At a special ceremony in Tel Aviv, Modi'in Illit was awarded
the Five-Star Prize for Municipal Beauty in recognition of
the great improvement in the city's appearance in cooperation
with city residents.
Visitors and new residents find Modi'in Illit a clean and
attractive place. Residents can choose from a variety of
educational institutions for children of all ages, shopping
centers, a bank branch and kupat cholim branches.
Located near the Central Region and just half an hour from
Jerusalem and Bnei Brak the city is now the preferred choice
for housing.
All of these advantages were presented to representatives of
the Council for a Beautiful Israel, who came to see the
city's beauty firsthand as part of the annual Beautiful Town
in a Beautiful Israel competition. The judges were
particularly impressed by the fact the city was not planned
by the Housing Ministry yet it nonetheless excels in
cleanliness, beauty, landscaping and commercial centers,
where standards of cleanliness are also maintained. The city
also boasts magnificent gardening that contributes to the
serenity.
The Five-Star Beauty award is another building block toward
making Modi'in Illit "the chareidi city of the future." This
year the city is celebrating its tenth anniversary and
development continues all the time. According to official
figures Modi'in Illit is the leader in development and
occupancy. Construction is in full swing as more and more
families seek homes in the city. Already known for its
convenient location, the employment solutions offered to
residents and investors and as an emblem of a chareidi city
known for its influence on the Torah world and the chareidi
sector in Israel, now it has also been recognized for its
cleanliness and upkeep.
At the award ceremony, City Council Head Rabbi Yaakov
Guterman noted the local council's indefatigable efforts to
maintain the surroundings "stem from a deep-seated belief
that derech eretz kodmoh leTorah. Chazal also say,
`Nekius mevi'oh liydei kedushoh.'" He also spoke about
additional projects planned to further improve the city.
Rabbi Tzvi Levy, head of the local environment department,
earned great praise for his extensive efforts toward
preserving and beautifying all of the city's neighborhoods
and streets. Credit was also given to outgoing councilman
Rabbi Shmuel Tannenfeld, who held the environment portfolio
until recently.
