tel aviv`s

Transcription

tel aviv`s

Dear Guests,
Welcome to the David InterContinental Tel Aviv. As hoteliers
striving to provide cherished moments to our guests through
excellence in service, my staff and I make it a priority to ensure that
you experience a pleasant and memorable stay.
Creating a full sense of a destination is achieved through the perfect
combination of flavors, colors, tastes, aromas, and textures. The
David InterContinental Tel Aviv ideally combines the magic of
Israel’s Mediterranean coast and a perfect metropolitan setting in
the “SoHo” of Neve Tzedek, the heartbeat of Tel Aviv.
There’s an evolution of travel to a place, and the greatest luxury is in
our ability to offer our guests a true insider experience in Tel Aviv.
In a quest to provide you with the quintessential local experience,
this issue explores the world’s smallest mega city through the
eyes of leading artists, photographers, entrepreneurs, city officials,
designers, and restaurateurs - all of whom are true Tel Avivians.
For these individuals, Tel Aviv is their home, and we have recorded
and represented it through their own unique style. Bringing together
their stories, this issue of the magazine highlights the vibrancy of the
city as a dynamic metropolis, richly diverse and full of contrast.
Challenge your own perspective with this rare opportunity to
explore and discover the City that Never Sleeps!
I would like to use this opportunity to also share with you the
latest developments in our beautiful hotel. Our new wellness
center, THE Spa, recently made its grand opening in August 2013.
The 900-square-meter oasis of peace and tranquility combines
the beauty and allure of holistic traditions with the sophistication
of modern spa techniques, to deliver the ultimate spa experience
within an inspiring and relaxing space.
During your stay with us we would be delighted also to welcome
you at any of our dining options, including the Aubergine à la carte
restaurant. Our facilities also include a Concierge Lounge with a
dedicated team to assist in planning the perfect stay, our Atrium
Lobby Lounge, 24-hour room service, a Kids’ Club, an outdoor pool
with sun deck, the Pool Bar, and the Inca Casa del Habano Cigar Bar.
The hotel’s magnificent state-of-the-art event space is the perfect
venue for any occasion. Large or small, our dedicated team of event
planners will help you create your dream event.
Please feel free to drop me a line should you wish my personal
attention to your observations or comments. In the meantime,
make sure to like us on Facebook and to follow us on Twitter to
receive further exciting updates from us.
Thank you for choosing the David InterContinental and let me take
this opportunity to wish you a wonderful stay.
Sincerely,
David E. Cohen
General Manager
David InterContinental Tel Aviv
Facebook: David InterContinental Hotel Tel Aviv
Produced & Published by
Israel Travel News Ltd.
CONTENTS
Managing Director
Tal Shmueli
A Warm Welcome to Milos
10
Tel Aviv’s “Insider Ambassadors” - Being “In The Know”
12
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Eyal Shmueli
Ambassador & Priority Benefits
16
Kitchen Training for Aubergine Chefs
21
Texts
Dr. Gerry Aronow
Premium Club Rooms by Ara at the David InterContinental Tel Aviv 24
Additional Texts & Texts Editing
Naama Ben-Dror & Lauren Green
Marketing
Yuval Nevo
Graphics
Studio T
Address: 11 Gush Etzion St., Givat Shmuel 54030, Israel
Tel: 972-3-5251646. Fax: 972-3-5251605
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.itn.co.il
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Our Corporate Social Responsibility
30
You Owe it to Yourself: the New David InterContinental Spa - THE Spa 34
Marketing Manager
Sigal Shmueli
Cover: Neve Tzedek
Photograph by Nathan Yakobovitch
InterContInental MarseIlle - Hôtel-DIeu
Nathan Yakobovitch is a
photographer and hi-tech
executive who was born and
raised in Tel Aviv.
His deep love for the city
is expressed in the vitality
and colors of his images,
which were recently
displayed in his first
exhibition, held in Jaffa Port.
The management is not responsible for the contents of any
advertisement appearing in this publication.
The Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital
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Dedicated Events at the David InterContinental
44
Rami Meiri - Talking Walls
46
The Inca La Casa del Habano Bar - Sports, Sophistication & Smoke
50
My David InterContinental Guest Experience
52
The Aubergine: You Can’t Afford to Miss the Experience
61
Dining near the Hotel
64
Nathan Yakobovitch
66
Olivier Amar: On-line Protection & the David InterContinental Connection 68
Social Club: A Tel Aviv Dining Experience
71
InterContinental London Westminster
75
Inside Tel Aviv’s New Home
78
My Journey Through the Holy Land
81
“My Tel Aviv”
84
Guests & Visitors at the Hotel
86
Shanti House: a Loving Refuge for at-Risk Youth
88
Insider Secrets
90
A WA R M
W ELCOME TO
MILOS
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Joining the David InterContinental late in 2012, Belgrade-born Milos
Cerović, the hotel’s new Resident Manager, came to Tel Aviv after
a successful career working in top-level management positions in
the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Milos began his studies in
the hospitality industry at the St. John’s University Hotel School, and
from there moved to Las Vegas for an M.S. in Hotel Administration,
which he earned while working at the MGM Grand at the same
time. His next stop was Dubai, where Hyatt employed him, and
then back to the States for stints at a Hyatt hotel in Dallas and an
InterContinental property in Chicago as its Rooms Division Manager.
Returning to Europe for the first time, he was appointed Assistant
General Manager, Corporate for InterContinental’s Budapest
property, where he remained until transferring to London in 2012
as Resident Manager of a bloc of hotels within the Olympic Village.
His is a cosmopolitan family, with one son born in Chicago and
another in Budapest.
After working in London, Milos received what appeared to him to
be an amazing job offer to become the new Resident Manager at
the David InterContinental Tel Aviv. Before accepting the position,
he and his wife flew to Israel in May 2012 for the weekend and
stayed at the hotel, to see how they liked it. Within one day they
were sold on the hotel and the beautiful city of Tel Aviv. In Milos’
words, “I was blown away.”
Coming from London which is cold and rainy most of the year, to
Tel Aviv, which enjoys over 300 days of sun a year, Milos felt this
was the city for him and his family. Since the move, the family enjoys
spending weekends at the beach, park and the marina in beautiful
Herzliya, just north of Tel Aviv. The delectable and wide selection
of international cuisines is one of Milos’ favorite Tel Aviv qualities.
TEL AVIV’S “INSIDER
AMBASSADORS” BEING
“IN THE KNOW”
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts remains committed to providing
guests with memorable and exclusive travel encounters. The brand’s
“Insider Experience” program focuses on the insider knowledge and
vast experience of the local teams of concierges, to offer guests
the most authentic and enriching experiences. Serving as “Insider
Ambassadors,” the concierge team assists guests to discover hidden
gems and activities throughout the city.
“IN THE K NOW ”
All good hotels have concierges - those helpful souls situated usually
in the vicinity of the reception desk that are at your service to find
you hard-to-get tickets, book a table at that restaurant you just have
to try during your two-night stay in town, change your flight itinerary,
tell you where the best bargains in local crafts are and offer you
hundreds of other tips and services. At InterContinental we have
taken this service one step ahead, introducing the “In the Know”
concept. It is based on research indicating that affluent travelers
are becoming more experience oriented, sharing a desire to try
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David InterContinental Tel Aviv Head Concierge Ronen Alkalai, president of Les Clefs d’Or in Israel, at the desk of the hotel’s new Concierge Lounge.
out new things, enjoy the authenticity of their travels and gain more
knowledge about their world in the cities where they are staying.
“Essentially, it’s about how we can be better by helping our
guests with the local knowledge we have, so that they will enjoy
special experiences in the course of their stay,” explains David
InterContinental Tel Aviv Head Concierge Ronen Alkalai, who
also serves as president of the Israeli branch of Les Clef’s d’Or, the
concierges’ international professional association. “As such, it’s a
ramification of our chain’s motto: ‘Do You Live an InterContinental
Life?’”
“As part of this program, for which all the concierges in the chain
have undergone special training, I and the members of my team
have deepened our knowledge of Tel Aviv,” Ronen says, “and we’ve
developed the tools to pass on the knowledge and insights we have
acquired, to our guests. Not only the members of the concierge
staff, but all the employees in the hotel are a part of this project
and they all share their knowledge with guests. Since we are
asked about everything, we have to be extremely professional and
knowledgeable. Nowadays, it’s not only about hard-to-get tickets.
