“HaDerech” Congregation was established in April 1989 in Karmiel, Israel.
Karmiel, ("God's Vineyard" or "God's Olive Grove" in Hebrew), is situated in the midst of lush olive groves in the valley lying between Lower and Upper Galilee, about halfway between the Mediterranean coast and the Sea of Galilee, and serves as the industrial, commercial and cultural center of this northern peripheral (underdeveloped) area. Over half of Karmiel's 55,000 residents are immigrants (mainly from the former Soviet Union). The town is surrounded by large Arab villages and small Jewish communities.
The "way" began
The Congregation started out as a group of ten people who met at Yossi's rented apartment, and took the Lord's Supper for the first time on Passover 1989. Yossi and Ronit (married in 1990) hosted the meetings in their home until 1997, and then a house was rented for the growing group. In 2005, when people were standing in the kitchen and hallways for lack of space, the congregation moved into a long term rented facility in the industrial zone of the town, where it still meets today. With the help of local volunteers and donations from all over the world, the facility was adapted to the needs of the congregation. Our main hall can serve up to 150 people. The facility itself includes offices, children's classrooms, a nursery and a kitchen.
