History

The Mayors of the Village of Great Neck Plaza, New York, U.S.A and the City of Tiberias, Israel, after a meeting in June, 2002 in Great Neck, decided to establish a "sister city" affiliation. It was realized that these two communities have many areas of common ground and mutual concern and can benefit by a cultural exchange of information and sharing experiences with each other.

First and foremost, officials of both communities share a common desire for friendship, good will and person-to-person ties to work for peace, better understanding of all cultures, tradition, values and cultural heritage among citizens of both municipalities, and to improve the quality of life for its citizens.

It is anticipated that this sister city affiliation will involve a large number of citizens and organizations in both communities engaged in continuing projects of mutual interest. Within the sister city program, as envisioned when created by United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, municipalities and their citizens should exchange people, ideas and culture in a variety of educational, municipal, professional, technical and youth projects.

The sister city program will enable Great Neck and Tiberian citizens to become directly involved in international relations in unique and rewarding exchanges which will benefit everyone. It will enable all who participate to:

	Exchange ideas and develop friendship with their counterparts in another culture on a direct personal basis.
	Establish an identity as members of the global family involved in the constructive process of building world peace.
	Develop a way for the many and diverse elements of each community to come together to enjoy and profit from a cooperative program.
	Open new dialogues with the people of another culture to find unique solutions to improving the quality of life of all citizens.
	Participate in a program with a real partner in another country so all members of the community can feel they are contributing to international understanding in a direct personal way.
	Better understand their own community by interpreting their way of life to the people of another culture.

Great Neck Plaza

11 Middle Neck Road

The Village of Great Neck Plaza, incorporated in 1930, is one of nine incorporated Villages that make up the 11.4 square mile Great Neck peninsula on the northwestern edge of Nassau County. The Village is only one third of a square mile in area, but encompasses the main commercial business district along Middle Neck Road, which is a high-end shopping district with a vast array of boutique shops, restaurants and services. Great Neck's four zip code areas are some of the most exclusive and desirable places to live in the United States. It is an area comprised mostly of residential apartment buildings as opposed to single family homes that line Great Neck Plaza's immaculate streets. Great Neck Plaza is also home to the Long Island Rail Road's Great Neck station. While its resident population is only approximately 6,300 persons (according to the 2000 Census), its daytime influx of people to the train station, office buildings and commercial district is close to 35,000 to 40,000 daily.

The history of Great Neck Plaza is a distinctive one, full of stories ranging from those of luminaries to humble working men and women. Known as the Gold Coast in its heyday, celebrities and great personalities, such as Groucho Marx, Eugene O'Neill, W.C. Fields, Fanny Brice, P.G. Wodehouse, Sid Caesar and of course, F. Scott Fitzgerald, once called Great Neck Home at one time or another.

Great Neck Plaza's residential areas, in walking distance of the downtown, are steeped in history - from the modest workers homes on Pearce & Walnut Streets, to the elaborate Wychwood Cooperative Apartments. Famous business and community leaders in the 20th century, including William R. Grace and Walter W. Davis were responsible for building these neighborhoods, graced with a multitude of famous artists, actors and writers.

Great Neck Plaza has marvelous buildings with splendid architecture and character that can be appreciated by all. The Village has a long history of caring and protecting its history, beginning in 1976 when the Village adopted its first landmark ordinance. Since then, it has established a Historic Preservation Commission that will be actively involved in preserving its history and culture. The Village is currently developing programs and archival projects so that future generations can learn about the history of the community. A walking tour brochure and map are available from the Village free of charge. Call (516) 482-4500 for a copy.

Great Neck Plaza encompasses a busy commercial district, three parks, as well as a residential section comprised of many multiple family dwellings and private single family homes. Although small in geographic area, only one-third of a square mile, it boasts:

	12 condominiums
	50 co-operatives
	26 rental apartment buildings
	260 retail stores and restaurants
	2 hotels
	35 office buildings
	1 nursing home
	1 independent living facility for seniors
	1 senior assisted care facility
	1 performing arts center (Great Neck Arts Center)
	1 movie theater (Squire Theater)

The Village provides a variety of services for its residents, merchants, office occupants, shoppers as well as residents of the entire peninsula. Great Neck Plaza also furnishes parking facilities for shoppers and commuters coming from all parts of Long Island. The Plaza has two parking garages and four outdoor parking lots. Both indoor garages are free weekdays after three o'clock and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Village government is very active in the Plaza and works hard to develop streetscape improvements, safety and beautification projects throughout the year. Board meetings are held the first and third Wednesdays of each month and are open to the public. The Board of Trustees is comprised of a Mayor and four Trustees. Elections are held every March and the elected official's term is for two years.

Tiberias

Tiberias

Tiberias, founded between the years 18 C.E. and 20 C.E. by King Herod Antipas, is located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was named in honor the the King's friend, the Roman Emperor Tiberias. In the 5th and 6th centuries, Tiberias was at its peak as the capital of the Galilee and the spiritual center of the Jewish nation. Today, Tiberias is an international tourist center, in close proximity to all the holy sites in the Galilee.

The topography of the city varies from a low of 212 meters below sea level at the Sea of Galilee to a height of 220 meters above sea level on the east at the hills of the Golan. It was a walled city. After an earthquake destroyed the city in 1033, a crusader general reestablished the city north of the original site. Towers were built right into the Sea of Galilee to prevent the waters of the sea from washing up over the shoreline. Today, the tower houses restaurants, shops and a tourist spot known as "The Galilee Experience", which is an audiovisual presentation of the story of the Galilee and the Sea of Galilee and their historical and religious significance. It was in Tiberias that the Jerusalem Talmud was written and compiled. In the 8th century, the Tiberias School of Hebrew Vocalization developed and this system is still in use today. In addition to tourism and the area's religious sites, its hot springs are also a main attraction.

Today, Tiberias has a population of approximately 50,000, of which 43% are children under the age of eighteen. Over the last decade, more than 7,000 new immigrants have joined the population of Tiberias and 10% of the children in Tiberias are new immigrants. It is an important tourism and recreational center, visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists.

The city suffers from serious negative emigration problems, mainly by the young and educated who leave Tiberias in search of higher education institutes, which are not available locally. Once they leave, they generally do not return. The average monthly income per person is NIS 1,579, which includes wages and welfare support. The rate of unemployment surpasses the national 8.8% average and presently exceeds 10.3%. Of the employed, 43.5% earn less that the minimum statutory wages. Consequently, almost 40% of its population receives welfare treatment from the Municipal Social Services Department and 43% of the total municipality's budget is designated to welfare and education.

Sea of Galilee