It’s about:
Being able to pass on those rich insights our concierge teams and
their colleagues have gained in the cities and resorts they love.
Making our guests feel that they are being looked after by genuine
insiders. (Imagine your closest friends were visiting your muchbeloved hometown: what would you suggest that they do with their
time to really get a taste of the place?).
Making our guests feel less like tourists and more like locals, giving
them real experiences and stories they can take home.
Being experts that can send a guest off to a restaurant with more
than directions, e.g., recommendations of a specialty and an idea
for where to walk off the meal afterwards or where to go for a
pre-meal drink.
Having the insight to know how authentic guests want their
experiences to be.
Being intuitive and knowing how to help guests spend an idle
moment or bring home a perfect gift.
Being a “special agent” that provides information to our guests,
helping them concentrate their experiences, so that they can gain
the greatest benefit from their Tel Aviv stay, even if it’s only for a
couple of days.
In short, it’s being “In the Know,” and with the tools to share this
knowledge with strangers and to turn them into friends!
THE CONCIERGE LOUNGE
Now, the David InterContinental Tel Aviv has taken its concierge
service to the next level, initiating a service developed a couple of
years ago by the InterContinental international chain. A dedicated
Concierge Lounge just off the hotel’s entrance lobby, designed with
comfortable seating, a quiet décor, original Israeli art, and an aerial
video of Israel, it is staffed between 7 AM and 11 PM each day by the
hotel’s team of concierges. One of the lounge’s prominent features
is a library of books (mostly in English) on different aspects of Israel
- architecture, history, cuisine and more. “The idea is to showcase
Israel from a broad range of perspectives,” Ronen explains, “since
familiarity with local cultural knowledge is a chain-wide priority, to
give our guests tools to explore unique experiences.”
There is no entrance fee for the new lounge, and it is also a nice
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place to relax for a few moments, but primarily: “It’s another way of
prioritizing guest service, by upgrading the focus the hotel places on
the role of the concierge in helping guests to get the most out of
their stays,” Ronen says. “We have been trained to provide a wealth
of information on Israel and Tel Aviv, and whether guests prefer
Q. If friends from abroad were visiting you in Tel Aviv for only
24 hours, what would you tell them it would be a pity to miss?
A. I would recommend that they walk along Rothschild
Blvd., where they can admire the contrasts between the old
and modern architectural styles, visit the newly renovated
Independence Hall (where Israel’s independence was declared
in 1948), rent a green bicycle and enjoy one of the many good
restaurants scattered all along Rothschild. Tel Aviv "culture
plaza" is located at the far end of Rothschild, combining the
Habima National Theater, the Bronfman Auditorium (home of
the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) and the Helena Rubinstein
contemporary art pavilion. The plaza is networked with high
fidelity speakers, enabling passers-by to listen to concerts or
rehearsals from the auditorium nearby, in full stereo. Places are
usually available on one of the benches around the plaza, for
people to relax, and to listen to the music of one of the world’s
best symphony orchestras - a real escape from the city's hustle
and bustle.
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information verbally, in print, on their iPad, or on their laptop via
the Internet, the lounge has been equipped with all the devices to
enable us to show anyone what their options are, no matter their
interests, and how to access further details about them.”
Q. What is your favorite seafood restaurant in Tel Aviv?
A. Manta Ray, the only seafood restaurant situated on the
beach, offering an enchanting view of the Jaffa’s Old City and an
excellent menu featuring fish and seafood prepared Israeli style.
Q. In your opinion, what is Tel Aviv’s most interesting museum?
A. I think that the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is the most interesting,
especially after it inaugurated its new wing. The museum is
home to the world’s largest collection of Israeli art.
Q. Given your choice, where would you love to live in the
city, and why?
A. On a quiet street a short distance by foot from the both sea
and central locations like Ben Yehuda or Dizengoff streets. Sirkin,
Shalom Aleichem or Hovevei Tzion streets would be ideal.
Q. Is there any delightful spot in Tel Aviv you'd recommend?
A. Jaffa Slope Park, located south of the port, is a truly enchanting
place, and the views are spectacular.
