the scope of the international puppet -theatre and film festival , this is the 13th year that a conference addressing therapeutic puppetry is being held. It reveals the work processes of treatment, education, rehabilitation and community models utilizing puppets and puppetry to treat various conditions such as shame, chaos, avoidance, aggression and illness. This conference is attended by educational and medical personnel, psychologists and puppeteers, as well as counselors and staff members who come into contact with populations requiring treatment. Conferences, study days and workshops in the various design branches (fashion, urban planning, sustainability and design, industrial design, design innovation, etc.) are being held within the scope of the activity of DMH at the initiative of the education department of the Design Museum and in collaboration with Israel's design schools, professionals, cultural institutions, as well as commercial and financial entities. These conferences attract experts from Israel and abroad (architects, designers, entrepreneurs, etc.). Thus, for example, a design conference under the heading of "Islands in the Urban Stream" was held in 2009. The conference addressed the topic of park planning and nature conservation in the urban expanse, and hosted designers, architects, landscape architects, as well as nature and cultural activists and environmentalists from Israel and abroad. The conference presented an overview of contemporary and future design trends. Among the speakers were: landscape architects Tilman Latz from Germany, Michael VanGessel from Holland, Keren Tamir from the Field Operation Company (USA), author and environmentalist Tsur Shezaf and international artist Dani Karavan. Within the scope of the conference, the Holon Municipality presented the initial stages of the conceptual development of Park Holot (Sand Dune Park), a project soon to be completed in the city. As Holon has been going through a change, turning into a knowledge city in the strictest sense of the term, it has seen many visitors seeking to learn closely about this change. Throughout the last four years, Holon was visited by several hundreds of Israeli and international local government, administration and government officials . Noteworthy among these were municipal officials (e.g. from the cities of Arad, Acre, Netanya, Haifa, Modiin, Ramat Gan, Jerusalem etc.) and local and regional councils from Israel ; students of government and administration studying at the Academic College of Emek Yezreel and Weitz Center in Rehovot. During 2010 we were visited by Mayors from Andong, South Korea, Brazil, Berlin and Hamburg, Geneva; the ambassador of the

43 European Union in Israel, the ambassadors of Canada, Spain, Mexico and other countries in South America, mayors of Holon's sister cities and many others. B. Financial and instrumental-material capital How rich are the public accounts? The municipal budget is run on two levels: a regular budget and a development budget. The activity within the scope of the regular budget, which has maintained a balance or a surplus for about a decade, was awarded prizes on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior for proper financial management . It is an items budget, however each year, an annual work plan is submitted and it is from this work plan that the budget is derived. Both during and at the end of the year, there is an audit of the work plan and budget utilization. Moreover, an assessment is performed as to whether it was implemented efficiently and effectively. In 2008, the Authority's expenses within the scope of the regular budget amounted to 812,701 thousand NIS, and within the irregular budget – to 133,286 thousand NIS. Conversely, its revenues in the regular budget stood at 814,503 thousand NIS and in the irregular budget, at 115,992 thousand NIS. Clearly, Holon maintains a balance and even surplus between revenues and expenses. As befitting a city that made the well being of children its motto, 30% of the regular budget is dedicated to education. Based on the Finance Administration data for 2009, approximately 60 percent of the assets yielding property tax are residential. These assets are responsible for about 48 percent of property tax charges. Industrial structures make up 11 percent of the city's overall assets and contribute about 24 percent of the property tax to the municipal fund. The most income-yielding asset consists of businesses, which only make up four percent of the city's assets, but yield 22 percent of the property tax. Holon's industrial area is the major factor behind the municipality's growing property tax revenues based on the current and future potential in the city building plans for the area, which will enable the construction and marketing of another approximately 2,000,000 sq. m over the next 20 years. Accordingly, in the future, revenues from industry and business in Holon could gradually reach about 60% of the city's property tax income What is the nature of the city's location, climate and physical landscape?

44 Location , land and landscape Holon is situated on the central coastal strip, adjacent to the Mediterranean, in the southern part of Gush Dan . To the north, it borders on Tel Aviv, Azor and the Mikveh Israel Agricultural School; to the east and the south, on Rishon LeZion and to the west, on Bat Yam. The main interurban roads leading to the city are: the Ayalon Highway (highway no. 20), the Tel Aviv-Ashdod Highway (highway no. 4), the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Highway (highway no. 1) and HaShiv'a interchange, the Jaffa-Ramla Highway (highway no. 44). Most of the City of Holon was built on a sandy surface. The sand dunes drifted to the region from the Nile River delta in Egypt. The surface area of the city's jurisdiction is approximately 19,200 dunams, which include 4,195 dunams of industry, 10,035 dunams of built-up area and about 5,000 dunams of open space. In 2009, the city's population was 184,700. Holon's climate is comfortable. In 2009, the average minimum daily temperature was higher than the average temperature between 1981 and 2000 in all months. The average maximum daily temperature in 2009 was higher in all the months except for March through May as compared to the monthly average in 1981-2000. During the rainy season in 2008/2009, the amount of rain reached 403 mm, which is 25% less than the yearly average (for the years 1971-2000), which amounted to 538 mm. There were 40 days of rain, which is 5.2 days less than the annual average (for the years 1971-2000), which amounted to 45.2 days. The city's landscape is not unique and the terrain is sandy and flat. Holon is the home of the Husmasa sands, a unique pearl of nature, and the Mikveh Israel Agricultural School, which was founded in 1870. In 2009, the population density in Holon reached 9.8 persons per dunam, which is greater than that of Rishon LeZion (3.9) and Ashdod (4.0), but less than that of Bat Yam (15.9), Givatayim (16.3) and Ramat Gan (8.9). In the last few years, there were no substantial changes in the city's population density, which reflects the stability in the number of inhabitants and the full utilization of the space at the city's disposal. Approximately 63% of Holon's terrain is built up area serving residential needs (37.3%), industry, infrastructures, transport and trade (19.3%), education and schooling (3.2%), culture, leisure, recreation and sports (1.4%), public services (1%), and health and social affairs (0.7%). Approximately 37% is open space serving as public open space (3.4%), tilled agricultural land (1.8%), forests and groves (1.1%) and other open space (30.5%).

