Tel Aviv-Jaffa 2010

So many stories to Tel

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:21:25 +0000

In a recent article on Tel Aviv, the city was declared a sure contender for Miami's Middle Eastern counterpart. This finding reflects beautifully the familiar ambivalence about Tel Aviv. Since its early days, this city of hyperactive Mediterranean style has been both mesmerising and infuriating visitors. An analogy with America's (admittedly similarly free-spirited) party town simply does not do justice to the Tel Aviv that I, as tourist-turned-immigrant, have fallen in love with and which I believe will inspire new visitors. So many guides to Tel Aviv fail to recognise the element that sets Tel Aviv apart from other entertainment destinations with their bars and nightclubs, restaurants, oceanfront hotels and beach babes.

There are many faces to Tel Aviv. "Miami" is just one of those. Bubbly Tel Aviv is as cool as New York, as upcoming as Berlin and Barcelona, with sunsets and beaches like Ibiza and filled with creative and intellectual energy that reminds of Paris. It is a charming melting point where cultures meet and evolve.

However, this liveliness alone is not what makes a break in Tel Aviv such an unforgettable experience. My fascination with this little stretch in the Middle East is not an ideological one. In spite of all the glamour, thrill and cultural variety one can find in the metropolises of this world, Tel Aviv features a unique aura - it is here that you can find the thrill of a big city, which manages to retain its soul, its personality, its idealism. Tel Aviv is alive, it is real.

So here is my insider's guide to the genuine Tel Aviv experience.

Any newcomer to Tel Aviv must understand that Israelis appreciate straight talk. My advice is not to get thrown back by the Israeli directness, their chutzpah, or their very different interpretation of the word patience. You will find it easier - and somewhat enchanting - if you embrace it. We are the Middle East in the end of the day, yet in its most welcoming and open-minded version.

Tel Avivians are generally extremely warm and friendly towards tourists, so don't be taken aback if you get a dinner or party invitation from someone you have just met. Also, bear in mind that when Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion appeared in parliament one day dressed up in a suit, people burst out laughing. In Tel Aviv, you are more likely to be overdressed than underdressed.

Notwithstanding the Arab-Israeli conflict, Tel Aviv should be regarded as a world of its own. No other place in Israel (in the entire Middle East) has such a pleasure-seeking lifestyle and tolerant mentality. As a fairly new immigrant myself, I can testify to the excitement of living in a young place, still in the midst of forming its future identity, yet a symbol of modernity, freedom and openness.

There is lots to be proud of, when in only a century, a city has developed from nothing to a modern metropolis, home to about 390,000 inhabitants. It features an internationally renowned university, a stock exchange, a vibrant media and music scene and numerous museums and galleries. There is unique Bauhaus and ancient architecture, top-notch restaurants, bubbling nightlife, beautiful people and gorgeous beaches to relax on, just to name a few.

The best way to throw yourself into the local scene is to experience Tel Aviv's beaches, where you quickly realise that Israelis, a melting pot of different nationalities, are stunningly attractive and full of life. Topsy Beach (in the New Port area known as the Namal) is a hot spot among Tel Avivians. The nearby religious beach is open to the public on Saturdays and has become a secret spot for the trendiest in town.

Tel Aviv's markets are a must-see if you want to get to the heart and soul of Tel Aviv. Despite of what you might think of their quality, the markets are not only a place to find real bargains, they are also the best way to get the feel of a city. It is at the market that you are offered the chance to see, feel and smell real Mediterranean life, as opposed to the clean, packaged tourist product. Each of Tel Aviv's markets is a world of its own, offering different goods, and also reflecting the locals who live, sell and buy there.

What Art Deco is to Miami; 1930/40s Bauhaus is to Tel Aviv, featuring the world's largest concentration of such buildings (about 4,000) leading Unesco to recognise it as a world heritage site.

Wandering about the streets, especially along the beautiful Rothschild Boulevard, you can witness the impressive preservation efforts, which have successfully brought back prestige and glamour to once-beautiful buildings and streets.

If you are here on a Friday or Tuesday morning, I recommend going for the guided tour with the Bauhaus Centre, which will point out typical buildings.

The Tachana, the recently restored old train station area, has turned into the new cultural and social meeting point with many trendy shops, restaurants, arts shows and classes, markets and other events (see page 16).

There are three other major areas that you must visit during your stay in Tel Aviv.

