Kokhav Ya'ir

Kokhav Ya'ir Tzur Yigal כּוֹכַב יָאִיר‎‎ كوخاف يئير‎
Hebrew transcription(s)
• ISO 259	Kokab Yaˀir - Çur Yigˀal
• Also spelled	Kochav Yair (unofficial)
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Kokhav Ya'ir Tzur Yigal
Coordinates:
District	Central
Founded	1986
Government
• Type	Local council
• Head of Municipality	Shimi Eliel
Area
• Total	3,072 dunams (3.072 km2 or 1.186 sq mi)
Population (2008)
• Total	11,050
Name meaning	Named for Abraham "Yair" Stern

Kokhav Ya'ir-Tzur Yigal (Hebrew: כּוֹכַב יָאִיר-צוּר יִגְאָל‎, also Kochav Yair-Tzur Yigal) is a town (local council) in the Center District of Israel. Kokhav Ya'ir and the neighboring town of Tzur Yigal (Hebrew: צוּר יִגְאָל‎) merged in November 2003. Together, the population in 2008 was 11,050.

History

Kochav Ya'ir was established in 1981 by 15 families living in temporary quarters. Two years later, work began on infrastructure for a permanent town. In 1986, 550 families moved into permanent housing and the town was officially founded. Tzur Yigal was founded in 1991, with the first families moving into permanent homes in the summer of 1994.

Etymology

Kokhav Ya'ir (literally "Ya'ir's star") was named for Avraham Stern, who went by the alias Ya'ir, the founder and leader of the Lehi group, a militant Jewish underground active during the British Mandate of Palestine. Stern is also German for "star." Tzur Yigal (literally "Yigal's rock") was named for Israeli Knesset member Yigal Cohen.

Demography

Kokhav Ya'ir is predominantly Jewish, with a high income level. Kokhav Yair is a secular community with a religious minority. Religious tensions are virtually non-existent. Residents from English speaking countries comprise approximately 20% of the population.

Geography

File:Kokhavj032.jpg

Kokhav Ya'ir

Kochav Ya'ir is located at lat. 32° 00' N, long. 35° 00' E, approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north-north-east of the city of Kfar Saba. Neighboring the municipality on its south-west border is Kibbutz Eyal, approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north-west is the Israeli Arab city of Tira and approximately 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south is the Palestinian Authority governed city of Qalqilyah. Kochav Yair is located in central Israel within the Green Line in the southern Sharon region. Kochav Ya'ir is 95 meters above sea level. The Sapir Lookout in Kokhav Ya'ir attracts bird watchers who come to observe the semi-annual migration of many species of birds.

Education and sports

Kokhav Ya'ir currently has four schools, two secular elementary schools ('Keshet' and 'Nof Tzurim'), one religious elementary school ('Dekel') and one middle school ('Ramon', named after the Astronaut Ilan Ramon). After finishing middle school students are usually directed to highschools in Raanana, Kfar Saba and Herzliya. Kokhav Ya'ir's local basketball team, Elitzur Kokhav Ya'ir, has been a member of the Israel National Basketball League since 2008.

Notable residents

• Ehud Barak
• Shaul Mofaz
• Michael Eitan
• Dani Yatom
• Gideon Ezra
• Michael Ratzon
• Uzi Dayan
• Nino Abesadze
• Sharon Kenett
• Dov Elbaum

Kokhav Ya'ir, as seen from Tzur Natan

Kokhav Ya'ir, as seen from Tzur Natan

External links

• Kochav Ya'ir's municipality site (in Hebrew)
• Kochav Yair's synagogue web site(in Hebrew)