INTERCONTINENTAL® AMBASSADOR
EXCLUSI V E PR I V IL EGES AT INTERCONTINENTA L
HOTEL S & R ESORTS
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KITCHEN TR AINING
FOR AUBERGINE
CHEFS
As a hotel serving the needs of savvy international travelers, the David
InterContinental is always alert to new directions in dining. One way
it has decided to deal with developments in the culinary arts is to
expose hotel chefs to the most trendy, popular and busy restaurants
in Tel Aviv, to help its kitchen employees enhance their kitchen
experience and increase their knowledge of how to work in highvolume restaurants in as seamless a way as possible. While gaining
insight into the organization and operation of a busy and successful
restaurant, the chefs also learned about new international trends
in the world of cuisine, along with innovative cutting-edge cooking
techniques. Since Aubergine, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant,
specializes in à la carte gourmet food, it was important for its chefs
to visit restaurants similar in style and to experience their up-tempo
energies and flow of service when operating to capacity.
No less important to their development as professional chefs was
the opportunity these visits afforded them to network and make
connections with some of the best and most well-known chefs in
Israel, opening doors to opportunities for them to work on projects
with them in the future, such as co-hosting gourmet weeks at
Aubergine.
Messa, with a kitchen headed Chef Aviv Moshe, features a menu
based on quality raw materials of different textures, complemented
by modern cooking techniques, it creates dishes of captivating
complexity that nevertheless exude a feeling of home-style cuisine.
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Ben Graves (second from left) and Michael Frein, his chef de partie colleague at the David InterContinental’s Aubergine à la carte restaurant,
pictured in the restaurant kitchen with a student from the Tel Aviv campus of the Vatel Hotel School, and hotel Executive Chef Alfred
Jevnisek.
Catit, headed by Chef Meir Adoni, is known for its sophisticated
culinary creations, based on a combination of the finest ingredients.
Those in the know consider dining there a unique gastronomic
experience, and it has earned a reputation as a Tel Aviv “must.”
Chloelys, owned and headed by Chef Victor Gloger, is best known
for its treatment of seafood and fish. It is ranked as one of the
best restaurants in Israel and is recognized for its innovation and its
delicious food and wine menu.
Manta Ray, a well-known fish and seafood restaurant, overlooking
the sea and a five- minute walk from the hotel, has been serving
discerning patrons for many years with an innovative menu that
does justice to and complements the natural surroundings in which
it is situated. The menu is orchestrated by Chef Ronen Skinezes,
who also serves as the chef at Yona (see p. 64).
Social Club (see p.71), a “modern bistro” on trendy Rothschild Blvd.,
features a vibrant and friendly ambience, one of the best wine cellars
in town, and imaginative dishes that are sophisticated in their very
simplicity. The kitchen is headed by Chef Michael Gertopski, who is
also the chef at Gastro, one of Tel Aviv’s most “in” restaurant-pubs.
BEN’S EXPER IENCE
Ben Graves from Los Angeles, who came to Israel four years ago
to continue growing and pursuing his dreams of becoming an
international chef, has been employed as Aubergine’s sous-chef for
the past year. He was given the opportunity to spend two days at
local restaurant kitchens of Catit and Social Club.
“What impressed me most about Catit was Chef Meir Adoni’s
attention to detail,” Ben recalls. “Traditionally, chefs may use a few
components in each dish, but Meir would use 10-15 and the blend
in the dish would be perfect. Nevertheless, what I learned most
at Catit was how to prep and plate more efficiently.” From his
experience at Social Club, under the watchful eye of Chef Michael
Gertopski, Ben learned management and timing skills, both of which
had been a challenge for him, he admits - and was able to feel what
it is like working at a restaurant with nearly 200 covers, which is
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busy most of the time: “It was very beneficial for me to watch how
Michael serves a full house in timely fashion,” he adds.
The menus at both Catit and Social Club also inspired Ben. “My
biggest challenge as a chef at Aubergine is making sure every dish
is kosher, and because compromising on taste is not an option, the
dishes we make push us to think ‘outside the box,’ ” he explains.
“Thus, for example, I wanted to copy Catit’s caper vinagrette to pair
with fish at our restaurant, but the combination of chicken stock and
butter aren’t permitted in a kosher kitchen. I substituted lemon juice
for the broth, used margarine instead of butter, and complemented
the dish with vinegar and a touch of white wine. I am extremely
pleased with the result.”
