Modi’in is a beautiful, friendly city that has become a popular destination for olim. Founded in 1993, the city is well-planned, with large swaths of protected land for parks and nature reserves. Modi’in has been designed to become Israel’s fourth-largest city; the population is currently almost 100,000 people and growing, as the long-term plan is to expand to 240,000 residents.
Modi’in is steeped in history, as it is located in the general vicinity of the original village of Modi’in, where Matityahu and his five sons launched the Maccabean revolt against the Greeks’ Seleucid Empire.
Centrally located, Modi’in is a commuter’s dream, boasting a superior transportation infrastructure. This includes exceptional intercity and intra-city bus service, train service offering a short 20-minute ride to Tel Aviv, and in 2016 train service to Jerusalem will be added. Modi’in also has an excellent highway system: it is only fifteen minutes from Ben Gurion Airport, and is less than a half hour car ride from both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Modi’in offers numerous shopping options with two large malls and many other retail options. It has countless restaurants, and offers a variety of entertainment options and cultural programs.
The city’s over one hundred synagogues come in many varieties, including Ashkenazi, Sefaradi, and Yemenite. Modi’in's chief rabbinate offers an assortment of Torah classes, the hesder yeshiva plays an integral role in the community, and Emunah sponsors a women’s morning learning program, in addition to the many shiurim offered by the local shuls.
Modi’in is a mixed city, comprised of religious and non-religious Jews, but the majority of the Anglo community consists of observant Jews, most of whom are dati leumi or national religious (the more Yeshivish crowd lives in nearby Modi’in Illit, better known as Kiryat Sefer). The English speaking residents are primarily clustered in three neighborhoods: “Givat C” is located in the center of town and has attracted a variety of age groups; “Buchman / Moriah” is nestled in the southern end and its population is 50% Anglo; and “Kaiser” is situated close to the middle of town and has a relatively young Anglo community. All of these neighborhoods offer a mix of single family homes (cottages) and apartments.
Two new neighborhoods are being developed in Modi’in: Nofim – which means “views” – is located on a hill and offers magnificent views of the city. Nofim will have 1,800 housing units. Hatzipporim – which means “the birds” – is located between Buchman and Kaizer and will house almost 1,000 residential units situated on streets named for indigenous birds. Both of these new communities will offer a proper communal infrastructure, including schools and pre-schools, shuls, shopping centers and medical clinics. These communities will follow the Modi’in blueprint and have a mixed population, comprised of religious and secular residents.
Modi’in’s government places a high priority on “quality of life.” Consequently, in addition to overseeing the addition of many housing projects in the city, the government continually builds new parks, bicycle paths, and recreational and religious facilities, and upgrades schools and community centers.
Although housing prices have risen as the city has become more established, real estate prices are lower than most central Jerusalem neighborhoods. Consequently, Modi’in continues to draw new residents from across the country and across the globe.
Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.