The city's southern landmark, Jaffa, will give you a glimpse on the Jewish-Arab coexistence and a taste of the ancient character and modern spirit that still prevail in the place.

Next on the list is Neve Zedek, Tel Aviv's answer to New York City's Meatpacking District or London's Notting Hill. And under no circumstances miss out on a visit to the Florentin quarter. It the city's oldest and edgiest neighbourhood, with an artsy urban atmosphere that comes alive at night.

If you have time for fashion shopping, aim for the Northern part of Dizengoff Street, where you can find unique articles, influenced largely by the styles of New York City and London, with an Israeli touch (look out for Banot, Josef, A+ and Banker). Recently, a new shopping area, Gan Hachashmal, has turned into the place to shop for original fashion by local designers. If you are looking for more upscale, internationally acclaimed designer labels, Ramat Aviv Mall or the renowned Kikar HaMedina are your best bet. On Friday morning, there is often a young designers' bazaar on the lower level of the Dizengoff Centre shopping mall, where you may find a true bargain.

Tel Aviv has received the well-earned title of "the city that never stops". It is packed with bars of every sort, where Israelis, generally not the big drinkers by European or American standards, hang out and have a drink. Georgian restaurant-bar Nanuchka (28 Lilienblum Street, (00 972 3 516 2254) offers a great ambiance, plenty of entertainment and its red walls are covered by the owner's favourite poetry. You don't go there for the food - it's for the experience. And who knows, at some point you might even find yourself dancing on the bar. Alternatively, head to nearby Rothschild 12, the new favourite spot in town founded by Tel Aviv's finest bar-restaurant entrepreneurs, featuring an unassuming exterior décor and Tel Aviv's most gorgeous, trendiest crowd. In summer, visit Susannah's roof top (9 Shalom Shabazi St, Neve Tzedek) for a guaranteed chilled atmosphere and delicious cocktails. Try to be there before sunset to get a seat.

If you want to experience Tel Aviv's club scene, known worldwide for its vibrancy and cutting-edge style, visit GossiP (6 Dafna Street), the new hot spot among Tel Aviv's party lovers, where you are likely to find yourself partying next to celebrities - no segregated VIP areas here.

The general attitude is that life is precious and there is an urge to make the most of every day. If you are still buzzing, end your night-out at Hakhatul VeHakelev (The Cat and The Dog), a dark, underground club boasting eclectic music, lots of alcohol, and vibrant dance floor. Definitely one of the hottest places in the nightlife scene of Tel Aviv.

Eventually you'll have to get some sleep though. The David InterContinental, near the southern end of the beachfront promenade, is your best bet. There is a vibrant feel to this part of the city, a perfect metropolitan setting with bohemian flair.

If you are looking for something more intimate, try the Montefiore Hotel, the most lavish of the boutique hotels in Tel Aviv.

The stylish Cinema Hotel in a Bauhaus-style building that originally served as a cinema, or charming little Nina Hotel with its prettily designed suites, are other great alternatives.

While Tel Aviv cannot boast a history similar to that of Paris or London, it does have a brief yet very rich history of youth, creation, war, and reinvention and certainly is the Middle East's most advanced and culturally vibrant metropolis.

The pleasure-seeking Tel Avivians are constantly inventing new ways to enjoy their city, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year with guest performances from La Scala, the world-renowned opera house from Milan. They are proving once again that joie de vivre is viable in a city that retains its status as a place of good sense, creativity and political moderation in the midst of strongly rooted uproar and extremism.

I hope my guide will inspire you to visit Tel Aviv for yourself and experience the many faces Tel Aviv I have discovered.

The Boris route

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:21:21 +0000

Ron Huldai, mayor of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, is excited. "Do you know what a Boris bike is?" he asks, pointing at the bicycle in his office. It is a sample for the city-wide bicycle hire programme, like the one introduced by his counterpart in London Boris Johnson, which he will launch at Passover.

This is just the latest new programme by a mayor who loves to innovate, and as a result enjoys widespread popularity.

Israelis like to change their politicians regularly, yet Mr Huldai's has remained in office through the premiership of four Israeli Prime Ministers. In fact, he came in to office in 1998 when Benjamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister for the first time, staying through his downfall and his comeback.

Mr Huldai, a former military man and school principal, entered his post with a critique of the way the city had been run. The city of Tel Aviv-Jaffa has two responsibilities that have often been seen to "work in contradiction to each other" - catering for residents and catering for those who live elsewhere, namely commuters and tourists.

