Antiquity
Yeruham is the site of Tel Rahma, dating back to the 10th century BCE. On the outskirts of Yeruham is an ancient well, Be'er Rahma. Some archaeologists have identified it as the well where the biblical Hagar drew water for her son Ishmael.
Modern era
Modern Yeruham was founded on January 9, 1951 as Kfar Yeruham. It was one of Israel's first development towns, created to settle frontier areas in the early days of the state. It was located near the Large Makhtesh, an area thought at the time to be rich with natural resources.
The first influx of olim (immigrants) came from Romania, many of them Holocaust survivors, followed by olim from North Africa,Persia, India and elsewhere, who make up the majority of the town's population today (appr. 40%, 5%, 20%, 10% respectively). By 1961, the town's population was 1,574. The name was changed to Yeruham in 1962. Yeruham was originally founded on the Petroleum Road in the Negev (today roads 224 and 225) and its initial growth was stymied by the construction of Highway 25 and the Beersheba – Mitzpe Ramon section of Highway 40, which created a new route to Eilat and made the Petroleum Road obsolete.
Since autumn 1990, Yeruham is actively involved in absorbing hundreds of olim from the Former USSR, who comprise 25% of the town's nearly 10,000 residents. In recent years young couples and families from other localities have moved to Yeruham, and some have purchased lots and built their homes in the town’s new neighborhoods.
Members of the "Young People in Yeruham" Student Settlement Group are involved in local social action projects, organize cultural events for young people, and attract young people to settle in Yeruham. In April 2008, the Ayalim Student Village opened in Yeruham to allow students in Negev institutions of higher education to live and volunteer in the town. North American volunteers from Nativ College Leadership Program engage in community
