At the time of the establishment of the State of Israel, Ra’anana, a suburb of Tel Aviv, had only 300 residents. Today, Ra’anana has more than 85,000 residents and is a city in its own right. Located in the heart of Israel’s Sharon region, Ra’anana stretches over 14,900 dunams. Ra’anana is known for its high concentration of immigrants from all over the world, many of whom come from English speaking countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.

Ra’anana’s story began in 1912 with its founding by the Achuza A – New York company, that was involved in the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. In its early days, the settlement was actually called “Ahuza A – New York.” The Arabs of the region called it “Little America” as most of its residents were English speakers and came from New York. Later it was renamed “Ra’anania” and finally the founding settlers chose “Ra’anana” as its official name. By the War of Independence, it was a village of 3,000 residents.

The city is known for its beauty, its green areas and parks and for Ahuza Street, the main business district. Ra’anana has won many awards for its activities, promoting environmental quality and quality of life, as well as the high level of its city infrastructure.  It was designated a “Green City” by the World Health Organization in 2005.

There are large English and Spanish speaking communities in Ra’anana, as well as a growing French speaking community as well.

Ra’anana is home to the Open University of Israel and the Ra’anana College.

And like many other places, things happen in Ra’anana that can only happen in Israel. Click here for an “only in Israel” story.