His contribution has been to eliminate the sense of contradiction - he has instigated schemes of urban regeneration, law and order, and economic development that are designed to simultaneously benefit residents and visitors.

"When [tourists] come here and the city is clean, with law and order in the streets, they feel safe, they feel good, they enjoy life in my city," he says. "And at the same time, they are contributing to the economy of the city, so we are encouraging tourists to come."

The "Boris bike" programme is the latest example of Mr Huldai's good-for-everyone philosophy. With this single innovation he hopes to help residents by reducing congestion and parking problems, making their city greener and allowing them to get around more easily. And he hopes to add yet another plus point to the city as a tourist attraction, and make the city more accessible to tourists.

"When I became the mayor of Tel Aviv, most of the tourists that came to the city of Tel Aviv were businessmen and we did a lot, changed our strategy, to show the world that the city of Tel Aviv is a city for everybody," he says.

The key to the city's success as a tourist destination, he believes, is that it has something to appeal to all tastes. "Tel Aviv it's a real great city because it has everything: the best weather in the world, excellent beach, old Jaffa and high-tech up-to-date attractions, excellent culture, excellent restaurants and excellent nightlife."

The diversity of the city makes it difficult to get his thoughts on what is worth visiting. What are the must-see attractions in his opinion? He goes everywhere - he's a classical music lover who, in addition to recitals and concerts, visits the loudest nightclubs. "I have to go because I have to know what is going on in the city, every hour and in every part of the city," he explains.

"I am not recommending people what to do because I don't know who you are. Some are interested in history and I can tell them go to Jaffa, go to the port in Jaffa, go to the flea market. Others, there is the nightlife - I can recommend some very fancy nightclubs."

He suggests that visitors create their own itineraries based on their interests, drawing on the expertise of the municipality's tourism authority, The Association for Tourism in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. It offers free tours for visitors, and has produced a pocket-sized booklet that divides the city in to five colour-coded zones and makes the sites extremely easy to navigate.

Though Mr Huldai has instigated numerous redevelopment programmes, each one still excites him. He is now overseeing the preservation and restoration of Serona, a German Templar colony within the city boundaries which actually predated Tel Aviv. "It's now under very intensive renovations that are going to be finished in a year and it may be even better than the Old [railway] Station [another renovated area, home to shops and cafés]. You will very soon find the port of Jaffa renovated - it's going to be, in a way, maybe nicer than the port of Tel Aviv, because it's more authentic."

Shore winner

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:21:15 +0000

Despite the cool cultural scene inland, Tel Aviv's 14km Mediterranean coastline and its golden beaches are still the city's most attractive scenic asset. For tourists, the focus is on the 7km central section of seafront from Jaffa Port in the south to Tel Aviv Port in the north.

National Geographic magazine recently ranked the city as one of the world's top 10 beach cities, alongside Honolulu, Vancouver, Cape Town and Barcelona, describing Tel Aviv as "The Miami of the Mediterranean". The magazine recommended that travelers try the "wide and sandy" Gordon Beach, beneath the strip of hotels along Hayarkon Street.

But tourists might want to wander away from the hotel district to some of the city's less well-known beaches. For a more authentic ethnic Israeli experience, just south of Jaffa Port is the Ajami beach, a thin strip of powdery sand, surrounded by a range of local eateries.

Looking north from Jaffa, Tel Aviv's high-rise landscape looms and beckons. Past the Etzel Museum in Charles Clore Park, a strange building of glass and stone, which recalls the battle for Jaffa in 1948, are the city's most popular beaches. The Dolphinarium beach is one of the best for surfing, but it is advisable to get to the seafront at 6am for the highest waves, though even at dawn there are a surprising number of bathers on the city's beach, with many locals out for an early morning jog.

North of the Dan Panorama and David Intercontinental Hotels are the Geula, Jerusalem, Trumpledor, and Bograshov beaches - all packed on a Shabbat but bearable during the week. However, overcrowding is not a problem for much of the year, as Israelis very rarely venture on to the beach after October and before late March, even though the temperature is usually over 20ºC.