He also has integrated an item from Social Club into the Aubergine
menu, taking a recipe that calls for fillet of gilthead sea bream
prepared with seasonal vegetables a la plancha, changing the bream
to yellowtail and serving the dish with an artichoke cream.
But above and beyond the skills Ben was able to acquire and hone
in the course of the two days he spent in these kitchens, what left
the strongest impression on him was the reinforced realization of
“…how passionate about food I am. If I could collaborate with a
different chef every week, I certainly would.”
Looking back at the experience, Chef Michael Gartofsky has nothing
but praise for both the collaborative experience and for Ben in
particular. “It is very difficult for a hotel, which serves many hundreds
of meals every day, to teach à la minute, fine dining kitchen skills to its
chefs, even those working in an à la carte restaurant like Aubergine,”
he remarks. “Skills like concentration, timing and attention to detail
are absolute necessities. They can be taught, if the basis is there.
It’s easy to tell from the first moment whether or not a chef ‘has
it’; how he handles a skillet, a knife, how comfortable he is in the
kitchen, and whether he is able to hear and implement a request
from a far corner while working on something totally different,
without losing focus. Ben is one of those chefs, and I was pleased
we were able to give him the opportunity to become even better.”
PREMIUM CLUB
ROOMS BY AR A
AT THE DAVID
INTERCONTINENTAL
TEL AVIV
Plans have been developed to renovate the Club rooms and suites
at the David InterContinental Tel Aviv, to transform these topof-the line rooms into even more refined “Premium Club” guest
accommodation units, with a host of modern state-of-the art
touches, to meet the cultivated expectations and needs of our
cosmopolitan InterContinental guests, whose tastes grow more
sophisticated with each passing year. Work on this ambitious
project is scheduled to begin in mid-December 2013, with the
top three floors of the hotel closed, to enable the refurbishing to
be implemented, along with two floors below them, to serve as a
“buffer zone,” ensuring that guests staying elsewhere in the hotel are
not disturbed by the ongoing activities.
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David Intercontinental Tel Aviv
JULAccording
2012to Ara, the London-based design company in charge of
Royal Suite Transitional Schem
Bathroo
the project, the idea is to infuse these upgraded premium rooms and
suites with a sense of modern luxury in a residential fashion and style
it terms “elegant contemporary,” so that guests will feel warmth and
comfort. Natural luxurious tones were selected, with attention to
quality and detail, so as to continue to showcase the property as the
number #1 hotel in Tel Aviv with regard to the style of the product,
for the type of clientele envisaged by the hotel: worldly travelers
with a level of expectation the product would satisfy.
Royal Suite Transitional Scheme
Bedroom Mood
To satisfy your curiosity until these newly renovated accommodations
are ready for your enjoyment, we hope you will enjoy these images
of how some of the design elements may look, courtesy of the Ara
designers.
Presidential Suite
Bedroom & Dressing Area Mood
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INTERCONTINENTAL
MARSEILLE HÔTEL-DIEU
Inaugurated in late April 2013, the culmination of a three-year
renovation program, the InterContinental Marseille - Hôtel-Dieu
has been transformed from the Hôtel-Dieu hospital into a superluxurious five-star hotel, perfectly located overlooking the Vieux
Port, right beside Le Panier, the oldest district in Marseille, the
vibrant Mediterranean’s capital of Provence.
The Marseille Hôtel-Dieu, featuring 194 rooms and suites, is only the
second hotel reconstruction project, after Nantes, to receive the
new certification “NF Service Industry Buildings - HQE Procedure,
Hospitality Industry.”
Prior to the transformation, archeological excavations were
conducted in 2008 in order to preserve remarkable elements of the
history of the building. These efforts were primarily concentrated
in two areas: the 18th-century bronzesmith’s oven and the 12thcentury Saint-Esprit hospital chapel.
Symbolizing the history of the hotel, a fragment of a Roman antique
mosaic, discovered in the grounds in the course of renovating the
property, was also unveiled to the public.
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DINING
The InterContinental Marseille offers two restaurants: the Les
Fenêtres brasserie and Alcyone, a gourmet restaurant scheduled
to open during the first week of September 2013 with a menu
focusing on “local recipes with a twist.” Both feature breathtaking
views of the Vieux Port and a selection of dishes incorporating the
freshness of Provence.
