The city of Tel Aviv, Israel, was created in 1950 by combining Jaffa, a port city dating back to 1468 B.C., with a 32-acre barren parcel of land purchased by 60 Jaffa refugees in 1909.  Tel Aviv, which means Hill of Spring, became Philadelphia's Sister City in 1966.  Today, it is the center of Israel's commercial, financial, and cultural activities in a land that combines the old with the new.  Tel Aviv is a leader in the fields of medical electronics, agrotechnology, telecommunications, fine chemicals, and diamond cutting.  It has a resident Aviv population of 350,000, a number that swells to 1.25 million each day with commuters and tourists.  Tel has named a street in honor of Philadelphia and our Sister City relationship.

Tel-Aviv is celebrating a 100th anniversary this year. Read Amy Purdy's article from the Jewish Exponent on Philadelphia's ties to its Israeli Sister City, Tel - Aviv. Amy is a Corporate and Public Communications Copywriter for Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

To learn more about Tel Aviv, visit:

City of Tel Aviv-Yafo Official Website

http://www.tau.ac.il/

http://www.telaviv-insider.co.il/

http://www.knesset.gov.il/

http://http//www.israel.org/mfa/home.asp