45 Material-cultural heritage Holon boasts several historical sites – Pillbox Hill, Husmasa, the Herzfeld House, the historical Burma Road, the water tower in Shazar, the water tower in Moledet and the Turkish pillbox. The city further houses several museums – the Israel Children's Museum, the Holon Puppet Theater Center, the Israeli Museum of Caricature and Comics, the Heritage Center – Shazar School, the Vintage Automobile Museum – the Egged Bus Museum (for additional sites, see the answer to the first question for a more detailed description). The following are among the most prominent national-historical sites: a) The Turkish Pillbox – one of seventeen pillboxes (guard posts) built in the mid 19 th century by the Ottoman sultan on the old Jaffa-Jerusalem road. The pillbox is located on a prominent hill in the city area, adjacent to the meteorological station. b) The Husmasa site – at first a deep well was dug at the site, in service to the "Agrobank" Company for the purpose of establishing the neighborhood. An international style two-story structure was built above the well and housed a guard's room, a water-storing pool and a lookout tower. Because of the location's distance, the Haganah decided to turn it into a training base and a weapons cache. Thousands of the organization's members from the Tel Aviv region used the sandy area of Husmasa for shooting, throwing grenades, field training, signaling, topography, etc. The site currently serves as the Haganah Defense Memorial Museum, which bequeaths the heritage of the organization to thousands of students and visitors. c) The Burma Road – because of the roadblock from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the Negev, starting in February 1948, the Israeli forces built a makeshift route bypassing the Arab towns of Abu Kabir, Yazur and Ramleh. This route is called "The Burma Road", and it passed through the Mikveh Israel agricultural school, Hankin Street in Holon, the Moledet neighborhood, Nahalat Yehuda and Rishon LeZion. There are currently several landmarks along this road: the Burma Road Story Garden, the Moledet water tower and the concrete fortification in Moledet. d) Pillbox Hill – A concrete fortification was built in December 1947 at the eastern edge of the Arab Town of Tel Arish, a vantage point which began to threaten the neighborhoods of Holon with fire. Toward the end of the British Mandate, the Haganah commanders decided to carry out Operation Hametz (April 1948) with the objective of capturing villages inland from Jaffa. Battalion 52 of the Givati Brigade set out to capture the Hill. During the battle and ensuing withdrawal, 21 soldiers

46 were killed and many were injured. The attack failed and on May 13, 1948, Jaffa surrendered and the Hill area and village were annexed to the Holon local council. Immediately after the War of Independence, Pillbox Hill became the City's first memorial site commemorating all of Holon's fallen during the War of Independence and those who were killed in the bitter fight over the Hill. The city offers long and short tours showcasing its treasures to the public at large, the inhabitants of Holon and their guests. Master Plan for Preservation of Heritage Sites In recent years, a municipal committee appointed to lead the preservation of the city's heritage sites has been operating in the city. Following an extensive research and examination process, which included visits to sights and architectural consulting, the municipality decided to prepare a statutory heritage site preservation plan. The list of heritage sites includes sites and which are to be preserved either completely or partially, due to their high historical value for the city and its residents. For each site to be preserved, the municipality prepared a Heritage Site file which will include all the geographical and historical urban city plan information of the site. Among the buildings listed in the preservation plans are Struma Square, Agrobank neighborhood, the well houses in HaTe'ena Street, the Grand Synagogue, Bialik Elementary School, Shenkar Elementary School, the Turkish Bunker, Security Road, the water tower in Moledet Neighborhood, the water tower in Azar Street in Holon, Mansbach Medical Clinic and HaMeshakem House. To what extent is the city's environmental policy progressive? The Municipality of Holon is spearheading a new environmental agenda and promoting a wide range of programs and activities aimed at enhancing the quality of the environment and the health of its inhabitants . Within the scope of this program, the City of Holon joined the "Healthy Cities Network" in 2006 , under the leadership of the World Health Organization and "The forum of 15 International Treaty for Urban Air Pollution Reduction and Climate Protection" – a joint venture of the Union of Local Authorities in Israel and 15 major Israeli cities addressing the issue of air pollution reduction and global climate protection (see question 5 for a more detailed description of the topic). Within the scope of this activity, a municipal steering team was set up and a "municipal emissions survey" was held with the aim of mapping out the main