Les Fenêtres, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, is decorated in
a traditional brasserie style with banquettes and tables offering an
intimate atmosphere and can accommodate 80 guests at a sitting.
The imaginative design using glass and mirrors underlines the stylish,
harmonious overall aspect. The Mediterranean cuisine is, of course,
de rigueur; however, all visitors, both local and international are
catered for, with a well-designed menu providing a large range of
choices.
Located on the first floor of the hotel, the Le Capian bar pays
homage to the history of the city with a reproduction of an
18th-century painting depicting the Bay of Marseille. The style is
contemporary; the atmosphere is achieved by the use of blue seats,
blue being traditionally the color of Marseille. Both the bar and the
brasserie extend onto an outdoor terrace and offer unique views of
the Vieux-Port and Notre-Dame de la Garde.
OTHER SERV ICES & FACILITIES
The hotel’s fully equipped on-site fitness center, featuring floor-toceiling windows, is a haven of light, where guests also can take time
out from exercise to admire the great views. Personal trainers are
available too.
The hotel spa, by Clarins, is equipped with a musical indoor pool,
two saunas and a hamam, together with six beauty treatment
booths offering guests a unique experience into the warm and
sensual waters of the Mediterranean.
The InterContinental Marseille - Hôtel-Dieu also features a 1000m2
conference center, 10 meeting rooms, and a 404m2 modular
ballroom that can be divided into two.
An unstaffed business center is open to guests, who can also take
advantage of standard Internet service at no extra charge. Wi-Fi
connectivity is available in all Standard and Executive rooms, suites,
the business center and public areas.
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Shmuel Huberman running with the Olympic torch, London, 2012.
OUR CORPOR ATE
SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
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“The David InterContinental Tel Aviv believes in contributing to the
community in which we live,” says the hotel’s CSR Manager Livnat
Nahmias-B. ”We do the right thing, positioning ourselves in the best
places to make a difference in all sorts of ways. We also motivate our
employees to take part in these activities and to take pride in their
workplace and in the added value of giving to others. Similarly, it is
important for us that our guests feel that the hotel in which they are
staying does a lot of good for the community and its surroundings,
and we all hope that they enjoy being hostel in such a place, where
the entire management team - and the general manager in particular
- take the lead in orchestrating and promoting these activities.”
The hotel selects a different concept each year, by means of which
to contribute to the community, and one of the guiding principles in
choosing the annual theme, is to offer opportunities to those it has
decided to assist, and especially to open them up to the world of
employment. It was based in 2012 on the London Olympics, where
IHG was one of the sponsors. The David InterContinental, in the
spirit of the Olympics, volunteered and contributed to organizations
and associations involved in sports and challenges, entering into a
partnership with “Etgarim” (Hebrew for “Challenges”), a non-profit
organization founded by a group consisting of both rehabilitation
professionals and handicapped individuals. Etgarim’s goal is to use
adventure sports activities as a way of enabling children, adolescents
and adults with all types of disabilities - physical, sensory or
emotional - to reinforce their self-confidence and maximize and
realize their human potential. “In addition, we sent a select group
Good Deeds Day, 2013: when David InterContinental employees provided meals for 150 at-risk youth.
of employees to work in the chain’s Olympic village hotels,” Livnat
adds, “and Shmuel Huberman, a member of our kitchen staff who
has been employed at the hotel for a number of years and who
uses sign language to connect with the outer world, was chosen as
an Olympic torchbearer. It was an extremely gratifying emotional
experience for Shmuel, as well as for all of us at the hotel.”
“I am part of the City’s Youth” was the theme selected for 2013,
building on programs with which the hotel was involved in the past,
and adding others. The David InterContinental has been partnering
for a number of years with ORT Geula, a South Tel Aviv high school,
with a student body comprising disadvantaged and at-risk youngsters
for the most part. It continues to be actively involved in ORT Geula’s
Photography program, serving as a setting for photos and as a gallery
where the works are showcased. As part of this experience, the hotel
had organized a Bauhaus competition for them previously, with voting
that took place over Facebook and with prizes for the winners.
