- Photo by Ricky Rachman
Tel Aviv is a city famous for its attractions. The thriving nightlife, the world class restaurants, the art galleries and major businesses. But what about its roots? What about the history that the city was built upon? With everything else going on, it can be easy to forget these roots - which is exactly why the city has seen fit to draw some attention to them in the form of the new Independence Trail.
Inspired by Boston's famous Freedom Trail, Tel Aviv's Independence Trail allows both residents and tourists alike to explore the rich history of the city that may otherwise be hidden in plain sight. This guided path through the city allows curious travelers to enjoy the experience at their own pace and make detours and stops as their curiosity demands. The golden bricked path (which is illuminated after dark for night time explorers) covers over a kilometer of the city's sprawling downtown core while marking ten essential stops along the way.
It all starts at the most appropriate of all Tel Aviv locations – an espresso kiosk. Or maybe we should say the espresso kiosk. At the corner of Rothschild Boulevard and Herzl Streets sits an unassuming little slice of history, the very first kiosk to grace the streets of Tel Aviv. For a city defined by its quaint little cafes and exotic street stalls this may be surprising, but kiosks were not always part of the city's urban experience. The very first kiosk in the city was established at this exact location in 1910, quickly becoming a hub of the community and local culture. It wasn't long until fellow entrepreneurs noticed the opportunity and other kiosks started sprouting up in the area.
Today, the Kiosk (that's it's name, just "Kiosk”) still stands, serving up strong coffee amidst some of the city's most popular restaurants and bars. As far as places to start a tour, it doesn't get much better. Grab a jolt of caffeine and head on down the path to the next location.
The Nahum Gutman Fountain tells the history of Tel Aviv as a city. Originally installed in Bialik Square, the mosaic decorated fountain now sits at the end of Rothschild Boulevard. Intricately detailed, the mosaics that wrap around the fountain and stand as pillars rising out of the water visually recount the story of how the port city of Jaffa became the modern Tel Aviv we know and love today. This is the kind of outdoor installation you might not notice if you were just wandering around the downtown core, but it is well worth slowing down and taking a quick stop to appreciate.
Next on the path is what could be considered the very foundation of Tel Aviv. The home of Akiva Aryeh Weiss, the man who founded the first neighborhood of the city. Known initially as "Ahuzat Bayit” the neighborhood was an early effort of the freshly created Building Society to establish a more healthy community. Seeking an alternative to the congestion of Jaffa proper, the Building Society sought to establish a new community with the goal of a "Hebrew urban centre in a healthy environment, planned according to the rules of aesthetics and modern hygiene.” Families submitted their entries (which were written on sea shells) in a lottery to determine who would get a lot of land in what would become Tel Aviv. Only 66 families were drawn, a relatively small number to found a city. But these families prospered, and from these humble roots the city we recognize now as Tel Aviv bloomed.
The path then winds to the Shalom Meir Tower, which was once the site of the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, the first Hebrew-speaking high school in the area. You can browse the visitors center for information on the site's history, or keep moving on to the Tel Aviv Great Synagogue. This incredible building is a marvel of engineering and design. Featuring a massive dome, an Italian inspired plaza overhang surrounding the building, and an array of light fixtures, it is a site of beauty and history halfway through the path.
Next, the Hagana Museum offers an opportunity to soak in the culture of Tel Aviv. The somewhat modest looking building contains three floors of exhibits depicting the true history of the establishment of the Jewish Yishuv (the per-zionist Jewish community living in Palestine) during the British Mandate and the story of the community defense force, the Hagana (the predecessors to the modern IDF) that defended the Yishuv. There is a ton of history packed into those three floors, a site more than deserving of a visit.
After that is the Bank of Israel Visitor's Center, an exhibit examining the history of finances in Israel. Look through hundreds of differently designed coins and notes from different periods of Israel's history. From ancient shekels to the notes used during the British Mandate, to the evolution of the modern NIS, there is lots to discover. An economic history lesson might not sound like the most thrilling stop, but the keen presentation and bracing history of the exhibit keep it fresh and inviting for visitors.
Then it's off to the Tel Aviv Founder Monument remembering those whose efforts forged the city. The names of the 66 families chosen more than a century ago to set down Ahuzat Bayit are inscribed here overlooking a fountain that sits where they dug the first well to supply the city. Just down the path sits the ninth location, a statue of Meir Dizengoff, the first official mayor of Tel Aviv. The statue depicts a relatively humble looking man on the back of a horse, commemorating his habit of riding his horse home from City Hall on Bialik Street to his home nearly 2 km away each day.
Finally, the Independence Trail ends, fittingly, at Independence Hall. This is the spot where on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion and 25 other signatories signed the Israeli Declaration of Independence, officially ending the British Mandate and establishing Israel as a sovereign state.
You can enjoy the Independence Trail either as part of a group or on your own through the use of a downloadable application for a self-guided tour! Either way, you're sure to walk away with a deeper appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of downtown Tel Aviv.
