# Or Akiva

Or Akiva (Hebrew: אור עקיבא, lit. 'Light of Akiva') is a city located in the Haifa District of Israel, on the country's coastal plain. It is located inland from the ancient port city of Caesarea and the Mediterranean Sea, and to the north of the city of Hadera. It is 39 kilometres (24 miles) south of Haifa and 48 km (30 mi) north of Tel Aviv. In 2022 it had a population of 20,874.

## History

Or Akiva was founded in the early 1950s as a ma’abara (transit camp) for new immigrants, the majority hailing from Morocco. It was built on the land of the depopulated Palestinian village Barrat Qisarya. In the 1990s, new immigrants from the former Soviet Union began to settle there, which led to an upswing in building and development.

## Demographics

According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2005 the city had a total population of 15,800, making it is the least-populous city in Israel. According to CBS, in 2001 the ethnic makeup of the city was 99.3% Jewish and other non-Arab, with no significant Arab population. There were 7,400 males and 7,900 females. The population of the city was spread out, with 33.7% 19 years of age or younger, 15.4% between 20 and 29, 20.8% between 30 and 44, 16.3% from 45 to 59, 4.1% from 60 to 64, and 9.7% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was -0.1%.

## Economy

Or Akiva is home to a number of large industrial plants, among them Dexxon (pharmaceuticals), Anna Lotan Ltd. (professional skin care), Darbox Ltd. (plastic packaging), Meprolight (gunsights and nightvision), Plasson (livestock feeders), Resonetics (medical devices) and Tyco International (electronics).

## Education

According to CBS, there are 10 schools and 2,409 students in the city. They are spread out, as 6 elementary schools and 1,575 elementary school students, and 5 high schools and 834 high school students. 51.9% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001.
Since 2005 gap year volunteers from Habonim Dror have volunteered in the town and surrounding areas working in schools and in extracurricular frameworks with Arab and Jewish youth.

## Neighborhoods

The Yuval is located in the north of the city, bounded by the northern industrial area to the east and road number 2 (coastal road) to the west. Today, about 4,500 residents live in the neighborhood, which is about 1,700 households.
Or Gardens (גני אור)- located between the center and the south of the city bounded between Shidlovsky Boulevard to the north, Koplovich to the east and Hanasi Weizman Boulevard to the south and west.
Ben Gurion - Neve Alon - Canadian (בן גוריון, נווה אלון, קנדי)- is located in the center of the city and is bounded between Shidlovsky streets in the south, Herzl-Stanley in the north, Ha'atsmaat in the east and the beach road in the west.
Neve Or(נווה אור) - a new neighborhood on the eastern side of Or Akiva bounded by Route 4 in the east, Shidlovsky Street in the south, in the Ben Gurion neighborhood in the west.
Nof Yam (נוף ים)- a new neighborhood on the west side of Or Akiva is bounded by Route 2 in the west, Shadilovsky Boulevard in the north and Shikimim St. in the south. The neighborhood is characterized by residential towers.
Shazar (שז"ר)- an old neighborhood located north of the Ben Gurion neighborhood and bounded by Route 2 to the west and David Elazar St. to the north.
Rabin Gardens (רבין)- is located in the south of Or Akiva, at the western end. The neighborhood is bounded between Hanasi Weizman Boulevard and Shidlovsky Boulevard in the north, Highway 2 in the west, east of King David Boulevard in the east (Orot neighborhood), to the south the Or Yam neighborhood.
Orot (אורות)- located on the eastern side of Or Akiva and bordered to the west by the Gani Rabin neighborhood, to the south by the Or Yam neighborhood and to the east by Highway 4.
Or Yam (אור ים)- is a new neighborhood being built on the historic lands of Baron Rothschild by the Or Akiva Municipality and the Caesarea Development Corporation.

## Notable people

* Rafi Dahan (born 1989), footballer
* Eran Levy (born 1985), footballer
* Lior Refaelov (born 1986), footballer

## International relations
### Twin towns — sister cities

Or Akiva is twinned with:
* Miami, United States (Or Akiva has twinned with the Jewish community in Miami)
* Hîncești, Moldova