A Culinary Arts program is its latest cooperative venture with ORT
Geula, the result of a new approach at the school that places an
emphasis on specialization, as a way of providing at-risk youngsters
with an opportunity to learn a trade and begin a career. “The
program has been developed in cooperation with the Ministry of
Education too,” Livnat explains. “We have prepared the syllabus
for the hands-on training that is an integral part of the course, and
the budding chefs work in the hotel under the supervision of our
kitchen staff.”
The hotel also has started a program with Tel Aviv’s Shanti House
David InterContinental staff members participating in “Race around the World.”
31
31
(see p. 88), which defines its aim as “…providing a warm home to
youngsters affected by physical, sexual and verbal abuse, orphans,
victims of parental neglect who have dropped out of formal
therapeutic services, new immigrant youngsters and lone soldiers.”
BEYOND THE IMMEDI ATE NEIGHBOR HOOD
It is not just challenges in their immediate surroundings to which
the hotel staff devotes its attention, but to Israel in general, with
an emphasis on activities that help youth develop and maximize
their potential in society. One such project is in cooperation with
“Tzimaon” (Hebrew for “Thirst”), a non-profit organization founded
by Israeli songwriter/singer Shlomo Artzi and named after one of
his most famous albums. Working with children of foreign workers
as part of the Tzimaon framework is another project in which the
hotel is involved, and it helps organize activities for Israeli youth
too - Israel scouting activities, to take one case in point. As Livnat
succinctly puts it: “Where no parental involvement exists, we do
what we can to fill the void. Often this means finding a framework
for them to work in the hotel.
It’s person-to-person involvement, even when it’s once a month
only. Hotels are a new world for these youngsters and young adults,
opening them up to possibilities they never imagined existed, and
sometimes the results are truly heartwarming and amazing.
“SHELTER IN STOR M”
A key element of disaster response is the IHG Shelter Fund,
supported by fundraising activities on an ongoing basis throughout
the year, to ensure vital assistance without delay.
Developing “Race around the World,” a program based on the
parameters of the international chain, the David InterContinental Tel
Aviv has been focusing on sporting activities as a way of raising funds
GPSUIJTXPSUIZDBVTFEPOBUJOHGPSFBDILJMPNFUFSDPWFSFEIJLJOH
Another new activity with which then hotel has become involved,
is in support of Haifa’s Rambam Hospital (see p. 36). The David
InterContinental is helping out with fund raising and public relations
for the hospital’s new underground wing.
GR EENING IS CA R ING TOO
“We become greener with each passing year,” Livnat states. “It’s
a way of life and what we believe in, but it’s also the policy of
IHC. ‘Green Engage,’ as IHG has been developing it, is a two-fold
endeavor: environment and community. We are pro-active in both
of these areas, and we report back to the chain on a regular basis.”
Running a large hotel’s electrical systems is quite a costly operation,
so the David InterContinental has invested in new air-conditioning
chillers that save substantial sums of money on an annual basis. It
has also moved over to more environmentally friendly cleaning
products and it has been recycling extensively.
CEL EBR ATING SERV ICE
While devoting much time, effort and love to worthy projects outside the hotel, the David InterContinental goes to great lengths to
enrich the lives of its employees and also their families. “Celebrate Service Week,” directed at reinforcing the sense of appreciation
the hotel feels for its staff and a way of saying THANK YOU to every team member, and is an annual event defined and developed by
the international chain, while the summer camp it organizes for employees’ children, is another meaningful project .
Livnat Nahmias-B. (far left) and David InterContinental summer camp children.
32
YOU OWE IT
TO YOURSELF:
THE NEW DAVID
INTERCONTINENTAL
SPA After opening and managing spas in some of Israel’s finest properties
and others in prestigious properties in London and Amsterdam,
Guy Nadler, a 15-year spa treatment veteran, has moved to the
David InterContinental Tel Aviv to orchestrate the reconfiguration
and renovation of “THE Spa,” the reincarnation of the hotel’s health
and fitness center, which was inaugurated early in August 2013, and
to operate it.