There is even Dog Beach just north of Bograshov beach, where it is acceptable for owners to let their dogs splash about in the water. The aforementioned Gordon Beach further to the north is the city's trendiest stretch of sand, where somehow the bodies seem slimmer and the tans deeper. This is classic Israeli beach territory, with bronzed Sabras playing rackets or beach football. The deckchairs cost a small fee and the stone reefs out at seas calm the waters and help protect bathers from the Mediterranean's dangerous undercurrents.

Further north are most of the city's largest hotels and along the streets just inland there is a remarkable amount of urban renewal going on, as crumbling seafront buildings are being gentrified into luxury apartments, three-star hotels and B&Bs.

The Tel Aviv Marina in the heart of the hotel district remains a focal point for scuba divers and other sea-sports fans and equipment and boats are for hire.

The nearby Atarim Square, the pride of Tel Aviv when it opened in the 1970s, is now run-down and shabby, although there are plans to renovate the area.

Continuing northwards is the delightful Independence Park beneath the shadow of the Hilton hotel - the cliffs in the park are a pick-up point for gay men at nights. The Hilton beach is one the best for surfing, while the religious beach immediately south of Tel Aviv Port is popular with orthodox Jewish bathers and those women who prefer a gender segregated beach.

Tel Aviv Port itself, near the Yarkon estuary, is a stark contrast to Jaffa Port in its modernity and is now one of the city's major leisure and entertainment centres following an ambitious urbal renewal project that was completed in 2008. The seafront promenade continues with a bridge over the River Yarkon, but the Reading power station often deters people from exploring further north, even though the Tel Baruch beach in north Tel Aviv is one of the city's most attractive and is also an excellent beach for surfing.

Those tourists who do not take pleasure in sand between their toes and salty sea can still enjoy strolling along the promenade and feeling the cooling breezes that temper Tel Aviv's heat.

Show business

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:21:06 +0000

Tel Aviv is indisputably Israel's economic capital, but it is also at the heart of the country's cultural life. The city that never stops is home to most of Israel's leading theatre, music and dance companies and the coming months offer a richly varied range of performances, festivals, museum exhibitions and other events that overseas visitors can enjoy.

These are the last few weeks to see a unique exhibition of Andy Warhol's Jewish Portraits at Bet Hatfutsot Museum of the Jewish People (formerly the Diaspora Museum) on Tel Aviv University's campus. The Pop Art exhibition closes on November 19. Another highlight at the museum this winter will be an exhibition running from December 31 2010 to April 30 2011, entitled Mordechai's Orchard: The Story of Iranian Jewry.

On the subject of Mordechai and Purim, the fancy dress festival, March 19 to 21 2011, is a marvellous time to be in Tel Aviv and the closest the Middle East gets to the Latin American carnival, with flamboyantly-dressed Israelis parading in the streets.

The Eretz Israel Museum, near Bet Hatfutsot, is holding some fascinating temporary exhibitions, including one on Chinese coins until December 31 and another on 20th century clay figurines until January 29.

Opera lovers will be thrilled to hear that George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess is being performed from November 12 to 27 at the Israel Opera in the Tel Aviv Centre for the Performing Arts, on Shaul Hamelech Boulevard. The Cape Town Opera forms the chorus and soloists, accompanied by the Israel Symphony Orchestra.

From December 15 to 23, Israel Opera will be performing Gustav Mahler's Kindertotenlieder and Bela Bartok's Duke Bluebeard's Castle, conducted by Ilan Volkov.

The opera season runs from September to July and features many other productions, from world-renowned operas to avant-garde Israeli compositions.

Not to be missed is the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs regular concerts through until July at the Mann Auditorium, at the northern end of Rothschild Boulevard. The orchestra plays under maestro Zubin Mehta.

The annual Felicija Blumental International Music Festival combines top-quality classical music with an accessible approach. Performances are accompanied by commentaries, interviews with performers and even comedy sketches. The annual festival takes place at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

Another musical highlight is the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival in the first week of February at the Centre for Performing Arts and the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, with top jazz performers from Israel and worldwide.

Also at the Tel Aviv Cinemathèque throughout May 2011 is Docaviv, an annual festival of the best Israeli and international film documentaries. Film fans may also want to take in the Tel Aviv Student Film Festival in June 2011, when student filmmakers from around the world present their movies.

Art lovers may want to visit the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, next door to the Centre for Performing Arts, to see an exhibition by Yadin Rubin called Plowed Color, running through to December 18. Rubin's paintings portray kibbutz life from the 1960s as the kibbutz movement as celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Spanish-dance fans will not want to miss Flamenco Days at the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Neve Tzedek, with concerts and workshops throughout March 2011 on this most passionate of dance forms.

