^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Petah Tikva (Israel)

Iriyat Petah Tikva, Municipality of Petah Tikva

(source) 2:3

Coat-of-arms adopted 13th November 1958

♦ photo

Description
Coat of Arms

See also:

Description

Petah Tikva (meaning opening / gate of hope, taken from Hosea 2:15). Located in the south Sharon area, 12 km east of Tel Aviv, it holds the title Em HaMoshavot (Mother of the Colonies), being the first settlement of the new era, in 1878. Now with about 200'000 inh.
Its unofficial flag is the municipal emblem on blue. The emblem is shaped as an stylized Magen David, contains a citrus tree and a plough as symbols to its agricultural past. The municipal emblem was published in the official gazette (Rashumot), YP 633, 13 November 1958.
I received an eyewitness report about a flag in the opposite colours (light blue flag and blue emblem), but those quoted above are the colours recieved from the municipality.
Sources: letter dated 2 September 2001, desk flag.
Dov Gutterman, 10 September 2001

In 1878, a group of Jewish youngsters from Jerusalem decided to found an agriculture settlement on the lands that they bought in the village of Melabes. It is costumery to see it as the first colony in the new era (even thou that Rosh Pina [then as Gai Oni] claim this title too as founded three weeks before ...)
The Colony was abandoned in 1881 but the founders returned with a new group of settlers in 1884/85. Municipality since 1937.
The story of the emblem of Petah Tikva started in 1908, as one of the settlers, Yitzhak David Goldenhirsch, agreed to open a branch of the Austrian Post in the colony, but under a condition that Petah Tikva will be permitted to issue its own stamp. After getting the approval, Goldenhirsch contacted an unknown artist who designed a stamp that symbolizes the colony: plough, orange tree and fields. This 14 Fara's (Ottoman currency) stamp ^source, also known as the first Hebrew stamp, is the basis for the Petah Tikva emblem.
The official website [not archived] describes the emblem as follows:

The plough immortalizes the first plowing as a symbol to the fact that with founding Petah Tikva, the agriculture work was renewed.
In Hanukah 5638, the first furrow was sliced by the founders of Petah Tikva in their land, and this action initiated a new era in the Jewish settlement in Israel-land.

Green fields – Symbol of drying of the Yarkon swamps and turning them into green fields.

Orange tree – Since the first tree was planted by Rabbi Fromkin in Lakhman estate, this important branch was developed and Petah Tikva became the biggest and the most important colony in Citrus growing. The conquering of the "Hebrew Work" by the workers of the second aliyah (immigration to Israel), was in Petah Tikva's plantations. Here groups of fruit-picking and packing workers were arranged and advanced techniques were developed. Pardes (citrus plant) organization which united most of the citrus growers in the country was founded in Petah Tikva

Unfortunately there is no good photo of the blue flag and it can be seen partially in a photo of the city hall [not archived].
The emblem appeared on a stamp issued on 2 February 1966.

Dov Gutterman, 2 May 2005

Coat of Arms

(source)

The inscription below is "He who works his land will have abundant food" (Proverbs 12:11a).
Dov Gutterman, 12 April 2010

♦ photo