Rehovot [key], town (1994 pop. 84,900), central Israel. It is the trade center for a large citrus-growing area, and its industries include fruit packing and the production of citrus concentrates. Plastic products, imitation leather, cereals, and pharmaceuticals are also manufactured. Rehovot was founded in 1890 by Jewish immigrants from Russia. Chaim Weizmann, Israel's first president, lived in the town during the British mandate period (1922–48) and is buried there. His house is preserved. The town is the seat of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, and the government-run Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research.
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