Yeruham

Yeruham ירוחם‎ يروحام‎
Local council
Hebrew transcription(s)
• ISO 259	Yroḥam
Yeruham Show map of Northern Negev region of Israel Yeruham Show map of Israel
Coordinates: 30°59′19″N 34°55′41″E / 30.98861°N 34.92806°E / 30.98861; 34.92806
Country	Israel
District	Southern
Founded	1000 BCE (Tel Rahma) 1951 (Israeli town)
Government
• Head of Municipality	Tal Ohana
Area
• Total	38,584 dunams (38.584 km2 or 14.897 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	11,170
• Density	290/km2 (750/sq mi)
Website	www.yeroham.muni.il

Yeruham (Hebrew: ירוחם‎, romanized: Yeroham) is a town (local council) in the Southern District of Israel, in the Negev desert. It covers 38,584 dunams (38.584 km²; 14.897 sq mi), and had a population of 11,170 in 2022.^[1] It is named after the Biblical Jeroham.

Until early 2011 the mayor of Yeruham was Amram Mitzna, and he was succeeded by Michael Biton of Kadima, who was elected mayor in November 2010.^[2] In 2018, dark horse candidate Tal Ohana was elected the first female mayor of Yeruham.

For many years, Yeruham was economically depressed and suffered from image problems, but major efforts to improve the quality of life took place during the early 2000s.^[3]