Tel Aviv is also famous for its theatre and you don't have to understand Hebrew to follow productions. Cameri Theatre, also based at the Tel Aviv Centre for Performing Arts, offers simultaneous English translations of productions like Moshe Naor's adaptation of A.B. Yehoshua's Woman from Jerusalem, which premières in January 2011.

The Habimah National Theatre also puts on plays with English translations.

Tel Aviv also has much to offer sports fans. Hapoel Tel Aviv are playing in the Uefa Champions League this season and will be hosting Portuguese giants Benfica at Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa on November 24 in their final group stage home game.

A more unusual Israel experience is to visit the Nokia Arena in Tad Eliahu, the home of six-time European champions Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball time. European Cup games are on Thursday nights through until December 23.

For those who prefer participation sports, next year's Tel Aviv Marathon is scheduled for May 14 2011.

Among many other highlights are the White Night concerts and international festival in Jaffa in July, a series of events for the international LGBT community in June - and don't miss the spectacular firework display on Independence Day in Yitzhak Rabin Square, which in 2011 falls on the evening of May 9.

All change here for key destinations

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:21:01 +0000

To preserve in its original state or to renovate, revamp and use today - that is the enduring question for Tel Aviv planners, faced with historic sites.

So much of historic importance happened in what is now called The Hall of Independence, in Rothschild Boulevard, that it just had to be retained the way it was. Originally the building was just "lot number 43" on the sand dunes of Ahuzat Bayit, where a new Jewish neighbourhood was about to be built outside Jaffa. This lot fell to Meir Dizengoff and his wife, founder and later Mayor of Tel Aviv, who bequeathed his home to the city to be used as an art museum.

Fast forward to Friday May 14, 1948. The British were about pull-out and the future leaders of the country were embroiled in an argument about whether or not to declare our independence now. It was a historic never-to-return moment -but there was a lot of pressure from America not to anger our Arab neighbours by declaring our statehood and thereby cause an invasion .

The leaders, especially David Ben Gurion, realised that whatever happened, the Arabs were going to attack - they were already attacking - so they decided: at least let us be in our own official sovereign state, governing our own policies and with our own official army to fight for our existence.

The correct place for this historic declaration to be officially made was Jerusalem. But Jerusalem was under siege - and it was Friday afternoon so everything had to be arranged before Shabbat.

This building, the Tel Aviv Art Museum, was ideal, because the main large exhibition room was partly below ground and therefore less of a security risk in the case of an aerial bombardment, if word got out of what was about to happen.

Once the decision to go ahead was made, everything was arranged in a great hurry and in secret. Chairs were borrowed from local café, loudspeakers from nearby music shops and a carpet from another shop, while a local carpenter hastily put together a stage. This is how and where the State of Israel was declared. No pomp. Short ceremony. The stage, its furniture and the background still remain as they did that day.

In contrast, the old Jaffa Railway station, while extremely busy and important for travellers in its heyday, held no intrinsic historic importance that warranted its being turned entirely into a museum. In fact the site was left neglected and desolate for more than 50 years until its potential finally came to be appreciated. Maybe it had something to do with its proximity to the beautifully renovated and restored Neve Zedek neighbourhood, which is the cultural centre of Tel Aviv today. Maybe it is because of the newly revamped IDF Museum, almost next door, or because it is opposite one of the most popular sections of Tel Aviv's beach.

Whatever the reason, about 10 years ago, work started to reclaim and rebuild this area and turn it into a thriving cultural and leisure area known simply as The Tachana (Hebrew for station).

The station buildings were meticulously and painstakingly restored and renovated, leaving their exterior and much of the interior intact.

An old train carriage, which has been turned into a museum, stands in a place of honour in the complex reminding everyone of the origins of this popular modern attraction. There are already assorted restaurants and cafés here, alongside upscale clothes, jewellery and antique shops, as well as a specialist toy outlet and bookshops.

Some 22 buildings were restored, looking far more attractive now than they ever did, but still maintaining their architectural and historical integrity.

The complex is already well worth a visit and there is plenty to do and see, but as every day passes more and more of the buildings are being populated and shops opened and there are further plans for regular children's entertainment, festivals, markets and changing exhibitions.