47 culprits behind the emission of pollutants in the city and pinpointing potential sources of emission reduction . Holon espouses the policy of a healthy, sustainable city, which perceives the health and quality of life of its inhabitants as a priority. Implementing the policy lines is a gradual process that touches upon all walks of life in the city and is accomplished by creating: - Cultural anchors (children's activities, festivals and sports activities). - Educational infrastructures (a master plan for environment education, health and fitness programs and cleanliness trustees). - Physical infrastructures (green construction, transportation, keeping the city clean, clean air, a master plan for waste and neighborhood recycling bins, walking and bicycle paths, fitness rooms for children and sports institutes). All of the above aim to make the values of "health and sustainability" an integral part of the city's culture and lifestyle. In 2006, Holon joined the Healthy Cities Network, which is a worldwide movement for the promotion of population health and the reduction of health gaps. As part of the activities in this area, the Municipality is working on preparing a municipal health profile as a basis for developing health programs. The biblical sycamore tree which used to be the trademark of the coastal plain can still be found in the City of Holon. In a survey held in 2008, over 100 sycamore trees were located within the city's municipal grounds. The trees were mapped out and the Municipality is making every effort to ensure their preservation. In Holon the sycamore tree has added value, as it is the tree that adorns the city's emblem. A case in point: in 2007 the sycamore tree that stood at the Holon junction was transplanted by the Netivei Ayalon Company (at great cost) because it occupied a spot designated for a new bridge and there was concern that the tree would die. The city spared no effort, time or investment to transplant the tree and thereby preserve it. In the "From a promising authority to a sustainable one – a guidebook for green action in Israel's local authorities", published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Union of Local Authorities in Israel, Holon is depicted as the perfect example of a city that nurtures and preserves its open spaces (one of the ten principles of sustainable development). "Holon is a model city when it comes to investing efforts and resources in the planning, establishment and ongoing maintenance of the avenues, parks, gardens and green beauty spots". The Municipality of Holon makes sure that no trees within its jurisdiction are cut down.

48 The tree pruning and felling guideline is adhered to and a list of protected trees is published for the public. Within the scope of the guideline, the Municipality ensures that most of the trees which are earmarked for felling are transplanted elsewhere and not removed from the city's tree resources. Any tree felling (even in a private yard) requires municipal authorization". ( http://www.kayamut.org.il/images/list/kayamut.pdf ) These days, efforts are made to implement the principles of green construction, according to advanced standard for green construction in Israel and abroad. Within a short period of time, Holon Municipality will prepare a booklet of directives for green construction , which will become a milestone in planning and certification, and an integral part of building in Holon. The booklet will include references to the whole range of green construction elements and the sections included in the Israeli Standard for Green Construction, such as climate issues, energy conservation, building materials, recycling, water etc. Holon, the City of Sand Dunes, seeks to preserve its unique sand dunes and has been taking planning, educational and physical action to promote this subject . As for the planning level, during the last several years, Holon has been promoting the plans for its last land reserves. This area, which forms approximately 20% of the total area of the city, will be employed for housing, employment and park which will occupy an area of 247 acres (compared with Park Peres, which occupies an area of 61 acres and the Story Gardens of Kiriat Eylon occupy an area of 7 acres.) During the planning process, the principles for the park development were set and a comprehensive ecological survey was made. Following these, it was decided that a large part of the park will remain natural, preserving the sand dunes scenery and typical ecosystem . The park will include a core of natural, uninterrupted sand dunes surrounded by well-developed parkland with leisure and entertainment areas. Apart from the scenery and natural assets, this area includes several historical heritage sites, such as the Water Tower and security road. These are heritage listed sites which will become an integral part of the park. In 2009 Holon Municipality began developing a municipal plan for organizing the traffic in the city , for the purpose of decreasing the air pollution caused by traffic. The plan is carried out in coordination with the surrounding cities – Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Petach Tikva, and in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Transportation. Promoting this plan is part of the plans for application of the Forum-15, aiming at decreasing the air pollution and emission of greenhouse gases. What is the nature of the urban physical infrastructure?

49 Holon boasts the highest standards of public buildings in Israel . The City houses an advanced network of municipal libraries, including a reference and loan library, a musical library and a materials library. The various libraries provide the public with dozens of computer stations for information retrieval, printing and scanning. All of the libraries offer training sessions for students to familiarize them with the libraries' resources and an extensive range of cultural activities. There are unique public buildings such as the Children's Museum, The "Begova Haenayim" Center, and state-of-the-art sports halls for the enjoyment of professional sports fans and DMH (Design Museum Holon). The City further houses some of Israel's biggest water centers with top of the line open and covered pools, wave pools, water slides and special water effects. There are up-to- date education buildings, schools with special facilities such as sophisticated laboratories equipped with computers, art rooms, etc. Surveys and research show that Holon's inhabitants are aware of the many cultural services the city has to offer – namely 98% are aware of the Holon Theater, 93% of the libraries, and 92% of the Children's Theater in the Mediatheque. Most of them have also visited these venues in the last two years – 82% attended the Holon Theater, 75 visited the libraries and 56% enjoyed the Children's Theater in the Mediatheque. The City of Holon attributes a great deal of importance to the esthetic and design aspects of public spaces . Beyond a well developed road system, unique elements were selected for the city's sidewalks such as tiling, lighting and street furniture. These elements were selected so as to support the vision promoted by the city. The street system is gradually being upgraded with a view to also integrate the urban values into the physical attributes. The Water and Sewage Corporation was founded at the beginning of 2008 so that the city could invest the collected water and sewage funds back into these infrastructures, with the aim to improve the efficiency of the water system and reduce water depreciation. The Corporation is in charge of installing water and sewage piping in new neighborhoods and replacing the piping in old systems (installed over 40 years ago). In places where there are water losses not attributable to wear and tear, the piping is automatically replaced. The Corporation is also responsible for sewage purification and the piping leading to the main system. The city has 14 active autonomous water wells and 7 polluted wells (57% of which were affected by industrial pollution and 43% by urban pollution).

