The City of Karmiel
History of Sister City Relationship
Denver, Colorado and Karmiel, Israel became sister cities in 1977, making it Denver’s fourth sister city relationship. Prior to this, by the mid-1970s, the Jewish Community Centers of both cities had been officially linked. This connection, in addition to the similar environments like mild climates, low humidity, and nearby mountains, made Karmiel an ideal sister city.
Facts At-A-Glance
Pronunciation: car’mih-elle
Region: Northern Israel. Located on the Acre-Safed road in the Beit HaKerem Valley that divides upper and lower Galilee.
Population of Karmiel: 44,858 (2015)
Population of Israel: 8,174,527 (2016)
Mayor: Moshe Kuninsky
Spoken Languages: Hebrew (national)
Karmiel: Of Interest
- The Hebrew translation of Karmiel is “Vineyard of God.”
- Founded in 1964, Karmiel is northern Israel’s youngest and fastest growing development town.
- Originally founded by 90 families, Karmiel now has a population of over 40,000, 20,000 of which are immigrants from other countries.
- The design of the city is unique and modern, with a complete separation between the industrial and residential areas. There are wide sections of parks, gardens, and tree-lined streets. One of the most distinctive features of the city is its cleanliness. Streets are litter-free and gardens are well kept. The local government has made an effort to attract primarily high-tech, environmentally clean, science-based industries to the city.
Karmiel – Denver Relationship
- Through visits to Karmiel, friendships and relationships were formed, including a relationship with Karmiel’s Mayor at the time, Baruch Venger. Denver hosted a celebration in honor of the 35th anniversary of the nation of Israel, and Mayor Venger came as an honored guest.
- Karmiel has a Denver Park which includes a “Denver Room” in the city’s cultural center. This helps to acquaint city residents with the sister city organization.
- Along with diverse cultural activities, there have been annual educational exchanges and a program involving the exchange of camp counselors.
- Along with diverse cultural activities there has been a pairing of high schools both here and in Karmiel for the International Book Sharing project, an online Holocaust reading and discussion group. Denver members also have donated musical instruments to Karmiel’s Conservatory School.
Karmiel Committee Contact Information
Committee Chair: Open
Phone: (303) 832-1336
Email: karmiel@denversistercities.org
Karmiel: Resources
http://www.govisitisrael.com/articlenav.php?id=155?
General information about Karmiel from the Israel Tourism website.