Tables turning kosher

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:20:57 +0000

Contrary to its reputation as the country's secular capital, Tel Aviv now boasts some 200 restaurants offering a wide range of kosher cuisine, all fully certified by Israel's rabbinate.

The Crowne Plaza takes up some 13 floors of the square Azrieli complex, which comprises three high-rise buildings (50 floors) - one round, one square and the third triangular. The hotel opened two years ago and quickly established its reputation for the three things necessary for a good restaurant - quality food, excellent service and physical comfort. Sitting on the 11th floor of this spacious diner one enjoys a panoramic view of Tel Aviv's business district and beyond, without the intrusive noises that accompany any busy metropolis.

"We have 120 places," says Michal, the manager of the restaurant, "but they are spaced out in such a way that no one intrudes on anyone else's space."

Eyal Rosenberg, the executive chef, is convinced that you'll find nothing better in Tel Aviv. From our own sampling of both fish and meat dishes - entrées and main course - it's difficult to dispute his claim.

"We are competing with other restaurants," says Eyal, "so we have to be better. It is harder to entice people into a hotel." While, as Michal notes, most of their customers come from the surrounding offices, "gradually and mainly by word of mouth, our name is getting out and increasingly we are attracting tourists and groups from abroad."

The food is reasonably priced. A business lunch is 99 NIS (comfortably less than £20), a main course at the separate bar is 55 NIS (less than £10). Evening meals are accompanied by live jazz.

Another sophisticated venue is AlterNativ, a dairy restaurant near Kikar Medina on the northern side of town and once the hangout for the smart set and celebs.

Tzvika, a religious ex-pilot, took over more than six years ago - knowing the sort of customers to expect, but knowing, too, that as a kosher dairy restaurant he wouldn't have too much competition in this yuppie milieu. By demanding high standards and employing seven different chefs, he guaranteed a wide and ever-changing variety of dishes. "I told my chefs to treat their dishes as a work of art."

The result can be seen in the demand for AlterNativ's dishes. The location, on Rehov Weizman 3, has 120 places, plus a room for 70 to 80 diners for private functions.

On the other side of town is the newly opened Tachana complex, on the original site of the Turkish train station. Inside this renovated space are dozens of boutique shops selling hand-made clothes and jewellery as well as a feast of restaurants.

Regina, run by Daphna Bar Zion, has the distinction of being the only kosher one. The restaurant offers a wide variety of ethnic foods – Ashkenazi as well as Sephardi and oriental.

"The reality is," says Daphna "that today's kosher diners are sophisticated. They know lots more about food and wine and they demand quality fare accordingly. This is what we try to offer."

Further into Jaffa is Le Relais (Bat Ami Street 7). The place is British-built (once the resting place for visitors going to Jerusalem by horse and carriage), but the French-Moroccans owners gave it a complete overhaul some 30 years ago, retaining the feel of the original building - high ceilings, potted palms and all - but adding a French dimension to the décor, as well as to the menu - which they describe as "classic French Gastronomy," based on traditional French sauces and such dishes as couscous.

"It's a tried formula," says Chani, the co-owner, "and we've kept to it. We appear regularly in Fodor's Guide."

Couscous also appears on the menu at Dr Shakshuka, near the Clock Tower on the edge of Jaffa's famous flea market. Inspired by traditional Tripoli food, the actual restaurant holds about 80 people, but its surrounding space, under huge awnings, can take another 200. This is a favourite hang-out for tourists, with oodles of salads, oriental meat dishes and a gritty atmosphere that is missing from more upmarket places.

So, you're in the army now

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:20:54 +0000

Refugees from Nazi Germany, after their frightening sea trip on un-seaworthy, over-packed boats, arrive at the shores of Israel. Before they have a chance to mourn their massacred family, they are enlisted into the Palmach, the fighting force of the Hagganah underground army and start training to defend their new homeland.

This is the background to the Palmach experience designed by Orit Shacham Gover who, in her inimitable way, has created yet another powerful experiential museum which makes you, the visitor, part of the events you are watching.

Following a computerised path, you meet the seven young inexperienced recruits to the Palmach. You stand in a eucalyptus grove and listen to them discussing how to beat the enemy and watch them singing songs around a bonfire. Suddenly the heat hits you, as you follow them through the desert. At the same time you are watching real old news footage about events in which the real Palmach were involved.