50 Every two years, the city holds the Pinchas Eilon Competition for Urban Planning, which presents outstanding urban planning projects based on pre-determined subjects. Furthermore, an architecture competition is held to determine project planners within the scope of major public projects such as Mediateque and the Children's Museum and the new City hall. Holon is one of the safest cities for its inhabitants and guests. Since 2003, there has been a decreasing trend of 13% in the number of criminal events in the city and of 49% in the number of property crimes. Based on a survey held in 2009, 83% of the inhabitants indicated that they felt safe walking around their neighborhood after dark. Since 2010 Holon has been carrying out an extensive upgrade of its traffic infrastructure, for the purpose of increasing the city's accessibility and helping it develop businesses and offices . The city continues to upgrade and develop, for the benefit of its current residents and next generations. In 2010 the first section of Holon East Interchange, providing access to the city from Road No. 4 South, was opened to traffic. The exit from Holon to Road No. 4 South has also been opened to traffic only recently. The works for completion of the connections between Road No. 4 and the interchange, and gradually opening it to traffic continue on. Early in 2011, the north entrance to Holon and its Business and Industrial Zone from Road No. 4 has opened to traffic. Access from Holon Interchange to Jerusalem Boulevard with the city means that currently Holon Business and Industrial Zone has four entrances, thus improving the accessibility and diminishing traffic problems in this area. In addition to this, in 2010 the development of Jerusalem Boulevard in the section between Holon East Interchange to Hamelacha Street was completed. The project included paving two traffic lanes, a future route for the light train, a sewage system, a lighting system, gardening and four traffic light systems at the two main intersections. A significant improvement in the accessibility to the city and Holon Business and Industrial Zone due to the development of Jerusalem Boulevard and the opening of Holon East Interchange is already evident. Holon Municipality has decided to move from the current city hall , as it no longer meets needs such as sufficient space to municipal departments and flexibility to necessary organizational changes. The place chosen for the new building is at the physical center of the city, near numerous public institutions and commercial centers which already attracts many . A new building in this location will facilitate public accessibility and improve the level of resident service and welfare of municipal employees.

51 The new city hall will be built in an area owned by the municipality and constitute part of the "Tower on the Boulevard" development project. The area is already occupied by Design Museum Holon, which draws international attention; Holon Mediatheque, a multidisciplinary art center which includes a theater, a one-of-a-kind municipal library and a cinematheque, educational institutions, sports and leisure centers and the municipal shopping mall, which includes a variety of businesses, shops, entertainments, cafes etc. 34 proposals were submitted to the International Public Competition with Invitees announced by Holon Municipality in May 2010. The competition included the planning Holon new culture and service center, which will include a new city hall, concert hall, music center and a commercial, office and residential complex. The municipality hopes the new center will offer residents and visitors a pleasant and interesting municipal experience with a variety of options appealing to different tastes and influence the entire municipal being. The competition is named after the late mayor of Holon, Pinhas Eylon, who contributed to the city's prosperity and development for over 34 years. The competition took the interest of many from its very earliest stages, and many senior Israeli and foreign architects took part in it. The proposals were selected by a judging panel which consisted of representatives from Holon Municipality, architects and a representative of Eylon family who examined the projects for three days. Now, as the winning proposal was selected, the planning process with the winning architects will begin, the building city plan will be updated and building guidelines regarding the different buildings comprising the complex will be set. The first place winners will be appointed for the planning of the City Square . The project will take place in the form of a combination transaction, in which an entrepreneur will build the city hall and in return will receive the negotiable areas of the project. What is the nature of the city's transport and computer systems? The City of Holon is located between main traffic arteries on a national level and strategically situated transport-wise. The metropolis is highly accessible to the city. The means of transportation in the city consist of buses, taxis, private vehicles and bicycles. A train service linking Holon to the northern entrance to the city and its western boundary is currently in the finishing stages. Moreover, the future plan is to connect Holon to the Green Line of the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area Light Rail System . The existing public transport system is also about to undergo a change and there are plans for a renewed and more effective distribution of the bus lines. This step will be instrumental in enhancing and

52 increasing the use of public transportation, which is in line with Holon's progress as a sustainable, healthy city. The City has a transportation master plan founded on plans and forecasts up to 2035. The transportation implications of each planned project are assessed based on these forecasts. Furthermore, the City has a master plan for bicycle paths and the bicycle routes are imbedded in each new plan (to date about 2 km of bicycle paths have materialized). With regard to private vehicles, there is an urban policy pertaining to new private buildings which makes underground parking compulsory, thereby allowing for blossoming lawns, rather than cars, at the building level. The Municipality of Holon takes the well being of its inhabitants at heart; as such, it has made free parking available throughout the city. Moreover, every year it increases the number of public parking places. This is contrary to the opposite trend that is prevalent in other cities in the surrounding area. Furthermore, the municipality has recently been running a pilot promoting electric cars and is working on making parking spaces available for these vehicles specifically. Holon is one of the cities with the most households owning electronic equipment. In 2009, the vast majority of households owned a television (96%) and a telephone line (92%). 69% of the households had a personal computer. 64% of the households are subscribed to an Internet provider. At the municipal level, Holon has interactive websites which convey ongoing information about the various activities the city has to offer in the realms of: culture, works in progress, registration, payment methods, etc. As mentioned previously, the municipality is currently striving to make improvements and planning to expand the information services supplied by the websites. The main website has been operating on an ongoing basis since 2000 and is periodically upgraded with the aim of providing the information required for all population sectors requiring municipal services. Using the website makes a trip to the municipality, as well as letters and telephone calls obsolete; this is all part of the trend aiming to enhance the service provided to the city's inhabitants and other users. The website is founded on the assumption that the users are divided into several target populations: inhabitants, visitors and business owners who have a general interest in the city. Any website surfer can easily identify which target group he belongs to and access the information that is pertinent to him. Of course there are several ways to reach the same sources of information, which ensures flexibility and easy access to the required information.

