Contemplate Ramot. It rises as one of Jerusalem’s ring neighborhoods. Ramot is also known as Ramot Alon. This large neighborhood sits in the northern part of East Jerusalem.
Ramot was established in 1974. It followed the Six-Day War. Israel annexed the land. However, this annexation isn’t internationally recognized. The international community views Ramot as an Israeli settlement. They consider Israeli settlements illegal under international law. But Israel disputes this.
Ramot got its name from the biblical city of Ramah. The Prophet Samuel lived there. He was also buried there. Samuel I, 28:3 mentions this. Tradition places Ramah on one of the Judean Hills’ highest peaks. It rises 885 meters above sea level. The Tomb of Samuel lies 1.3 kilometers north of Ramot. It sits on the lands of the Arab village Nabi Samwil.
After Yigal Allon’s death, the neighborhood was renamed Ramot Alon. Allon was an Israeli military and political figure.
Ramot sits north and west of Jerusalem’s center. The neighborhood spreads across two elongated ridges. These ridges rise 100 to 200 meters above the surrounding landscape. This means heights of 693 to 850 meters above sea level. The Golda Meir Highway runs between the ridges. It leads to Tel Aviv. Travel to Jerusalem’s center takes about 15 minutes. The Har Hotzvim industrial park is about 7 minutes away. The Jerusalem light rail system will expand to include Ramot.
In 2020, Ramot had a population of 50,400. Ramot Alon shows Jerusalem’s demographic change. In 1974, the population was 70% secular. Since 2000, parts of Ramot have become partially Haredi. The percentage of Orthodox Jews has risen to 75%.
One side of Ramot Gimel is mostly Haredi. The other side is more Modern Orthodox. Ramot Vav also has a Haredi population. All of Ramot features a mix of residents. These include Dati Leumi, Modern Orthodox, and Chardal. A few Chabad synagogues exist too.
Buildings clustered around courtyards were common in Ramot during the 1980s. Large private homes were built in the 1970s and 1980s. This happened under the Build Your Own Home project. It reflected rising living standards and changing consumer habits. Zvi Hecker designed the Ramot Polin Apartments. They’ve been called one of the “World’s Strangest Buildings”. Some describe it as a “housing project for honeybees”. The neighborhood is organized on a hill. It resembles a five-fingered hand or three-branched leaf.
Ramot boasts several parks and nature trails. Ramot Forest is one example. Gan Kipod children’s park sits at the forest’s edge. It features a porcupine-shaped slide. The Ramot Forest Gazelle Trail is another. It’s a natural gazelle habitat. Ramot also has a community swimming pool. It is called Ramot Community Pool. Arazim Valley Park has an entrance in Ramot.
A 30-foot high bronze sculpture was unveiled in Ramot in 2009. It depicts an American flag turning into a flame. This is part of a memorial plaza for the September 11 attacks. The sculpture is in Arazim Valley. It was the first memorial outside New York to list the names of the victims. Part of the Twin Towers’ base was donated by New York. The memorial was moved to accommodate gazelle migration.
Ramot Mall opened in September 2011. It’s Jerusalem’s second-largest mall.
Archaeological finds have occurred in Ramot. A man walking his dog discovered a grape-pressing area from the First Temple period in the Ramot Forest. Khirbet Tililiya features ruins from the Second Temple period. A salvage excavation uncovered a rock-hewn burial cave. Crusader-period remains exist in Ramot 2 and Ramot 6.
Ramot has seven neighborhoods. These include Aleph, Bet, Gimmel, Daled, Vav, and Ramot Polin. Plans exist for the Ramot Slopes neighborhood.
Ramot stands as a testament to Jerusalem’s complex history and diverse communities. It is a place where ancient roots meet modern life.