Karmiel

Karmiel (Hebrew: ####) is a city in the north of Eretz Yisroel, located in the Beit HaKerem valley.

Population

From a general population of over 55,000, there are about 300 Chareidi families, of which about 50 are Anglo. The Chareidi community is diverse, including Yeshivish, Chassidish, balebatish, and Sephardic. It is a very close knit community.

There are three neigborhoods where Chareidi families live. the Dromit neighborhood is in the center of town and about 60% of the Chareidim live there, It is where the majority of the shuls, schools and Kollels are located. The housing there is mixed with apartments, duplex and fourplexes and single family homes. About a 15-20 minute walk from there is the Rabin/ Makosh neighborhoods. About 30% of the Chareidim live there. There is one central shul Matan Nachliel there that is mixed with Chareidim, Daati Leumi, and Anglos. About 1/2 of the anglo community lives in that neighborhood. The last neigborhood is near the entrance to town the old neighborhood and that is where the newer yeshiva community of Orchos Hatorah and its Kollel families live. That is where the remaining 10% of Chareidi families live. It is primarily apartments. There are other neighborhoods such as Givat Ram and the Maaravit where the are a few Chareidi families living as well.

There is also a new community of about 60 young Israeli Chareidi families (including a sprinkling of English-speakers), with more on their way. Most are avreichim. This community is centered around a branch of Yeshivas Orchos Torah of Bnei Brak (R' Shteinman's yeshivah).

There is also a baalei-teshuva population in Karmiel which consists of Israeli Sephardic and Ashkenazi families.

Rabbonim

Rav Margalit is rav of the city. He is a talmid of Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ZT"L. He built the Chareidi community from scratch, and started all of the mosdos hatorah in the city. He is well respected and liked by all religious and non-religious and provides leadership and vision for the community. He is kiruv-oriented. He does not speak English. He is generally the final say on all that happens in the city.

Rav Kaniel is the Israeli Rav in the Rabin neighborhood. He is a student of Rav Margalit and is very active in building and growing his shul and community. having built a recent additiion and new mikva. He as well serves as the menahel of the Cheder.

Rav Eitan Kaufman is the Rav of the "Avreichim Minyan" Meor Hagalil in the Dromit neighborhood. He is the Rosh Kollel and is a hebrew Speaker.

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz is the Rav of the Young Israel of Karmiel, . He is an American Oleh who was a Kiruv Rav in various communities in America before moving to Karmiel in 2010. Him and his wife were from the founding members of the newer wave of American Olim and assist many in planning their Aliya and settling in to the community.

Shuls

The main community Shul in the Dromit neighborhood (which is the primary Chareidi area hosting aboutMoriah is an Ashkenazi Chareidi shul, located in the center of the city, attended by mostly native Israelis is Kerem Michael. It serves as the limited "shteeblach" in town with multiple minyanim for Shacharis and other tefillos. They daven Nusach Sefard for main minyan

Meor HaGalil has Israeli and Anglo and Israeli bnai torah baalabatim and native Chariedi Kollel families, hey daven a yeshivish Nusach Ashkenaz.

Keren Ami- led by Reb Binyamin Hakarmi and Reb Moshe Shteinberg was founded as a Russian Kiruv minyan but the shul today is primarily made up of anglo and chariedi baalabatim. They daven nusach Ashkenaz

Young Israel of Karmiel, is really a Young Israel in name only as it serves more like a shteeble. They daven nusach Sefard, Friday night is Carlebach style and Rabbi Schwartz speaks in hebrew in the weekly drashos. The shul is a mix of Chariedi families, Anglo and Israeli Baalabatim as well as Daati Leumi locals.

In the Rabin Neighborhood Matan Nachliel, Rav Kaniel's shul, is the primary shul for most of the residents. They daven nusach sefard, the shul is a mix of chareidi Israeli and American baalabatim and Kollel Families as well as many Daati Leumi families ashkenaz and Sefard. The shul offers a wide array of classes and learning programs as well as Kiruv programs in hebrew.

Chinuch

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Groups & Programs

The young new Chareidi community has also a kollel run by R' Eitan Kaufman.

There is a small N'shei for the women who get together once a month.

Geography & Climate

Located in the Beit HaKerem valley dividing the uper and lower Galil. 32 km from Tzefas, 35 km from Teveria, and 20 km from Akko.

Haifa is 45 km away.

Hotter than Yerushalayim and very humid.

Housing

Karmiel has a variety of different types of houses. From the many apartment buildings to long rows of attached homes with separate entrances and private yards. There are also a number of private houses which can get quite large.

Transportation

There are frequent daily buses to Haifa, and bus and group taxi (sherut) transportation to the train in Akko. There is also daily direct bus service to Yerushalayim and Tel Aviv as well as excellent local inter and intra-city transportation available.

Five routes cover the whole city, and buses are very punctual- every 20 minutes.

There are buses to anywhere in the north, and to Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak a few times a day.

From Karmiel to Yerushalayim is 2 hours by car and by 2.5 hours by bus.

Owning a car definitely makes getting around easier but it really depends where you live in the city.

Shopping

Being a full fledged city, Karmiel boasts many supermarkets, malls, and almost any type of store. Only a handful of the clothing stores are suitable from the frum residents, so they need to travel to other places to purchase modest clothing.

Medical Services

Israel’s four kupot cholim all maintain clinics in the city. In addition, Karmiel has dental clinics, eye clinics, and private clinics. The city has a number of English-speaking medical practitioners.

Karmiel is about a half hour away from Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat and from the Western Galilee hospital in Nahariya, and about an hour away from Rambam medical center in Haifa. There is a Terem clinic in Karmiel which provides urgent care and is equipped with an on-site imaging center and laboratory services which provide immediate results.

Absorption

The place is Israeili and not geared for Americans, although that doesn’t stop them from coming. The many olim who come have to be ready for the challenge of learning the language and integrating into society. The residents are very welcoming and helpful. There is an Ulpan but it isn’t a Chareidi establishment.

In addition , Karmiel is a 45 min. drive to Yavne’el where there is an English speaking kehillah.

Contacts

Mrs Sprei- 054 857 1604

Mrs Shwartz- 050 599 0565