53 The website content reflects the essence of the municipal endeavor, be it through the municipality itself or through subsidiaries specializing in the delivery of specific services such as leisure and cultural activities. The website also offers several online services, including the option to make tax or water payments, register to the education system, pay fines, etc. The website features frequent questions and answers on topics handled by the municipality. The municipal information center can be reached through the website for the purpose of reporting malfunctions or hazards. The website also suggests links to other important sources of information such as the Home Front Command, which is in charge of emergency services in Israel in emergency or war situations. The website has a designated section for submitting emergency messages in real time. Some of the content presented on the site appears in English, French and German. The municipality aims to continue to develop its website so that in the future, it will be possible to transfer information from the municipality to the outside and to receive information – including managing various discussion groups through the use of blogs, forums and social networks, which have become increasingly popular in the last few years. Holon's New Online Communication Channels Social Network – Holon's Facebook Page One of the most important steps taken by Holon Municipality was to set up new online communication channels. Today it is well known that an official website of any entity is only a part of its online presence. The official website constitutes its basis but it is assumed that many would like to receive new information not by visiting the city's official websites but rather by using new means, of which social networks is the most important one. This was the rationale for setting up Holon Municipality's Facebook page, and updating it on a daily basis, including updates posted in the evenings and during weekends. Holon Municipality was one of the first municipalities to set up a Facebook page and enter the world of social networks . The content director updates the page on a daily basis, posting press releases, photos, recommendations and links to websites and Facebook pages of the city's cultural institutions, youth and leisure activity centers etc. The content director replies to comments made by online surfers or requests those responsible for the relevant areas to do so. The page enables flexibility, so the items posted are those the public finds of interest, rather than addressing purely "municipal" issues, including articles and media

54 references to the city. The content director and city manager share Holon related contents with their Facebook friends. An example for an exceptional activity held by a public entity using the Internet is setting up the support group against airplane noise, which created great public interest, as this was the first time a public entity collaborated with the general public on a battle it leads using this new tool. In this case, Holon Municipality undertook to lead a public battle to protect the quality of life and health of over a million of citizens living in Holon and the entire area surrounding Ben Gurion Airport. Holon's New Communication Channels using File Sharing Sites: A YouTube Account – the current resource of video clips displayed on the city's official website; A Flickr Account – where folders of photos taken in different events held by Holon municipality are saved; A Slideshare Account – used for online sharing of presentations; One of the main achievements of the Municipality was to start a blog by Holon Municipality's CEO – an unprecedented professional blog, which cannot be found in any other municipality . In this high potential blog Holon City Manager regularly addresses different professional and general issues, such as ones concerning management in general, and particularly management in the public and municipal sector, the municipal everyday and as part of her position . This blog provides an opportunity to share sixteen years of experience with the public, and can be used by a large professional community . Web surfers are more than welcome to read and reply. Another website run by the municipality is the children's website, which complements Holon's calling as the City of Children. The children's website, which offers a user friendly combination of information and games for children and their parents, won the webbi prize for 2009 and 2010 ( http://www.childrenscity.co.il/ ). The website offers a wide range of activities and content of interest to children on a general level as well as content pertaining specifically to the city. The option to run a website for all kindergartens is currently being evaluated. This would be equivalent to the process of connecting each kindergarten to the Internet, which already began for pedagogical purposes, for the kindergarten's needs and the ongoing tasks vis-à-vis the Education Administration as well as the children's parents; such a process will enable the latter to become involved in and aware of kindergarten-related issues. In the realm of communication infrastructures, the Municipality of Holon has set up a sophisticated communication infrastructure throughout the city allowing all

55 websites to be interconnected through a wide range of communication technologies from ADSL lines to wireless communication systems. These technologies are used for both data transfer and telephony communication. The idea to run a future blog to enable a direct discussion between the Municipality's CEO and the public was raised. Holon's schools are equipped with advanced and sophisticated computer laboratories . The educational institutions' principals are connected through the Internet, which enhances the efficiency of the work processes. Moreover, the Municipality is striving to further underprivileged inhabitants by handing out computers to their children and to special needs children. Another project that the Municipality is investing in consists of providing all of the City's teachers with a laptop for their professional and personal use. C. Human-individual, human-collective and instrumental knowledge capital How young is the city (i.e. how large is the demographic public of those under the age of 25?) In 2009, the immigration balance in Holon stood at 2948 persons, meaning that there was a larger percentage of people settling in the city than leaving it . Since 1997, there has been an ongoing declining trend in the number of people leaving the city and a rise in the number of new residents and in the last 3 year, there was a positive immigration balance for the first time since 1990. In 2009, 3,038 children were born in Holon, making up about 2% of the overall number of Holon residents. The rate of infant mortality per 1000 live births stands at 2.7, which is similar to the national average. The lifespan at birth for Holon inhabitants stands at 79 years for men and 81 years for women in 2003, which is similar to the national average. Holon is a young city in spirit and population-wise. In 2009, about half of Holon's population consisted of young people up to the age of 35, 69% of whom were aged less than 25. The largest age group in the city is that of young adults aged 30 to 29, who make up 27,494 persons – namely 15% of the city's inhabitants. In the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of children aged 0 to 9 in the city, which led to the inception of a large number of kindergartens in the city, in contrast to the opposite trend that is prevalent in some of the cities in Gush Dan. 87,328 of its inhabitants belong to the civil workforce and they make up 61.1% of the total number of inhabitants aged 15 and up. 65% of them work full time and 22% work part

