Neve Tzuf - נוה צוף

The yishuv was founded on the 20th of Heshvan 5738 (1 November 1977) with the arrival of two settlement groups at the former British police station in Nebi Sallah, what came to be known as the “Metzuda” – the “Fortress”: a religious group calling itself “Neve Tzuf” and a secular group, “Neve Sallah”, a total of forty families. Gush Emunim was the sponsor of this settlement initiative, part of the ten settlement point operation that was scheduled for that date.

Residents  back to top^
Neve Tzuf is blessed with representatives of nearly all of the Jewish Diaspora. Its ethnic make-up is 55% Ashkenazi, 30% Sepherdi and 15% Yemenite. Among the Ashkenazi are first and second generation immigrants from the U.S., Australia, South Africa, Canada, Hungary, Russia, France, Holland, Belgium, India, Denmark, United Kingdom, Argentina and more. Among the Sephardim are residents who hail from Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Morocco, Egypt and Libya. Approximately 75% of Neve Tzuf residents are native-born Israeli and 25% immigrants.

The residents of Neve Tzuf are employed as academics, professionals, skilled laborers and craftsmen. Many of the residents work in the metropolitan areas of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Neve Tzuf is less than an hours’ commute from most of the major industrial and hi-tech centers in Israel, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Petach Tikva, Rehovot and Raanana. Occupations of Neve Tzuf residents range from bus drivers and plumbers to professors and presidents of hi-tech companies.

Education back to top^
Educational facilities include a day care center, a nursery school, a kindergarten, the Neve Tzuf Regional elementary school, and post-secondary schooling in the form of a pre-Army yeshiva program.

Housing back to top^
The yishuv offers several attractive and affordable housing options. There are houses, trailer homes and small, pre-fab homes. The neighborhood of pre-fab’s itself is also filled with other young couples, creating a very warm and friendly atmosphere. It is very common for all of the couples to get together once a week to have a barbeque or watch a movie. The adjustment of moving to a new community is made infinitely easier when there is a support group of people who are at the same stage of life, to help with the transition.
 

Transportation back to top^
Egged bus #468 commutes to and from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv 4 times a day, also many times throughout the day to Machsom Rantis. With the opening of the new road, "Tremping" to central locations are very easy with car owners.

Neve Tzuf is 12  minutes from Kiryat Sefer and Hashmonaim and 15 minutes from Modi'in where there are numerous buses to most locations thorughout the country.

Cultural Activities back to top^
There is a very active “Vaad Tarbut” which organizes frequent educational, social and recreational activities for children and adults. There are numerous regular Torah learning shiurim for men, women and children throughout the week.

Neve Tzuf residents have established a variety of charitable programs over the years. Some of these are listed below:

Chasdei Sarah – established in memory of Sarah Lisha. Monthly monetary contributions by residents of Neve Tzuf and once-monthly volunteer packaging allows purchase and distribution, each month, of up to four food cartons to each of 72 needy families throughout the Binyamin region. Chasdei Sarah

Kupat G’mach – grants interest-free loans to Neve Tzuf residents

Arbitration Committee – suggests to the Local Council ways of helping members who have come upon hard times due to illness or accident; arbitrates disagreements among members; arbitrates among official bodies in the community.

Yad Sarah – local branch of national Yad Sarah, lends medical equipment and equipment for infants and babies to residents of Neve Tzuf and neighboring communities.

Mutual aid foundation – distributes monetary and other aid to Neve Tzuf residents, as either a loan or grant, depending upon the circumstances.

Religious Life back to top^
Neve Tzuf is an orthodox Jewish community. Most yishuv members are National Zionists, but there are several Haredi families as well. There are three synagogues in the community and a Bet Midrash (study hall). There are Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Yemenite minyanim. There is also a youth minyan for teenagers that meets on Shabbat mornings.
 

The Rabbi of Neve Tzuf is Rabbi Jonathan Blass, who moved from Ofra to Neve Tzuf together with his wife Shifra and their children, in 1986. In addition to his duties as Rav of our community, Rabbi Blass heads the R’tzon Yehuda Kollel in Petach Tikva. He also answers inquiries of religious nature (sh’elot) in Arutz 7’s "Ask the Rabbi" column and writes for a variety of national religious publications.

Community Services back to top^
A wide variety of extracurricular activities is offered; there is also a Talmud Torah program for children, and a public library serving all ages. Numerous study groups for adults have been organized and classes are active all week long. There are also two mikvas (men's and women's), and a community hall for social and cultural events.

