Rishon LeZion

Rishon LeZion is a major city located in Israel.

It sits on the central Israeli coastal plain. This area is just south of Tel Aviv. The city is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Its name means "First to Zion." This name comes from a specific verse in the Tanakh.

The city began as a small settlement in 1882. Ten pioneers arrived from Kharkiv in the Russian Empire. They were led by Zalman David Levontin. Haim Amzaleg, a British vice-consul, helped them buy land. This land was southeast of present-day Tel Aviv. The site was known as ‘Uyūn Qārā, which means "fountain of the crier."

Early life in the settlement was very difficult. The soil was sandy and there was very little water. The pioneers also had no experience with farming. Baron Edmond James de Rothschild helped the settlers. He sent experts to drill for water. They had to dig wells 20 to 25 meters deep. On February 23, 1883, the settlers finally found water.

They celebrated this by adding a Torah verse to their emblem. This verse says, "We have found water."

Agriculture became a major part of the local economy. In 1883, a blacksmith named Itzhak Leib Toporovski made the first iron plow. The settlers also planted rows of crops in November 1883. They focused on citrus fruits and viticulture, which is the study of grapes. The Carmel-Mizrahi Winery was established in 1886 under Rothschild's patronage.

In 1911, the area had 4,000 dunams of land planted with grapes. Another 254 dunams were used for fruit orchards.

Education and culture also flourished in the village. The Haviv elementary school opened in 1886. It was the first modern school to teach only in Hebrew.

In 1898, Esther Ginzburg established the first Hebrew kindergarten in the world. The city is also famous for the Israeli national anthem, "Hatikvah." In 1887, Shmuel Cohen set a poem by Naphtali Herz Imber to music. He used a Romanian folk song as his musical base. This song was formally adopted as the national anthem in 2004.

The population of Rishon LeZion has grown significantly over time. In 1882, only 150 people lived there. By 1900, the population reached 526. By 1922, there were 1,396 inhabitants. The city was officially declared a city in 1950.

By 2006, the population was 222,300. Today, it is one of the fastest-growing cities in Israel. About 31.1% of the residents are children and teenagers.

Modern Rishon LeZion has a diverse economy. Main industries include wine, construction, services, and commerce. The city has several large shopping centers. These include the Rothschild Center, Gold Mall, and Azrieli Rishonim.

For recreation, people visit the Superland amusement park.

The city also manages its resources through advanced technology. It uses the Shafdan recycling plant to manage water.

The Soreq B desalination plant also produces fresh water from the sea. This plant reached full operation in early 2026.