56 time. In comparison to the overall population, the percentage of those who belong to the civil workforce in Holon is higher (61.1% vs. 58.2%). Holon's adult population is educated. According to 2008 census 19.7% of the city's residents hold an academic degree. In 2009, the percentage of students eligible for high school matriculation stood at 66%, which is 2% higher than the national average among the Jewish population. In comparison to the previous year, the percentage of students eligible for high school matriculation in Holon rose by 4%, and by 17% vs. 1993. The number of BA students in Holon during the 2005-2006 academic year stood at 14.1%, which is higher than their percentage in previous years and higher than the national average (13.2%). What is the public health level? Holon is a member of the "Healthy Cities Network" and is in the process of preparing a municipal health profile . In this capacity, the city is committed to global network standards. Life expectancy in the city at birth is 79.8 and at age 65 – 18.4. The overall fertility rate is 2.0. The percentage of newborns with birth defects (per 1000 live births) is 15.3 and for stillborn births (rate per 1000 births) is 3.6. The percentage of miscarriages (percentage for 1,000 women aged 15 to 49) is 14.9. The number of deaths for selected reasons of death (percentage standardized to 1000) among women aged 40 and over is: malignant tumors 416.2, cardiac disease 412, carotid artery disease 119.5. The percentage of infant mortality (percentage per 1,000 live births) is 308.3. A total of 1,202 Holon inhabitants are hospitalized in a psychiatric facility. The index of inequality of income (the Gini coefficient) in the city is 0.4158. Holon houses the Wolfson Medical Center , which offers medical services to the inhabitants of Holon and the surrounding area and contributes to public health in the city. The hospital opened in 1980 and it now has 655 beds as well as 30 beds in the day treatment department. The hospital houses approximately 60 units engaged in most areas of modern medicine . Over the last few years, the medical center has been in an accelerated development phase in order to adjust the scope of services to the area's growing population – in other words a substantial increase in the number of beds and job slots. Tens of thousands of immigrants from the Commonwealth of Nations and Ethiopia settled in Holon and Bat Yam during the last waves of immigration. Hundreds of doctors, nurses,

57 paramedical professionals and maintenance personnel among the immigrants became employees of Wolfson Hospital. There are currently 20 Health Fund branches in Holon (all Health Funds). Moreover, emergency services are available every evening until midnight, which lightens the load in the Wolfson Medical Center's emergency room. Based on 2008 data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, 46% of Holon's inhabitants are insured by the Maccabi Health Fund, 40% by the Clalilt Health Fund, 7% by the Leumit Health Fund and 7% by the Meuhedet Health Fund. The city strives to promote family health, with an emphasis on children's health. Holon boasts 10 family health stations located throughout the city. The family health clinics provide preventive medicine services to the city's population regardless of the health insurance provided to the overall population. The service is provided based on the Ministry of Health's policy and tailored to the needs of the individual, the family and the community, with the aim of furthering and enhancing the health of the population. The service is offered to the population throughout all phases of life – pregnant women, babies, infants, students and the elderly – by public health doctors and nurses who consult with a panel of experts from the Tel Aviv regional health bureau. The family health stations offer services to the entire family in a wide range of areas: epidemiology, psychiatry, chronic illnesses and old age, environmental health, food services and pharmaceutics. The City also houses specialized centers caring for specific groups. One of them is a center run by the Clalit Health Fund that caters to women only. It is one of 39 centers operating in Israel. Another two centers are designated to treat children – one run by the Maccabi Health Fund and the other is an municipal extension of Schneider Children's Medical Center (located in Petach Tikva) and run by the Clalit Health Fund. These centers offer all medical services for children under a single roof. Holon is home to the Save a Child's Heart (SACH) Association. "Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) is an Israeli-based international humanitarian project, whose mission is to improve the quality of pediatric cardiac care for children from developing countries who suffer from heart disease and to create centers of competence in these countries. SACH is totally dedicated to the idea that every child deserves the best medical treatment available, regardless of the child's nationality, religion, color, gender or financial situation" (http://www.saveachildsheart.org/46-en/Sach.aspx). The city also houses a school of dental medicine, "Almog" and "Enosh" mental health rehabilitation centers, a unique sports center for cardiac patients, and a therapeutic sports

