01In brief
Givat Shemesh (also referred to as Givat Beit Shemesh) is an Israeli locality in the Beit Shemesh area. Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics lists it under locality code 0566 and gives 1958 as its year of Jewish settlement. The site houses Retorno, an addiction-rehabilitation institution identified in 2020 with Israel's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs; the facility formerly served as a children's institution before becoming a drug-rehabilitation center.
02Overview
Givat Shemesh lies in the Beit Shemesh area and appears in Israel's official locality list under code 0566.[1] It is reached from Road 3835 toward Tzora: a route described in 2011 continues for approximately 2.5 kilometers before turning north, passing the institution, and proceeding roughly another 2 kilometers to the Dir Rafat monastery.[3] The landscape around the institution was described as pastoral in 2020.[4]
03History
The Central Bureau of Statistics' 2019 locality list gives 1958 as Givat Shemesh's year of Jewish settlement.[1] The institution at the site was formerly used for children. By 2011, it had been repurposed as a drug-rehabilitation institution operated by Retorno, an organization working with addiction.[3]
04Economy & Culture
Institutional services are the principal activity documented at Givat Shemesh. A government directory lists Retorno Village as the International Jewish Center for Prevention and Treatment of Addictions and describes individualized rehabilitation and therapy programs, Jewish studies, therapeutic workshops, and other treatments. It gives the center's address as P.O. Box 815, Givat Shemesh.[5]
The 113-page Hebrew book מה שתבחר was published by Retorno at Givat Shemesh in 2011.[6]
05Notable Sites
Retorno is the principal institution documented at Givat Shemesh. In 2020, it maintained separate residential communities for boys and girls and for women and men. Some residents arrived under court orders or as an alternative to imprisonment, while others entered voluntarily to address addiction and the underlying difficulties associated with it.[4]
The girls' treatment pathway began in an inpatient detoxification unit at the entrance to their section of the compound, where residents physically withdrew from alcohol and drugs. They then moved into communal housing for several months of learning and rehabilitation activities. Returning home followed an assessment that a resident was prepared to face outside pressures and temptations.[4]
Court orders could initially keep some young people in treatment, while relationships with staff and peers and insights gained during therapy could later motivate them to remain. Once residents turned 18, the institution had no legal means to compel them to stay. Approximately 10% left against staff recommendations and did not return.[4]
In 2011, Retorno at Givat Shemesh was described as serving primarily religious and ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) youth.[3] The broader residential communities described in 2020 may reflect a different period or a wider scope of services.[4]
Sources
- 1Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, accessed on September 26, 2026.
- 2Ynet, Who Moved My Cheese? The Monk from Beit Shemesh, accessed on September 26, 2026.
- 3Ynetnews, Who Moved My Cheese? The Monk from Beit Shemesh, accessed on September 26, 2026.
- 4Ynet, "If the court had forced Yuli to stay here, maybe the ending would have been different", accessed on September 26, 2026.
- 5Government of Israel, Where to Turn, accessed on September 26, 2026.
- 6National Library of Israel, accessed on September 26, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What is Givat Shemesh?
Givat Shemesh, also referred to as Givat Beit Shemesh, is an Israeli locality in the Beit Shemesh area. Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics lists it under locality code 0566 and gives 1958 as its year of Jewish settlement. The site is home to Retorno, an addiction-rehabilitation institution identified in 2020 with Israel's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, which formerly served as a children's institution before becoming a drug-rehabilitation center.
How do you get to Givat Shemesh?
Givat Shemesh is reached from Road 3835 toward Tzora. A route described in 2011 continues for approximately 2.5 kilometers before turning north, passing the institution, and proceeding roughly another 2 kilometers to the Dir Rafat monastery.
What is Retorno at Givat Shemesh?
Retorno is the principal institution at Givat Shemesh. A government directory describes it as the International Jewish Center for Prevention and Treatment of Addictions and lists its services as individualized rehabilitation and therapy programs, Jewish studies, therapeutic workshops, and other treatments. In 2020, it maintained separate residential communities for boys and girls and for women and men, with some residents arriving under court orders and others entering voluntarily.
How does the girls' treatment program at Retorno work?
The girls' treatment pathway at Retorno begins in an inpatient detoxification unit at the entrance to their section of the compound, where residents physically withdraw from alcohol and drugs. They then move into communal housing for several months of learning and rehabilitation activities. A return home follows an assessment that a resident is prepared to face outside pressures and temptations.
Can residents leave Retorno against staff recommendations?
Court orders could initially keep some young people in treatment at Retorno, but once residents turned 18, the institution had no legal means to compel them to stay. Approximately 10% left against staff recommendations and did not return.