In the early 1990s, construction began on Modi'in, Israel's new "City of the Future." Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie and located mid-way between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Modi'in is in many ways typical of modern planned communities.More posts on Hanukkah and history collected here.
But Modi'in is not simply Israel's version of Columbia, Maryland. What sets it apart lies not within the city but around and under it: extensive ruins from every historical era of the past 2,200 years, including sites that form the heartland of the Hanukkah story.
UPDATE: Also of relevance to Hanukkah: Hanukkah and Piyyut (Part 3) (Ophir Münz-Manor, The Talmud blog).