58 center run by the Holon Entertainment and Recreation Company. The Center was founded in 1998, currently serves special needs children and adults with functional problems and offers a wide range of paramedical and complementary health services: therapeutic sports, hydrotherapy, emotional treatments, animal-assisted therapy, occupational therapy, family therapy, etc. The Center is recognized by the Health Services and operates like a private institute, subject to the professional instructions of the Ministry of Health. The center treats approximately 500 patients annually. There is a branch of Magen David Adom in Holon, which provides first aid services to the population of Holon and Bat Yam. The first aid station operates regular ambulances as well as mobile intensive care units. The station offers first aid to citizens who come to the station, telephone consultation and ambulance service. Holon has a community mental health clinic that handles the entire range of mental health problems and diagnoses from the age of 6 and up. The municipality runs the department of veterinary services, which oversees public health and is responsible for two key areas – animals and animal food products. In the animal realm, the department handles vaccinations for the prevention of rabies, dog licensing, quarantining dogs that bite, dealing with stray dogs, handling public complaints and nuisances, preventing animal abuse and enforcing the "Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" law. In the realm of animal source foods, the department handles secondary testing (transport method, refrigeration chain, documentation, food marking, etc.) and prevents meat from unknown sources from entering the authority's boundaries. The department further oversees laboratory tests and sampling, identifies forgeries and ensures ongoing monitoring of retail businesses and industrial plants with regard to seizing, boycotting or discarding damaged food products and handling public complaints regarding damaged animal food products. The municipality has a business licensing department, which is in charge of making sure that each business that requires a license according to the Business Licensing Law , 5728- 1968 and the Business Licensing Order, 5755-1995, will operate and be run in accordance with the relevant rules, regulations and injunctions, with a valid license and shall not constitute a threat of any kind to the environment. The Business Licensing Law appropriately oversees the key function of handling and supervising businesses within the local authority's jurisdiction and makes it possible to involve other relevant parties. The Municipality's Environmental Quality Unit was established in 1995 to provide a solution to environmental hazards and address the issue of how they can be prevented to

59 begin with. The Unit is subordinate to the Municipality's Industry and Trade Administration and it is the municipal body in charge of overseeing and enforcing the environmental aspects of industry, education and planning in the City of Holon and the regional council. The following are the Unit's objectives: to reduce the environmental risks in the industrial area and rehabilitate environmental damage; to preserve sources of clean drinking water according to standards; to raise the inhabitants' awareness of environmental quality and promote participation in environmental projects; to adhere to building and environmental planning standards according to the environmental criteria defined by law. The Social Affairs Administration deals with the range of services extended to individuals, families and the community, and strives to meet the related goals and objectives according to the policy of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and in coordination with the Municipality's management and policy. This activity involves collecting and analyzing information, setting priorities, planning, assessing outputs and defining work procedures founded on both professional principles and proper management (for a more detailed breakdown of the Social Affairs Administration's activities, see question 4). In addition to the services offered by the social services administration, there are two additional centers for children in the city – the Child Development Center and the Maor Center for the diagnosis of children with ADHD. There is also a branch of Nitzan, the Israeli Association for Persons with Learning Disabilities operating in the city. Nitzan is an association of parents and volunteers that was established with the aim of diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating children and adults with learning, adjustment and functional disabilities. The various services provided by Nitzan enable children, teenagers and adults with learning disabilities to integrate within various community settings. The education system has made 5 special schools available for mentally challenged children. The City also houses living facilities for mentally challenged or autistic adults or those suffering PDD. In the past two years, the Education Administration – along with the Sports Authority – have been operating a children's health program involving proper nutrition in 150 kindergartens and 26 elementary schools. The program includes an education campaign, weighing the children and warning parents of the risks of obesity in children. Schools have begun to substitute bus rides to certain events with walking. The Education Administration and the Municipals Sports Authority have increased the amount of sports activity, introduced swimming lessons for children starting in grade 3 and initiated free and open Street Ball tournaments. Free soccer tournaments run during holidays provide

60 hundreds of teenagers with a sports activity. The education system – along with the "Passport" community and leisure activity chain – runs nocturnal sports activities for all in 7 community centers. The Education Administration has also initiated a comprehensive information campaign among elementary schoolchildren on the subject of proper, safe and healthy bike riding. Holon's education system is operating an annual dental follow-up program among all 12,000 elementary school children, including ongoing reporting to parents. Holon commits to preventing public obesity, which has turned into an international epidemic . The city has a clear policy regarding development of an environment that supports and promotes physical activities to all and raises public awareness to healthy dietary habits. Holon is interested in maintaining an environment which promotes physical activity and healthy eating habits . Such an environment is one providing the general population with various opportunities to take part in physical activities as an integral part of its lives through establishment and maintenance of sites allowing them to be active, such as purpose built facilities in public parks, kindergartens, schools, community and municipal centers, safe, adapted and accessible walking and cycling trails, available municipal swimming pools, available and safe drinking water facilities throughout the city and healthy food offered in vending machines, school cafeterias , workplaces and wherever Holon Municipality can influence the food offered. The main goal is to establish cultural and social norms and raise the awareness of the importance of healthy body weight and active lifestyle. Life habits are acquired and implemented at a very young age. For this reason, it is important to focus on younger age groups, starting from birth. This program focuses on preschoolers (ages 4-5) subsequently to programs provided by Mother and Child Care Centers. The objectives are as follows: create an environment which supports and promotes healthy lifestyle in kindergartens and their environments; raise parents' awareness of instilling healthy and active lifestyle and nutrition in their families; raise kindergarten staff awareness of healthy lifestyle and nutrition; develop personal, social and environmental responsibility to prevention of obesity at the family and community levels; provide staff in kindergartens with tools of instilling active lifestyle and nutrition in children; reduce obesity in preschool and older children; support families with overweight/obese children in changing food habits and fostering a healthy lifestyle.

