GIVATAYIM

GIVATAYIM (Heb. גִּבְעָתַיִים; "Two Hills"), township in central Israel, between Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, founded in 1922 as a workers' suburb named Shekhunat Borochov (after Ber (Dov) Borochov\>\> ). In 1942 this quarter was united with four others in the vicinity to form the municipal unit of Givatayim. In 1959 Givatayim received municipal status. The town's population increased from 7,000 in 1947 to 42,100 in 1968 and 47,400 in 2002. Compared with other urban communities, Givatayim's population was characterized in 1969 by an exceptionally high percentage of Israeli-born and veteran Israelis (over 70%), while among those born abroad, 79.6% originated from Europe and America. At the beginning of the 21st century, Givatayim had the highest senior citizen population in Israel (21.8%). Standards of living and education were above average. The municipality pays particular attention to the environment. Buildings in Givatayim tend to be low, and 10% of the city's area consists of green zones, including 26 public parks and squares. In 2003 Givatayim was chosen as the best cared for city in Israel. The city is situated within the Tel Aviv conurbation and its built-up area links up with that of the neighboring municipalities. Its area includes 1.2 sq. mi. (3.211 sq. km.). -WEBSITE: www.givatayim.muni.il\>\> . (Efraim Orni / Shaked Gilboa (2nd ed.)