Last modified: 2015-06-29 by andrew weeks
Keywords: rishon lezion | rishon leziyyon | iriyat rishon leziyyon | well | industrial plant |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
image by Dov Gutterman Coat-of-arms adopted 30th May 1991 |
See also:
Rishon LeZiyyon (meaning first of Zion) is situated
in the seashore plain south of Tel-Aviv.
Its name comes from the Bible (Isaiah 41:27) and to commemorate
being the first settlement established by a Zionist association in 1882 - even though
it is not the first new-era settlement, being preceded by Petah Tikva in 1878. With a population
of 185,000 it became the 4th most populated city in Israel (after
Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv
and Haifa). It is a municipality
since 1950.
Its emblem was designed for its 60th anniversary and shows its
main past agricultural branches - vine and grapes for the grapes
and wine industry, citrus for the oranges, and furrows - as well
as industrial plants. It also shows the first well, with the
inner inscription we found water. The unofficial flag is
orange with the emblem. Sources: author's own observation and the
city
website.
The municipal emblem was published in the official gazette (Rashumot),
'Publications Gazette' section (Yalkut HaPirsumim), YP
3882, 30 May 1991. It replaced the previous emblem, published YP
633, 13 November 1958.
Dov Gutterman, 1-4 September 2001
I received a letter from the municipality as follows (my translation, remarks in brackets):
1) When Rishon LeZiyyon's 60th anniversary was approching, the local council decided to order an emblem for the colony which will give prominence to its beginning, development and its multicoloured.
2) The emblem which was chosen describes the first well and emphasizes the cry "we found water" [written on the inner scroll] coming out from the diggers' mouths when water was discovered. Around the well there is a vine's tendril, which was the main product of the farmers, a citrus tree with its golden fruits and, in the background, industrial buildings with smoke rising from their chimneys.
3) In the centre of the orange flag, a green emblem was charged.(...)
A page was attached, issued by the municipal museum with the
emblem and its description, quite the same as in the letter. Source:
letter from Mr. Meir Nitzan, City Mayor, 10 October 2001.
Dov Gutterman, 26 October 2001
The 4th largest city in Israel (Pop, 215,000 in 2003) was
established on 31 July 1882 as the third colony but the first
that was established by Zionist organization. On 23 February 1883
the cry "we found water", which later appear on the
emblem, was heard as the first well produce water. Rishon
LeZiyyon claim the first hoisting of the Zionist
flag in 1885. The first Hebrew kindergarten was
establishedhere in 1898.
In 2 June 1922 it became a Local council and in 18 August 1950 it
became a municipality.
Both descriptions of the emblem in the net at <www.rishoni.org.il> and
<www.rishonlezion.muni.il>,
are quite the same as we have: The emblem appear on stamp
issued on 2 February 1966 The orange flag can be seen in many
photos at the municipal
website.
Rishon LeZiyyon is known to be the first town to have its own
orchestra in 1895. In ancient
photo from <www.rishonim.org.il>,
one can see the flag (gonfalone like) of the orchestra charged
with outlines Magen David superimposed with ancient harp and the
inscription Rishon LeZiyyon Orchestra.
Dov Gutterman, 5 May 2005
image from municipal
website