You feel so involved with their life that when you sit around a radio listening to the UN vote on the Partition Plan for Palestine, it's almost as if you don't know the final result - the gathered crowd are all holding their breath together.

At one point you are on a boat carrying illegal Jewish immigrants and - flash! You're in total darkness and a strong British accent booms over the megaphone, telling you to surrender to the British forces who are boarding the ship.

If that doesn't shake you up, then wait until you are hiding with the Palmach on the Night of the Bridges when they blew up 11 bridges connecting Israel with her Arab neighbours...

As the War of Independence rages on, you sit watching screen after screen surrounding you, relating to all the different battles, returning all the time to your new friends, the Palmachnicks, as they contact each other, comparing battles stories and asking after missing comrades.

Inevitably not all our friends survive and the final scene is the funerals of those who fell, some with no known relatives to even inform of their death.

This new-style museum turns dry history into a real-life experience.

A section recently inaugurated shows even more of the true story behind the people who were recruited. Sometimes the hard, rough Sabra commanders didn't understand how the Jews of Europe could have allowed the Nazis to slaughter millions of our brethren without a real fight and this led them to be less than sympathetic to their European recruits straight off the refugee boats.They sometimes made light of the orphan refugees' nightmares and fears and there was often friction, fights and bad feeling that are not shown in the original museum experience.

This section was added to show the real problems that the fledgling state experienced among its fighting forces who came from such vastly different backgrounds. The museum directors are to be commended for going the extra mile for authenticity.

People power

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:20:47 +0000

There is a new English name for Beit Hatfutsot. It is no longer translated as the Diaspora Museum, but as the Museum of the Jewish People.

This subtle change is indicative of the much larger changes happening at the museum, which was waning in its popularity, despite being one of the most important museums for the Jewish nation.

The core exhibition is undergoing a massive overhaul, which will bring it into the 21st century of museum technology, as well as a change in concept, reflecting the Jewish world both in the Diaspora and in Israel.

The current main display tells the story of the Jewish People since our exile from the Land of Israel over 2,000 years ago. It takes you all over the world to wherever Jews settled, showing their contribution to their surrounding world cultures while retaining their own special Jewish traditions.

Using images, films, videos, photography , dioramas and audio-visual displays, the story is told, not chronologically but according to themes such as "Family, Faith", "Living Among the Nations" and "Return to Zion". All these aspects together represent Jewish survival over the 4,000 years of life in dispersion.

The new main exhibition, which is due to open in three to four years, will cover our history from biblical times to today (and tomorrow) with additional emphasis on contemporary Jewish life and different expressions of Jewish identity.

Its aim is to be world centre for Jewish education and culture, covering every aspect of Jewish life. At the same time it will provide a platform for groups to discuss and deliberate the schisms in our society over the centuries and see how the split among the Jewish people at the time of the destruction of the second Temple and the loss of the Temple itself impacted the future of our people and compared with later problems and controversies in Jewish society.

The museum also houses the Douglas E. Goldman Jewish Genealogy Centre, where visitors can search a computerised database that contains thousands of genealogies of Jewish families from every corner of the globe.

Visitors are encouraged to register their own family tree. More than three million people have already been recorded in the database and registering your family name could connect you to your own ancestors and living family members who are already in the database. There have been many instances of families discovering unknown relatives through using this database.

A temporary exhibition currently on display is "Andy Warhol and Israeli Artists Present: Jewish Cultural Icons" which features 10 portraits of 20th century Jewish icons, including silk-screens of people from the world of politics, entertainment and science (for instance the Marx Brothers, Albert Einstein, Franz Kafka and Golda Meir).

It's almost impossible to take in everything during one visit, even if you allow yourself a full day, so take one of the museum's guided tours around one section and then give yourself a chance to select some of the fascinating films to watch or to explore your own ancestry.

Prime time

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:20:41 +0000

As you enter the recently-opened museum dedicated to Yitzchak Rabin and his legacy of peace and democracy, you are transported back to Kikar Malchei Yisrael (Kings of Israel Square, later renamed Yitzchak Rabin Square) on the night of November 4 1995. You hear the Prime Minister sing the "shir leShalom" at the Peace Rally, the pistol crack, and a few second later, the announcement of his assassination.

Once a Jewish assailant has killed an Israeli Prime Minister, can the society ever truly recover?

