Netivot | Anglo Communities
Netivot is a small city of about 40,000 people in the northwestern Negev, roughly 20 kilometers south of Ashkelon and about 10 kilometers from the Gaza border. It occupies a unique place in Israeli society as a center of Sephardic religious tradition and pilgrimage, built around the legacy of the Baba Sali, one of the most revered Moroccan Jewish rabbis of the twentieth century. For Anglos, it's an unlikely destination that essentially no one considers unless they have very specific religious or ideological motivations.
The city was founded in 1956 as a development town to settle new immigrants, primarily from Morocco and other North African countries. Like other development towns of that era, Netivot struggled with the challenges of peripheral location, limited economic opportunity, and the difficulties facing immigrant populations starting over in a new country. The Moroccan character of the community became deeply embedded and remains dominant today, shaping religious life, cuisine, social customs, and the city's identity.
The Baba Sali, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, moved to Netivot in 1970 and lived there until his death in 1984. His presence transformed the city into a pilgrimage destination. His tomb attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, particularly on the anniversary of his death. The Abuhatzeira family has continued its presence in Netivot, with descendants serving as rabbinical figures and maintaining the spiritual legacy. This religious dimension gives Netivot a character unlike almost any other development town, creating an economy and identity built significantly around religious tourism and tradition.
The religious atmosphere in Netivot is intensely traditional and Sephardic. Synagogues follow Moroccan customs, with the mystical traditions and practices associated with North African Judaism. Hilulot, celebrations at the tombs of righteous figures, are significant events. Belief in blessings, amulets, and the intercession of tzaddikim is widespread and normalized. For someone unfamiliar with Sephardic religious culture, the environment can feel quite foreign, more reminiscent of religious practices in Morocco or the Middle East than the Ashkenazi traditions most Anglos know.
The Anglo community in Netivot is essentially nonexistent. There's no organized Anglo presence, no English-speaking institutions, and no infrastructure for English speakers. The rare Anglo who ends up in Netivot typically arrives through marriage to an Israeli from the community, through specific religious connections to the Sephardic traditions there, or through unusual circumstances that create a particular tie to the place. These are individual cases, not a pattern, and they involve people who've made a choice to fully integrate into a community that operates entirely in Hebrew and according to Sephardic Mizrachi cultural norms.
Housing costs in Netivot are very low by Israeli standards, reflecting the peripheral location and socioeconomic profile. Apartments can be purchased for under a million shekels, with some available for significantly less. Rentals for family apartments might run 2,500 to 4,000 shekels monthly. For someone focused purely on affordability, Netivot offers prices that allow homeownership on incomes that couldn't approach it in central Israel. But as with other peripheral development towns, the prices reflect what you're taking on by living there.
Employment in Netivot is limited. The local economy consists of small businesses, services, religious institutions, and the commerce generated by pilgrimage tourism. There's no significant industry or tech presence. Adults seeking professional employment typically work in Beer Sheva, which is about 30 kilometers away, or in Ashkelon. The commute to Beer Sheva takes about 30 minutes by car, making it manageable for those with jobs there. Tel Aviv is too distant for realistic daily commuting, roughly 90 minutes or more each way.
The security situation places Netivot within rocket range from Gaza, and the city has experienced attacks during the various conflicts of the past two decades. It's not as close to the border as Sderot, but close enough that sirens and rocket fire are part of life during escalations. The city has shelters and safe rooms, and residents have developed the routines that come with this reality. October 7, 2023, affected the entire region psychologically even where direct attacks didn't occur, and Netivot is close enough to the devastated communities that the trauma resonates deeply.
Schools in Netivot serve a population that is largely traditional or religious, with the educational streams reflecting this character. The mamlachti dati system predominates, with religious education integrated into the curriculum. Schools operate according to Sephardic traditions, which affects everything from the siddur used to the holidays emphasized to the cultural assumptions underlying education. Anglo children would face full Hebrew immersion without English-speaking peers, in an educational environment quite different from what most Anglo families know.
Healthcare is accessible through Kupot Holim clinics in the city, with more extensive services in Ashkelon and Beer Sheva. Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon and Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva provide hospital services. For routine care, local clinics suffice, but specialized needs require travel.
The physical environment is Negev, meaning semi-arid landscape, hot summers, and mild winters. The city itself has the functional architecture of development towns, without particular aesthetic appeal. There are no significant natural or cultural amenities within the city. Recreation and entertainment options are limited, with residents traveling to Beer Sheva or Ashkelon for more extensive needs.
The social fabric of Netivot is tight-knit and community-oriented. Extended family networks remain strong. Neighbors know each other. Religious and social life interweave. There's a warmth and hospitality associated with Moroccan Jewish culture that visitors often note. But this tight-knit quality also means that outsiders, particularly those who don't share the cultural background, can feel like permanent strangers. Integration requires not just Hebrew fluency but cultural adaptation to a way of life that may be quite foreign.
For Anglos specifically, the barriers to living in Netivot are substantial. The lack of any English-speaking community means complete dependence on Hebrew for all social interaction. The cultural environment is Moroccan Sephardic in a way that requires deep adaptation for Ashkenazi Jews or those from American Jewish backgrounds. The religious atmosphere, while rich and meaningful for those drawn to it, operates according to assumptions and practices unfamiliar to most Anglos. The peripheral location limits employment and access to amenities. The security situation adds ongoing stress.
The only Anglos likely to seriously consider Netivot are those with specific ties to Sephardic religious traditions, perhaps through study with teachers in that lineage, through a spouse from the community, or through a spiritual journey that has led them to the Baba Sali's legacy. For such individuals, Netivot offers something irreplaceable: daily life immersed in a living tradition of Sephardic mysticism and piety, proximity to holy sites and rabbinical figures, and a community where this religious orientation is the norm rather than the exception.
There are very small numbers of baalei teshuva, newly religious Jews, who've been drawn to Sephardic traditions and have settled in communities like Netivot. Some come through outreach movements or connections made during spiritual searching. Their experiences vary, with some finding deep fulfillment and community while others struggle with cultural gaps that religious commitment alone doesn't bridge.
The honest assessment is that Netivot is not a viable option for typical Anglos exploring where to live in Israel. The convergence of factors, peripheral location, lack of Anglo community, deeply specific cultural environment, limited employment, and security concerns, creates barriers that few English-speaking immigrants would choose to overcome. For the rare individual with specific motivations, it offers something unique. For everyone else, other communities will serve better.
If you're curious about Netivot for religious reasons, visiting for a pilgrimage to the Baba Sali's tomb is worthwhile. You can experience the atmosphere, observe the community, and assess whether it resonates in a way that might lead to deeper exploration. Many people find the experience meaningful without any desire to live there, which is its own valid relationship with the place.
