Revava is a religious, Torah observant Jewish community located in the central Samarian hills about 35 kilometers east of Tel Aviv, and 5 kilometers west of the city of Ariel. In Biblical terms, Revava is in the portion of Israel that was given to the tribe of Ephraim, and the tomb of Joshua the Prophet is in a neighboring Arab village. Revava was founded in April of 1991. There are currently 210 families living here with a total population of over 1,100 people. It is a vibrant and diverse community. The residents make their livings in a variety of fields. There are educators, people who work in the high tech industry, lawyers, accountants, plumbers, repairman and technicians, as well as many young couples who are studying in University. There are 5 preschool/kindergartens for children ages 3-6 with an enrollment of nearly 180 children and a daycare center for children up to age 3 with an enrollment of 77 infants and toddlers. In addition, there are private daycare facilities for the overflow In addition to these institutions, there is a girls’ middle & high school, grades 7-12, on the premises. The school or Ulpana belongs to the Tzvia chain of high schools and they are in the final stages of constructing a new, large campus. For elementary school, there is state-religious school until the 6th grade in the neighboring town of Yakir. There are also boys who go to the Barkai school in Karnei Shomron and others learn at the Talmud Torah in Itamar. The boys of high school age go to Yeshiva High Schools all over the country with the majority of them dorming out. Revava runs an active Bnei Akiva chapter, as well as a variety of after-school activities for the children. The community includes Ashkenazim, Sephardim and Yemenite Jews and supports 3 different synagogues under ONE ROOF! Revava has recently move into our new (semi finished) Central Synagogue! The building also houses a library of Religious texts, as well as the after school Talmud-Torah. In addition there are Torah Classes for adults every evening. Community service include a local grocery store, a library, a ritual bath (mikveh), several small businesses. Revava is also a community very involved in Hesed - helping each other! We have several "Gamachim" or free loan associations, from interest-free loans to lending dishes and silverware for a social function. There is also a second hand clothing store. We have a very active "Helping Hands" committee that organizes food to new mothers and helps out families in times of stress. We also participate in projects to aid to Jews all over the country. One specific project that Revava is quite proud of is "Revava Youth adopts Special Needs Kids". Once a month the youth of Revava organize and present an activity to the disabled kids of the Shomron. The community runs itself with an elected local council and several internal committees, such as, cultural events committee, education committee, and youth committee. Each of these committees overseas and organizes community functions and events. See Israel National News report on community's new synagogue dedication |