Yitzchak Rabin was Prime Minister of Israel during some of its most turbulent internal political crises and the Museum doesn't try and gloss over the controversies that raged at the time of his murder.

The museum building is designed in a downward spiral, with seven rooms leading off the main path, each one representing a decade of Rabin's life from his birth in 1922.

Using multi-sensory techniques, it tells, at one and the same time the story of Rabin's life and the birth of the fledgling State, through words, pictures, song, music and films. Rabin's life was so much a part of the developing state as he served as Chief of Staff, Ambassador to the United States, Defence Minister and twice as its Prime Minster.

There is also one wall in each room explaining the disagreements within the society during that particular decade, the internal problems and dilemmas they faced. Dana Spielmann, the marketing director, explains that there is no attempt to hide the problems that faced its leaders and the controversies they were embroiled in, from the Sabra and Shatilla massacre when Israel was accused of enabling Arabs to slaughter Palestinian refugees in the refugee camps, to our own leaders' personal financial issues. The centre and museum are dedicated to helping repair the terrible split in Israel society that existed the months before and immediately after the assassination. Its aim is to show the importance of true democracy with respect for the rule of law together with tolerance from all sides, for all opinions.

Spielmann explains that the site of the Yitzchak Rabin Centre, which was inaugurated in 2005, has an intriguing background.

The hill was originally requisitioned for a secret emergency power station to supply power to Tel Aviv in the event of an enemy bombing. It was finished in 1956 on the eve of the Sinai Campaign but fortunately was never needed. The site was given for use for the Centre and the old walls of the power station form part of the building.

The Israeli Museum at the Yitzhak Rabin Center, which was opened in January 2010 is situated in Chaim Levanon Street a.k.a 'Museum Mile' between the Palmach Museum and Eretz Yisrael Museum. A visit is always much more enjoyable if you take a guided tour, but it is possible to take an independent audio tour using headphones which automatically start translating as you stand in front of a film.

The museum building is fully accessible to the disabled and it even provides folding chairs to take with you as you walk around, so that you can sit and watch one of the 180 films in complete comfort.

The museum is recommended for children over the age of 10. You should allow at least an hour and a half for your visit.

Heaven and earth

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:20:39 +0000

Two things make the Eretz Israel Museum stand out from all the other museums.

The first is that it is built around an archaeological dig, Tel Qasile, an ancient port from the 12th century BCE. This dig, which is considered one of the most important in the entire Tel Aviv area, was ongoing for almost 50 years and large sections of the Philistine port were unearthed, including sections of their four-room homes and layers of their temples. It was razed to the ground at one point, but rebuilt and was obviously a religious centre for the area.

Surrounding this dig are individual permanent pavillions making up the Museum Park, each one covering an entirely different aspect of Israel's history, such as ethnography, Judaica. history and culture of Israel, coins, copper mining, postal history and archaeology.

The large area of the park also allows room for a special sundial garden, with many examples of these ancient forerunners of our Swatches and digital timepieces, as well as an area devoted to the thriving olive oil industry and yet another with large samples of ancient mosaic floorings discovered around the country.

Another section is Artisan's Lane, where you can see examples of various ancient crafts, with all their authentic materials and tools, while the adjacent bread courtyard shows the cultivation and processing of grain.

An old fire engine, donated by the city of New York in 1947 and used by the Tel Aviv Fire Brigade until August 1961, is also housed here.

The other innovation is the newly upgraded planetarium, said to be one of the most sophisticated in the world.

The old planetarium was something of a disappointment to most visitors, but that has all changed now, according to Zachi Becker, deputy managing director of the museum.

As visitors sit in the their seats on the revolving platform (the only one of its kind in any planetarium in the world) they take off into outer space through an incredible film, produced by the National Space Centre in Leicester. You are introduced to the infinite universe, with its millions of changing stars, each one completely different from its neighbour. Find out about the oldest, the newest - and even those stars which are still unborn.

While in your seat you'll travel millions of light years' distance to the furthest corner of the solar system and learn about the Milky Way, the Hubble Telescope, the Black Hole and the sun's energy.

Photographs from satellites and Voyager 2 will even show you the formation of new planets.

On a more personal level, the entrance to the new planetarium has a memorial to Ilan Ramon, the Israeli astronaut who died in 2003 on the NASA space shuttle Columbia.

There is a film about his life and achievements and alongside are up-to-date photos from space, received daily from NASA, USA.