Courses include painting, crafts, ceramics, bridge, chess, basketball, soccer, English, computers, choir, music, drama, modern dance, exercise and fitness, karate, parenting, story telling and baking.

A senior citizen's club and a toddler play gym have recently been inaugurated. Also, a covered 1/2 olympic sized pool was built by the families 4 years ago and serves the population from May until September, separate swimming only. Swimming lessons are offered. The pool is wonderful entertainment for those long summer afternoons.

Health Services back to top^
Neve Tzuf has its own medical facility, complete with pharmacy, dental clinic and occupational therapy room. In addition, the community is fortunate to have an on-call resident physician. Neve Tzuf has its own ambulance and fire engine, which are manned by on-call volunteers, both men and women, who have undergone the necessary training to serve as local emergency medical technicians, ambulance drivers, and firemen.

In January 2001, two medical personnel (a physician and a medic), out of a total of 150 such personnel sent by the IDF to treat earthquake victims in western India, were residents of Neve Tzuf.

Recently a branch of the national medical equipment-lending facility, Yad Sarah, was opened in Neve Tzuf. The plan was conceived by a member of our community, and others from Neve Tzuf have volunteered, with the generous and kind assistance of national Yad Sarah, to help create a beautiful, fully-equipped facility, carrying a wide variety of medical equipment, and various paraphernalia for babies and young children. This branch services all the communities in the environs of Neve Tzuf.

Neve Tzuf opened an art therapy treatment center (Hoshen) during the fall of 2002, after the training of several art therapists drawn from local communities was completed in the late summer. The art therapy clinic is designed to serve children, youth and adults from Neve Tzuf and neighboring communities during the first months, and plans are underway for it to eventually service the entire Binyamin Regional Council.More Here

Commerce back to top^
The following services, provided by community members, are available in Neve Tzuf:

• Mini-market
• Home delivery services for fresh produce, meat, and juice 
• Local catering services, including specialty bakery products
• Photography services, including photography at private and community celebrations and events
• Postal services
• Veterinary services
• Copying and facsimile facilities
• Gardening services
• Plant nursery
• Lending library – Hebrew and English
• Tutorial services for elementary, middle and high school pupils
• On-call physician
• Cosmeticians
• Shiatsu, Acupuncture, Reflexology
• Medical massage
• Installation and repair of air conditioning systems, 
  repair of washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, ovens
• Mezuza inspection
• Optometric services
• Insurance agents

Physical Surroundings back to top^
Built on the ruins of an ancient village dating back to Talmudic times, Halamish, more popularly known as NEVE TZUF, is a religious community situated in the southwestern hills of Samaria, within beautiful views extending beyond the eyes reach.

Neve Tzuf residents are fortunate to have significant segments of natural forest within the boundaries of their community. Bordering the main residential area of the yishuv one can find the Neve Tzuf Forest, which boasts several beautiful trails and is used for hikes, barbecues, picnics and summer activities. During the summer of 2001, this forest played host to the wedding of two young people who grew up in Neve Tzuf and who decided build their future together in this community. Opposite the Tzufit neighborhood of Neve Tzuf stretches the extensive Halamish Forest, replete with several natural springs, many beautiful hiking trails, and a large variety of plant and animal life.

Absorption back to top^
Throughout its history, Neve Tzuf has opened its doors to others and has become renowned for its hospitality. It has served as an absorption site for new immigrants.

In 1990, Neve Tzuf was chosen to host an ulpan for immigrants from English-speaking countries. Several groups, spread over three years, studied here, a large percentage of whom, upon completion of the course, decided to remain in our, and neighboring, communities.

From 1999 through 2001, Neve Tzuf housed an absorption center for fifty families who arrived directly from Ethiopia, comprising approximately 200 people. After their stay in the Neve Tzuf Absorption Center, these new Israelis bought homes and settled in various parts of the country.

The Neve Tzuf community is again planning to open its doors to immigrants from several countries in the upcoming years. The Jewish Agency has recently initiated a special "Settlements Program", in collaboration with the Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organization. Neve Tzuf is one of the communities in Yesha approved for this program. Several olim will be arriving during the winter 2005-2006, and we plan to absorb our first large group of olim during the summer of 2006. In addition, feel free to contact us through the contact  information available on this website.