Tel-Aviv: A Love Story at 100

Flying Camels; Seashells; a Cinema; and the White City

When I first visited Tel-Aviv in 1962, just 14 years after the founding of the modern State of Israel, I found a sleepy, torpid city of no particular distinction. Over the years I made many trips back to Israel which included day trips to Tel-Aviv, but not until this summer, when I spent 10 days in Tel-Aviv did I really come to know and love it.

Hopefully, this exhibition, which marks the centennial of Tel-Aviv, reflects the joy and wonder of my visit. Much in Israel has changed over the last 10 years. There are overpasses and underpasses, actual traffic tunnels – even one under Jerusalem’s Old City walls; and toll roads and highways now criss-cross the country speeding traffic on its way.

The Tel-Aviv of 2009 and has more in common with the Tel-Aviv that was founded on the sand dunes in 1909 than with any iteration between those two dates. There is an excitement for the here and now and an appreciation for the past. “Tel-Avivians” are now looking back at their heritage and they like what they see.  

On one hand, Tel-Aviv looks more and more like New York, with modern shopping, modern condominiums, cafes and gourmet restaurants everywhere. On the other hand the city displays a new found respect for its own history as restoration projects abound to bring back the sparkling glory of The White City, Tel-Aviv’s Bauhaus treasure. More and more young people are returning to Tel-Aviv to raise their families and enjoy an urban lifestyle. The streets are full of them and their spirit is uplifting.

Rita Rosen Poley, Director/curator