61 To what extent do the inhabitants benefit from equal social and economic opportunities enabling them to realize their full potential? Holon belongs to the Tel Aviv metropolis, which constitutes Israel's economic core. Since 2007, the world has been plunged in a severe global financial crisis. Today, the end of the crisis is nearing and the Bank of Israel is even anticipating a positive growth of one percent in 2010. The percentage of unemployment insurance recipients is among the lowest in Israel. The number of unemployment insurance recipients in the city has been declining since 1999 and in 2008 there were a total of 1,193 unemployment insurance recipients. In 2007, the percentage of income support benefit recipients among old age and survivors pension recipients stood at 21%, meaning it has been on a steady decline of 5% since 1999. As opposed to the proceeds of those engaged in the real estate industry, rental and business services activities amounted to 6% only, despite the fact that the percentage of those involved in the industry constitutes 21% of the overall employees. The proceeds of those engaged in transport, storage and communication also amounted to 6% whereas their percentage of the total percentage engaged in the industry constitutes 19%. There has been a substantial decline in the percentage of those engaged in the trade industry, vehicle and other repairs (from 42% in 2002 to 25% in 2008), and in the real estate assets industry, rental and business services activities (from 28% in 2002 to 15% in 2008). The number of employed in the remaining industries has remained stable. In 2006, there were 1096 factories in Holon employing 13,200 salaried employees. Holon is home to one of the largest industrial areas in Israel . Its surface area, including reserves, amounts to approximately 1037 acres. The area is located in the heart of the Tel Aviv metropolis, within a population of over one million, adjacent to main national traffic arteries: Highway 4 (Ashdod-Tel Aviv), highway 44 (Yaffo-Jerusalem), the Ayalon Highway and Highway 1 – which provide rapid access to the City of Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport and the Port of Ashdod. In future, the light rail, green line from Tel Aviv to Rishon LeZion will pass through the Holon industrial zone. The Industry and Trade Administration, in cooperation with the Engineering Administration, have initiated new urban building plans for Holon's industrial and business area . The plans allow for improved methods as well as enhanced conditions for new and existing entrepreneurs. The planning is founded on two building plans – UBP

62 499 for the veteran area and UBP 152/3 for the new, progressive area adjacent to Jerusalem Avenue and East Holon Interchange. Both plans will enable an additional 2,000,000 sq m of construction over the next few years. The plans are currently on the verge of obtaining final approval from the regional council. Holon's industrial and business area has been developing in recent years and will continue to develop over the next few years based on the principle of promoting current business as well as centers (change generating campuses), some of which are in the planning stages and some in the implementation phases. The following are among the current centers: The Azrieli Business Center, the Gav Yam Business Center, the Elisra Company, the Giga Business Center and the Profit Business Center, as well as additional centers in the preliminary planning stages. There are 2,968 businesses requiring licensing operating in Holon. 45% of them are located in the city center while the others are in Holon's industrial area. The City promotes equal opportunities between men and women in the various workplaces, including the Municipality of Holon. 69.5% of Holon Municipality employees are women. 27 women in the municipality occupy department manager positions and above. Many women in Holon fill senior positions such as: the Municipality's CEO, bank managers, Health Fund Director, Employment Service Manager and Land Registry Manager. Azrieli Group and Holon Municipality established Azrieli Business Center, a center occupying an area of 220,000 square meters in Holon Business and Industrial Zone . The center will consist of four office buildings connected by a green park, a shopping arcade and a four story underground parking offering 2600 parking spaces. Each office building will be 13-storey high. The shopping arcade will consist of cafes, restaurants, a gym, a swimming pool, spa, banks, post offices and a conference center. The project's work environment is highly employee-oriented, and seeks to maximize the variety of services offered to him, so he can identify with his workplace and reach maximum productivity. Among others, the complex will include a taxi station, kindergarten, travel agency, gym, spa, and hair saloon. The underground parking will include a charging system for electric cars and a parking area for bicycles, including showers and dressing rooms for cyclists. Since the beginning of the marketing of the center, it has taken the interest of leading Israeli companies, who see the potential of this location for their business.

63 The Municipality's Department for the Advancement of the Status of Women strives to generate positive change in the status of women and young girls within the City of Holon 's area of jurisdiction by creating awareness among men and women of issues pertinent to women's lives in the realm education, health, culture, employment, social affairs, etc. The municipality's policy in this area is implemented by the mayor's advisor for the advancement of the status of women in collaboration with the municipal women's council as well as organizations within and outside of the Municipality of Holon such as: the Welfare Administration, the Education Administration, municipal supervision, Holon Theater, the community centers network, the regional health bureau, the Holon mall, volunteers, etc. The department holds a series of activities, courses, workshops and events, which contribute to enhancing and promoting the status of women in various sectors. The following are among the activities: courses for women interested in promoting business or specializing in financial investments, leadership enhancement courses and courses geared to acquiring professions required for jobless years. Moreover, personal training workshops aiming to qualify women trainers, workshops to empower young men and women leading change and empowerment workshops for women, etc. are also being held. The following are among the special events held by the department: Women's health happening, a unique protest under the heading of "The Conspiracy of Silence", with the aim of putting an end to violence against women, etc. Moreover, the City houses a school for building professions, a nursing school in Wolfson Hospital, a professional retraining center for the mentally challenged, an academic retraining center as well as a factory specializing in professional retraining for women.

64