The council’s vision and the importance of health

Beit Shemesh is a city characterized by a heterogeneous population with mixed socio-economic backgrounds, and a socio-index of 2. The city’s vision is to promote a healthy and active lifestyle and improve the overall health of its residents, starting from early childhood to older ages. The Efsharibari project has generated an opportunity to promote health in the city. The city has a Health Department under the Education Administration and under the head of the Public Health Committee, who is a member of the city council. 

Improving the physical environment

Several initiatives have been implemented as part of the project: a 3 km walking path, a cycling path, signage along the path, water fountains, shaded public fitness facilities and a friendly application, with an emphasis on accessibility for special-needs populations.

Efsharibari in the community

• The “Growing Healthy” initiative in 40 kindergartens is a program aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle.
• Promoting physical activity in 120 Haredi and general sector kindergartens. Purchasing an activation kit for kindergartens. All the kindergartens have been provided with support and guidance from a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist.
• Promotion of health in elderly clubs and promoting healthy nutrition in the community.
• An active lifestyle and accident prevention initiative in five elderly clubs, conducted by a specialist physiotherapist.
• The authority encouraged its employees to incorporate stair use into their daily physical activity and the placement of health-promoting messages on staircases.
• Physical activity for employees: initiating a sports instructor’s long-term guidance for employees, with basic sports equipment and illustrations demonstrating sports activities that can be done during the workday.

Unique program: “Walking at every age”

• The aim is an active and healthy lifestyle for the residents.
• Target audience: families, adolescents, youth, and older adults.
• The initiative includes building a walking path, placing fitness facilities, installing signage along the path, developing an application with 15 videos for use on the trail, selecting an activity trail, data-point, and exercises, instructing how to use the facilities, and showing the efficacy of each facility. Installing water fountains along the trail for walkers. Installing shade for the public fitness facilities, as well as organizing a race around the city's antiquities starting from the walking path to encourage walking.
• Collaborating bodies in the project: Mifal Hapayis (national lottery of Israel) - paving the trail; Efsharibari - signage, application, water facilities; the local council - installing sports facilities; the Sports Division - conveyance and funding of the trail and the facilities along it

Efsharibari in education

Health promoting schools in 2019
Elementary schools: 131
High schools: 48

Link to the full map of health promoting education institutions

Further reading

Efsharibari in the City: map of participating local authorities and companies (Hebrew)
Efsharibari in the City guide for local authorities (Hebrew)