Kiryat Motzkin
Israel
Emeritus Status
Inactive
Sister City Since 1980
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Relationship finalized with a visit to K.Motzkin by an 18-person delegation of Tacomans led by Mayor Mike Parker in March, 1980. The Tacoma Sister City committee had been organized under the leadership of Lilly and Jack Warnick, and consisted of Mrs. Judy Parker, and citizens representing a diverse group of interested community activists.
Mayor Moshe Goshen led a return visit in June of 1980, consisting of municipal employees, involved citizens and their city–sponsored dance troupe, first—place winner of the European folk dance competition.
Since then:
Tacoma has hosted three delegations led city officials
Sponsored four Israeli tours
Hosted an award winning dance group from Petah Tikvah
Participated in Tacoma’s movie festivals
Hosted four Israeli musicians and a K. Motzkin city councilman for the International Music Festival
Organized a series of eight concerts held in one month in various venues– including the governor’s mansion-that featured an Israeli cellist, Korean violist, and a Japanese violinist playing with local professional musicians
Sponsored a month-long visit by school superintendent Jacob Agmon and family. While he spent two weeks each in City Hall and Central School, his wife, a professional artist, worked with Carlton Ball and their two children attended elementary school.
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Over the years many passionate supporters have been involved in our committee, currently, this Friendship is in emeritus status.
Contact us if you are interested in creating a new committee for the Tacoma – Kiryat Motzkin sister city relationship.
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About Kiryat Motzkin
It was in 1933 when the “Middle Class Organization” committee in Haifa, decided to establish a new residential neighborhood “outdoors” the big city, in search of a better life quality of its members, yet still in close vicinity to their working places.After long negotiations with the Jewish National Fund (k.k.l), a part of “Gidro” sandy & swampy lands in Zebulon valley in Haifa bay, were allocated for this purpose. It was then decided to name the new neighborhood after the Zionist activist leader Arie Leo (leib) Motzkin (1867-1933). The foundation ceremony took place on a Tuesday’s afternoon, 9 October 1934.Its founders established their life on cooperative ideology, based on mutual assistance, granting free activity & free initiatives, especially in commerce & domain services.Land measuring started, as well as sand evacuation & land flattening, a 400 land plot plan was designed, to be divided (by installment payments), between the founders by lottery.The first building was the “Water Tower”, inaugurated in March 1935. In December 1935, 61 houses were in building process; in 1936 the first school “Achdut” (unity), was established, in May 1937 the “300 houses” celebration took place. & in 1940, there were already 2000 inhabitants in Kiryat Motzkin.Until 1940, Kiryat Motzkin was administered by an elected local executive committee, its first chairman was appointed by the British mandatory governor. In 1941, the council chairman was elected by the inhabitants. In 1950, first free elections took place, in the Free State of Israel. In 1976 (reaching a population of 25000), Kiryat Motzkin was declared a city.During Second World War, Kiryat Motzkin suffered from German\Italian air bombarding, as neighbor to the British refineries & military port in Haifa. Nevertheless, despite the economical worth situation & against mandatory laws, Jewish holocaust refugees from Europe, “illegal immigrants” (according mandatory government), were hidden & rehabilitated by its inhabitants. During Israel’s “Independence War”, Kiryat Motzkin & its 3500 inhabitants had an important & strategic role, as the far north neighborhood between Haifa & western Galilee. It served as a front defense line against gang’s attacks. At its northern bounds took place “the ammunition convoy battle”, which strongly affected the fights over Haifa’s liberation. Its water tower served as an observation & Morse code standpoint, connecting between cut off settlements in western Galilee & Haifa.At the early 50th after the establishment of the independent state of Israel, immigration waves from East Europe & North Africa increased & almost doubled Kiryat Motzkin’s population.Facts
Founded in 1934 by Zionist pioneers.Land was undeveloped swamp.Located on plain between Haifa and Acco.Noted in Israel for its educational system.Recognized for the quality of preschool programs.Established the first public ice rink in Israel.Home to the only research zoo in Israel outside Jerusalem.Highly regarded for its wide boulevards and public landscaping.Commercial center for the surrounding region.The founding fathers of Motzkin were Eastern European Jewish immigrants.The current community is highly diverse, consisting of substantial numbers of Middle East, North African, Yemenite, Eithiopian, Central and West African communities.Hebrew is the official language (throughout Israel), but English is common.The population has more than doubled from 25,000, when our relationship was established.