Photo taken by: Michael Jacobson

The council’s vision and the importance of health

In 2004, Petah Tikva joined the Healthy Cities Network with the aim of transforming the vision of "health for all" into reality.
The council has embraced the principles and strategies for advancing health and sustainability, prioritizing continuous improvement of the physical, economic, mental, and social well-being of the entire population. The council strives to establish a living environment that empowers individuals to fulfill their personal potential.
The ultimate goal is to raise the awareness of all residents of the importance of a healthy lifestyle and implement it to create an optimal quality of life and well-being.

• Providing nutritional security to the entire population
• Promoting a healthy lifestyle: healthy nutrition, physical activity, and mental resilience
• Enriching the residents’ knowledge
• Making healthy foods accessible to residents
• Excursions and activities for the public in Petah Tikva’s open spaces

The council has a Health Department coordinated by the municipal dietitian as part of the Environment Division.
Petah Tikva joined the Efsharibari project in 2019.

Health-promoting policy: "Living in a Healthy City"

• A policy has been implemented to supervise the food supply in kiosks and vending machines in schools, along with the establishment of criteria for kiosks operating in tenders.
• A policy has been implemented to ensure that healthy and safe food is served in educational institutions, according to the Ministry of Education’s circular.
• Food baskets to residents in need according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health

Improving the physical environment

• Three community gardens were established

Efsharibari in the community

• Cooking workshops and lectures were conducted via Zoom on a range of health topics for the general public.
• Frontal instruction workshops covering the topics of nutrition, physical activity, and postpartum care for women were delivered.
• A recipe booklet was promoted and distributed to the residents, including those in need, and food baskets were delivered.
• A culinary excursion was organized with the guidance of the municipal dietitian.

Unique program: a recipe booklet - “Light and Healthy Meals for Everyone” 

• A program adapted for people with allergies and diverse dietary preferences
• The goal: promoting healthy eating among all residents
• Target population: all residents of the city
• In collaboration with the Petah Tikva Municipality

Considering the fact that during the COVID-19 pandemic we developed the culture of home-cooking, we have chosen to produce a digital recipe booklet, which consists of healthy, diverse, and rich recipes, for all the residents in the city. The booklet is suitable for everyone and especially fits children and adults with special dietary preferences, as well as nutritional constraints such as allergies, diabetes, coeliac disease, and vegan diets. The booklet features clear and understandable symbols. The booklet has gained widespread distribution in both digital and printed formats. Numerous positive responses have been received from residents who have prepared the recipes and liked the dishes.

Efsharibari in education

• Support and supervision have been provided for the daycare nutrition, including the arrangement of a cooking workshop at the Chefizz cooking workshop center for daycare cooks.
• Videos about the preparation of healthy meals for kindergarten children were produced.
  Link to a sample video
• Suggestions have been provided for the ten o’clock meal, customized to accommodate allergies, in kindergartens and schools.
• 20 volunteers were trained as health initiators in formal and informal education. The training has been conducted on behalf of the Health-Promoting Department in collaboration with the Israeli Association of Public Health.
• A health and first-aid course for young people was conducted at a youth center.
• An initiative has been launched to provide guidance and support to educational teams and parents in kindergartens, focusing on nutrition, and specifically addressing allergies and food sensitivities.

Link to the full map of health promoting education institutions

Publicity

• A live event for the general public was organized, featuring a cooking workshop by the mayor, in collaboration with the chef Shaul Aderet, as well as cooking workshops for families, a Pilates course, Tai Chi Kung, a lecture on happiness hormones, and more.
• Three WhatsApp groups were organized for enriching the knowledge on nutrition and healthy recipes.

Further reading

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