Two Banks to Ayalon: Conservation and Development in the Hatikva, Yad Eliyahu, Kfar Shalem, Ezra and Ha'argazim Neighbor

What can a small framing shop in Kfar Shalem reveal about the 1980s art scene? What is the connection between yard plans in Yad Eliyahu and Bauhaus architecture? What do the synagogues in Hatikva reveal about the neighborhood's future? How did early 20th-century Yemenite immigration shape the city's society and culture? And what lessons do these stories offer for urban conservation?

This evening focuses on eastern Tel Aviv-Yafo's neighborhoods - those excluded from the city's dominant narrative and lacking attractive designations like the “White City.” We'll examine District 9 specifically, exploring municipal conservation department research on these areas and discussing preservation priorities for the coming years. Through this process, we aim to understand urban conservation more broadly while gaining a fresh perspective on our surroundings.

The Hatikva, Yad Eliyahu, Kfar Shalem, Ezra, and Ha'argazim neighborhoods are experiencing rapid development. Alongside municipal policies promoting construction and growth, it's crucial to identify which elements must be preserved to reflect the "spirit of the place," local community, and the city's history.

In 2001, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality's Conservation Department launched a comprehensive study of these neighborhoods, examining both material culture reflected in architecture and buildings, and the area's less tangible values – elements not always visible or measurable. The research encompassed history, urban fabric, communities, businesses, personal stories, and intangible heritage.

The event will feature three short presentations by conservation department researchers and a discussion with Tuvia Sulami, poet and historian from the Hatikva neighborhood, and Guy Zuzot, social activist and manager of the Beit Dani community center.

This evening is part of the exhibition "The Phantoms of District 9," currently showing at Liebling Haus

Moderator: Nitzan Cohen, creator of "The Phantoms of District 9" exhibition

Program:

Opening Remarks: Arch. Jeremie Hoffmann, Head of Conservation Department, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, and Arch. Adi Roz, Senior Conservation Architect

"The Heritage of East Tel Aviv – Methodology and New Findings"

Arch. Roy Fabian, artist and architect, head of research group

"The Blue City – Hatikva Neighborhood – The Queen of Ebb and Flow"

Prof. Merav Aharon Gutman, Architecture and Town Planning, The Technion – a social study of District 9

"A Close Look at the Research Process and the Phantom Method"

Nitzan Cohen, documentarist

Content development and production: Moran Navon, Content Manager, Liebling Haus

Event Schedule:

19:30 – Reception

20:00 – Official Start

The research generating the exhibited works was commissioned by architects Jeremie Hoffmann and Adi Roz from the Conservation Department, Eastern Planning Division, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality. Research was conducted by a team led by architect and artist Roy Fabian, including Merav Aharon Gutman, Ruth Avraham, Amir Balaban, and Shira Grossbard. Nitzan Cohen joined as a documentary creator to research and document the district's intangible heritage.