The first settlers of Ramat Gan were a group of people who were looking to get out of cramped Tel Aviv and Jaffa to a more open place. They wanted to establish an agricultural moshav called “Ir Ganim” – City of Gardens, and found an area of approximately 2,000 hectares on the road to Petach Tikvah. They purchased it in 1921 and two years later changed its name to Ramat Gan. During the 20s and early 30s Ramat Gan was still quite a small settlement whose population did not reach 1,000. Still, the British gave Ramat Gan a status of local council, normally reserved for much bigger citites, probably when they saw the potential of its location between Tel Aviv and Petach Tikva.
A few years later the city’s tremendous growth began under its first mayor, Avraham Krinitzi. Krinitzi headed Ramat Gan for 43 years, and won 12 elections; an Israeli record and certainly one of the longest serving mayors in the world. After his reelection in 1969, he died in a car accident along with his son-in-law and his driver.
Despite the fact that the city is no longer a small farming settlment, but rather one of the largest cities in the country, there is still an emphasis on nature and wide open spaces. About a quarter of the city’s area is covered with avenues, tree lined streets and parks, including the National Park with an area of more than 1,800 acres that includes the famous safari.
In terms of industry, Ramat Gan is of national importance, with several large industrial zones and the country’s diamond exchange center.