Open seven days a week, the facility, a modern oasis of peace
and tranquility, has been designed by London-based Ara, which
has been in charge of all the new design elements of the hotel
for the past few years. Implemented in warm shades of beige and
brown complemented by delicate greenish-hued wallpaper and all
highlighted by an onyx reception desk for what Guy describes as
“a prestigious but warm, home-like feeling,” the entire area is more
than 800 m2 in size - somewhat enlarged from the previous facility
- and features a spa on one side and a newly built state-of-the-art
gym on the other, separated by a corridor that leads out into the
hotel’s swimming pool compound. The fitness area features both
Technogym cardio-vascular and free weights equipment, the former
outfitted with LCD screens. Kinesis machines, based on weights,
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are available too, designed to tone every muscle of the body with
a wide variety of training options for total control, whether seated
or standing.
All of the towels are of high-quality microfiber. Both the men’s and
women’s locker room have been outfitted with a steam room and
sauna. Tai Chi and breathing exercises are also offered at the gym,
to enable guests to warm up before exercising and for post-training
relaxation.
There also is a manicure, pedicure and hairdressing salon, featuring
Peter Thomas Ruth top-of-the-line cosmetics and Essie nail care
products; Kerastin and L’Oreal hair products; and the spa’s own
private label, based on minerals and essences from the Dead Sea.
A new food and beverage menu with healthy choices that
complement the treatments and the ambience has been designed
for the spa.
The gym is open daily to guests of the hotel, with limited access to
outside members, though priority at any given time will be reserved
for guests, Nadler states.
- THE IDE A
Holistic finds expression in the way each treatment ends - rocking,
Reiki, Tibetan bowl, guided imagination - and this facet is an integral
part of each session, no matter the length, though the length of the
holistic element is a function of the total length of the treatment, to
create the right balance.”
Though the THE Spa menu features a diversity of standard
treatments - Swedish and Thai massages, shiatsu, reflexology,
Ayurveda, hot stones and more - it also specializes in some not to
be found anywhere else, such as “7 Chakras” and the “5 Senses”
signature massage. Offered in time frames of 80, 110, or 140
minutes, 5 Senses is based on three focal activities - a choice of
peeling and body massage, along with a concluding holistic element.
“It radiates the power of gentleness,” Guy adds.
There is an “Elements” treatment too, with Earth, Air, Fire and
Water components, which combines reflexology, Reiki, hot stones
and Dead Sea mud.
“We only employ diplomaed practitioners,” Guy stresses, “and
even then, they are required to undergo further instruction by our
own staff of trainers, to bring them up to THE level we expect and
demand.”
Seven treatment rooms are available at the spa, including one set
aside for couples, and most of the rooms come equipped with
glass-enclosed private “lifestyle” showers highlighted by LED lighting,
each designed with a variety of pressure nozzles and an enormous
showerhead.
“This is a new concept for spas, my own idea, and the name is more
than just an overstated proclamation,” Guy remarks. “T-H-E stands
for Tailor-made Holistic Experience, and that’s exactly what clients
can expect, an experience crafted to the treatments they choose,
and the length of the treatment - usually 50, 70 or 110 minutes.
The longer the treatment, the greater the number of tailor-made
elements it combines. For example, someone selecting a 50-minute
massage will be able to choose the type of Shea butter we use and
the background aroma to scent the room, while the type of peeling,
the ambience and the music are included in 110-minute programs.
Spa photos by Amit Giron
35
A child receiving dialysis treatment and her nurse in the Nephrology
Unit of the current children’s hospital at Rambam.
THE RUTH R APPAPORT
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Children represent the future and are the greatest resource of
every nation. As you enjoy your time in Israel, we hope you will
notice the numerous playgrounds in every neighborhood, all for the
enjoyment of our children. However, other realities that can affect
Israel’s children are illness, injuries, birth defects, and war.
Rambam Health Care Campus is home to the only children’s hospital
in Northern Israel, and the tertiary referral center for the region’s
12 district hospitals and 600,000 youngsters ages 0–18. Rambam’s
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) treats over 500 premature and
full-term infants annually. This number is growing, as improvements in
prenatal and postnatal care and advanced fertility treatments become
increasingly successful. Certain ethnic groups located in the region
are particularly prone to congenital kidney disease, necessitating daily
dialysis treatments and, ultimately, kidney transplantation. Nearly
every child from this area suffering from cancer will be treated at
Rambam, and that number is not small. In all these cases, the hospital
environment directly affects each child’s healing.
The new Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital at