Welcome to Carmei Gat!

Carmei Gat was established in 2017 as a northern neighborhood of Kiryat Gat. The English-speaking community is around 300 families as of early 2025, and also includes French, Spanish, and Hebrew speakers.

Shopping

There are three shopping centers in Carmei Gat: Gat Center, Reisdor, and Big Fashion. Some street-level storefronts have opened up, too!

Gat Center

Nofech Street

Gat Center is in the south of Carmei Gat. It's a three-story, indoor shopping center with outdoor stands and free, underground parking.

Gat Center has eateries, Shufersol grocery store, Clalit and Maccabi, a pharmacy, gym, hair salon, and more.

Reisdor

Esther HaMalka Street

Reisdor is in the north of Carmei Gat. It is a semi-circle, ground-floor strip-mall with blue and white street parking.

Reisdor has eateries and bakeries, Carrefour grocery store, a small events hall, fountains kids can play in, and a variety of other stores from hardware and bikes to glasses, phones, and more.

Big

Lachish Boulevard

Right in the center of Carmei Gat, an open-air Big shopping center opened in December 2024 with free, underground parking.

It has a Rami Levy grocery store underground, and two floors of shops and eateries from popular chains, a gym, and fountains kids can play in.

Carmei Zion shul

Rabbi Aminadav Grossman leads Carmei Zion, a National Religious Ashkenazi community. Services include weekday minyanim, as well as services on Shabbat and an early Shabbat option in the summer. Children's services and Torah classes are held every Shabbat. Kiddush is held after services on Shabbat Mevarchim each month.

Weekday activities include Torah classes for adults, holiday activities like matzah baking and Chanuka and Purim parties, chesed events like visiting and local old-age home, preparing meals for new parents and army bases, and much more.

Welcoming new members is important to the community! Reach out to the vaad to be matched with families who are happy to host new members for Shabbat meals and be a guiding buddy for your first few months. Announcements are made in an official WhatsApp group each week.

Kehilat Shalem

Kehilat Shalem, the Carmei Gat partnership minyan, is a religiously open-minded community committed to fostering a pluralistic and progressive future. The halachic and family friendly minyan embraces the musicality of tefillah, creating a welcoming space for all. Individuals and families are welcome, of all ages, stages, and backgrounds. As a reflection of the core beliefs, women both participate and lead services within the framework of halacha.

Minyan Meshulav

Minyan Meshulav is a minyan hosted by different families every other Shabbat. Emphasis is on davening both Ashkenazi and Sephardi nusach within a single minyan and involving the youth in leading roles as much as possible.

Schools

There are four religious elementary schools and two secular elementary schools in Carmei Gat. There is one religious high school and one secular high school. Some families in the community send their kids to schools outside Carmei Gat, including Kiryat Gat and the surrounding yishuvim.

Shabazi

Religious elementary school

Kol Eliyahu

Religious elementary school (1st and 2nd grades only for the 2024-2025 school year; expected to add one grade each year)

Shalhavot Chabad

Chabad elementary school where many traditional families attend.

Cramim

Secular elementary school

Begin

Secular elementary school

Ort HaDati (Tzvia Ulpana)

Religious, girls' middle and high school with regular classes and a torani "Beit Midrash" track.

The Beit Midrash track has 7th and 8th grades for the 2024-2025 school year; expected to add one grade each year.

Ort High School

Secular middle and high school

Shaviti

Haredi elementary school

Kindergarten and younger

There are many many frameworks for every pre-elementary school age from, newborns to 5 year olds, and more are popping up all the time. The main organizers are Mercaz Merian and Chabad.

Bnei Akiva

Bnei Akiva is currently the only active youth group in Carmei Gat. The branch is located in a caravan at Avigail HaCarmalit 7 and includes activities almost every Shabbat and once during the week, as well as seasonal regular hikes and overnight camps, for grades 3-12.

Parks

There are new parks popping up all the time! Here are some of the most popular parks and playgrounds as of early 2025. (There are also a few dog parks.)

Ropes park

Across from Gat Center, this park is popular on most afternoons amongst the English-speaking community who lives in the Avnei HaChoshen neighborhood nearby, and has fountains for kids to run through.

Omega park

This park is a tiny bit north up the path from the Ropes park, and just south from the dog park on the same path.

Airplane park

The Airplane park is the biggest park in the south and most popular with people who live nearby, on or near Nofech.

Castle park

The Castle park is the biggest park in the north, with good grassy spaces for birthday parties, and a ninja course.

Sportek

The Sportek is a large, public, outdoor complex with basketball courts, soccer fields, a skate park, volley ball, playground, and more. There is also a privately run (entrance fee) ninja course and climbing wall.

Gabso park

This small playground is in the center of Carmei Gat, popular with people who live in the adjacent Gabso and Gindi buildings, and others hanging out after pickup from the many ganim across the street.

Shabazi park

This central playground is right outside the Shabazi elementary school.

Ninja park

From the Makolet park, up the hill toward the Reisdor park, there is a bike path, green spaces, and a ninja park suitable for big kids and adults.

Makolet park

Across from Gat Market there is a park popular on Shabbat amongst the English-speaking crowd, as it's near Carmei Zion. A total scene around mincha time!

Reisdor park

Across from from the Reisdor shopping center is a playground, and a bit farther down the hill, a fish pond and second playground.

Transportation

Train

There is a train station in Kiryat Gat with free parking and lines to all over the country. You can get to Tel Aviv in about 40 minutes! You can also find blue-and-white paid street parking or park in a nearby shopping center (iSolomon or Big) and walk a few minutes.

Buses

Bus lines run throughout Carmei Gat and are being updated and added to regularly.

Route 6

Carmei Gat is right on Route 6, a major highway that gets you to most of the county. Parts are paid and it's recommended to register for auto-payments and discounts. There's a mobile app to make things easier.

Community center

There is a community center (matnas) with a gymboree (entrance fee) and after school activities like karate, gymnastics, and more, next door to Cramim elementary school.

It also includes a gymnasium/auditorium adjacent to the community center which is also used for after school activities.

Mikva

There is a women's mikva and a mikva kelim on Nofech street, across the street from the Cramim elementary school. There is a second women's mikva on Henrietta Szold street. For questions including opening hours, contact the balaniyot directly.