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Ramat Rachel

An aerial photo of the land surrounding Kibbutz Ramat Rachel (Courtesy/Kibbutz Ramat Rachel)
'We're just trying to figure out the next decade'
100-year-old Ramat Rachel marks its evolution from frontier outpost to ‘bourgeois’ resort
By Zev Stub
Once a battle-scarred hilltop community essential to Israel's defense efforts, the southern Jerusalem kibbutz now deals in real estate and tourism as members debate its future
An aerial view of the Jerusalem Lower Aqueduct uncovered near Ramat Rachel. (Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
October 11, 2026, 7:23 pm
300-meter stretch of ancient aqueduct uncovered during planning for new Jerusalem neighborhood
Newly discovered section of the city’s ancient water system will be prominently displayed in development south of Ramat Rachel, highlighting its significant history
By Zev Stub
A mysterious tunnel, hewn through the rock over a length of some 50 meters and likely hundreds, if not thousands, of years old, was unearthed near the Ramat Rachel neighborhood in Jerusalem in a discovery announced on May 14, 2026. (Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority)
May 14, 2026, 4:26 pm
Mysterious ancient tunnel, possibly thousands of years old, discovered in Jerusalem
Dating and purpose of structure near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel still not clear; archaeologists say its construction required significant resources and manpower
By Rossella Tercatin
Ofir Engel (middle), pictured a few days after his release from Hamas captivity on November 29, 2023; his girlfriend, Yuval Sharabi, is at left. (Courtesy)
December 3, 2023, 5:22 pm
Released hostage Ofir Engel, 18, ‘physically okay,’ says dad; emotionally, ‘we’ll see’
Kibbutz Ramat Rachel basketball player was freed after 54 days in ‘a tiny room,’ having been abducted when visiting his girlfriend at Kibbutz Be’eri; her father is still held hostage
By Jessica Steinberg
Members of Kibbutz Ramat Rachel await the expected release of a resident who was taken hostage in the Hamas onslaught on October 7, on November 29, 2023. (Iddo Schejter/Times of Israel)
November 30, 2023, 8:56 am
In Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, residents huddle to witness return of kidnapped son
Packed community center in Jerusalem fills with tension as residents await the release of 18-year-old Ofir Engel, who was abducted by Hamas from Be’eri on October 7
By Iddo Schejter
Yoav Engel (left), Nira Sharabi and Sharon Engel at the David Spa hotel at the Dead Sea on November 15, 2023, after Sharabi's husband, Yossi Sharabi and the Engel's son, Ofir, were taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)
November 16, 2023, 4:46 pm
‘Life has stopped in the middle’ for families of 3 hostages, connected by teens’ love
Ofir Engel, Yossi and Eli Sharabi were all abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri by Hamas terrorists on October 7; their families, working tirelessly to get them back, finally meet at Dead Sea
By Jessica Steinberg
Ofir Engel was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 from Kibbutz Be'eri and released on November 29, 2023. (Courtesy)
October 29, 2023, 9:29 pm
RELEASED: Ofir Engel, 18, captured at Be’eri while visiting his girlfriend
Kibbutz Ramat Rahel resident was abducted with his girlfriend’s father and another teenager on October 7
By ToI Staff
Lion Black, left, and Shmuel Naky, right, pour beer and mead made with 3,000-year-old yeast that were brewed as part of an archaeological-microbiological study, on May 22, 2019. (Judah Ari Gross/Times of Israel)
May 22, 2019, 6:41 pm
It’s not what Goliath drank, but ancient yeast brews still bring giant flavor
‘Philistine’ beer made from 3,000-year-old strain found at Gath comes out fruity and tangy while mead, likely closer to its atavistic inspiration, begets a champagne-cider quaffer
By Judah Ari Gross
Locals getting wet at Ein Lavan, a natural spring near the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo (Hadas Parush/Flash 90)
August 4, 2018, 11:11 am
Time to get wet: A guide to five pool options around Jerusalem
From pricey comfort to natural springs, there’s more than one way to go swimming in the holy city
By Jessica Steinberg
A memorial to soldiers of the Jerusalem Brigade who fell in 1967's Six Day War was vandalized on December 21, 2017. (Israel Police)
December 21, 2017, 1:46 pm
‘Trump, Jerusalem is ours’ scrawled in Arabic on memorial to soldiers
Police open investigation into defacement of monument near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, on the outskirts of the capital
By ToI Staff
Illustrative: An ultra-Orthodox man examines a citron (etrog) in Jerusalem (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
August 9, 2017, 10:44 pm
As Italy’s citron crop fails, an archaeologist looks to fruit’s 2,500-year history in Israel
After a disastrous frost that looks to wipe out the majority of this year’s etrog yield, Chabad Jewry braces for a crisis ahead of the Feast of Tabernacles
By Amanda Borschel-Dan
Kibbutz secretary Jossef (Joha) Engel near ruins dating back to the 8th century BCE at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel. (Shmuel Bar-Am)
September 17, 2016, 8:52 am
The kibbutz outside Jerusalem built atop an ancient palace
Ramat Rachel’s Archaeological Gardens tell the story of the Roman legionnaires, Judean kings and Assyrian conquerors, and others who lived and built there
By Aviva and Shmuel Bar-Am
Roni Dotan and his cherries, carefully cultivated over the last 14 years at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)
June 1, 2016, 1:37 pm
Cherry-picking a piece of history at Ramat Rachel
The kibbutz, which once protected Jerusalem’s south from Jordanian troops, is now letting in locals to glean its organic fruit
By Jessica Steinberg
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