Bnei Ayish (Hebrew: בְּנֵי עַיִ"שׁ) is a town and local council in the Central District of Israel. Located around ten kilometers from Ashdod and adjacent to Gedera, it had a population of 6,881 in 2022.[1]

Bnei Ayish
  • בְּנֵי עַיִ"שׁ
  • بني عايش
Local council (from 1981)
Hebrew transcription(s)
 • ISO 259Bnei ʕayš
 • Also spelledBene Ayish (official)
Bnei Ayish is located in Central Israel
Bnei Ayish
Bnei Ayish
Coordinates: 31°47′18.94″N 34°45′39.29″E / 31.7888634°N 34.7609139°E / 31.7888634; 34.7609139
DistrictCentral
Founded7 October 1957
Government
 • Head of MunicipalityAryeh Garela
Area
 • Total
836 dunams (83.6 ha or 207 acres)
Population
 (2022)[1]
 • Total
6,881
 • Density8,200/km2 (21,000/sq mi)
Name meaningSons of Akiva Yosef Schlezinger

History

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The town was founded in 1957. Before 1948, the area had served as a military base for British Army troops during the Mandate era. It was named after Rabbi Akiva Yosef Schlezinger, whose name is abbreviated to Ayish.

Bnei Ayish originally served as a transit camp for immigrants from Yemen in the early 1950s. Today its population is almost entirely made up of Jews of Yemenite descent and immigrants from the former Soviet Union [citation needed].

References

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  1. ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
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