During the last two months Esra members have had the opportunity of joining four different walking tours of Tel Aviv led by Yona Wiseman. Every walk has been a gem with Yona explaining the history of the area.

  1. The first walk took 34 of us through Jaffa and ended up at the flea market. The night before it had rained very heavily and we were not sure that we would be able to do the walk but by 11:00 when we met, the sun was shining. Yona spoke about the ancient city of Jaffa which may even date back over 5,000 years and was probably named after the son of Noah who was called Japhet. Many Bible stories come alive. Besides being the gateway to Jerusalem for Jews and Christians, especially during the 19th century, it is the port where most of the Jewish refugees entered during the pogroms and from war torn Europe.
  2. The second walk was in Neve Zedek and the roads in the area. Yona explained again about the history, about the Chelouche family and their input in the area. We walked past beautifully restored homes intertwined with very old homes, all of which have a history. We went into a beautiful small synagogue which was the Chelouche family’s private synagogue. It was a beautiful day and everyone really enjoyed the pleasant, leisurely walk filled with the history of the Jews of that area.
  3. The third walk took us to the Sarona agricultural area opposite the Kirya in Tel Aviv which is being redeveloped by the Tel Aviv municipality. This is where the German Templers settled when they arrived in Israel at the end of the 18th century. Very few people knew about the history of this area – and what a history! This tour was oversubscribed and we will be organizing it again in the spring so that all those who missed it can have another opportunity to join the walk and learn about the early beginnings of Tel Aviv.
  4. The fourth walk was in Rothschild Boulevard with its multitude of Bauhaus-style homes and the history of the beginning of Tel Aviv. This boulevard is steeped in history and Yona tells wonderful stories about how the first settlers left Jaffa and walked through the sand dunes to establish a garden city which is Tel Aviv today.

Due to the popularity of these walks Esra hopes to continue with further walks in the spring – so watch for the Pesach magazine for more information.

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Adele Hunter

Adele Hunter grew up in Swansea, a small Jewish community in South Wales, UK where she became involved in Jewish and Zionistic organizations. Before making Aliya she was active in the 35’s women’s...
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