Tel Aviv Turns 100

June 4, 2009

In a press release, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said, “One hundred years later, the vision of our city’s founders—who looked at the sand dunes and saw the potential for a vibrant city—has been realized.”

The name “Tel Aviv” is from a Hebrew translation of Zionism-founder Theodor Herzl’s book title Altneuland, meaning “Old-New Land.” Dr. Fireberg said the city’s name was chosen since they had “one leg in [old] Jaffa and the other leg in the future.” That mix of old Jaffa and new Tel Aviv became literal in April 1950, when Jaffa was formally merged with its sister city. In addition to referring to its past, the old-and-new concept still applies. While it is home to modern malls and cultural venues, Tel Aviv is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its extensive collection of homes built in what is commonly referred to as the Bauhaus or International Style, which became the standard building style in Tel Aviv in the 1930s. That area is now known as the White City. In addition, Tel Aviv is also home to multiple museums and Independence Hall, the location of David Ben-Gurion’s famous declaration of the independence of the Jewish State.

It is also synonymous with Israeli culture. Its public beaches allure huge numbers of Israelis every year. Its most famous square is the location where former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. It was and is also associated with some of the nation’s most famous writers, and unlike Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tiberius, it is a thoroughly modern Jewish city that literally rose out of the sands during the rebirth of the State of Israel.

Despite being “just” 100 years old, it’s setting the trends. Dr. Fireberg said that if you want to see what will happen in the rest of Israel in the future, look at Tel Aviv. “In many ways, it’s still the center of Israel, and every style starts in Tel Aviv,” said Dr. Fireberg. “This is the heart of the country.”

By Joshua Spurlock, Correspondent, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio

Photo Credit: www.israelimages.com/NaftaliHilger

Photo Credit: Photo by Joshua Spurlock

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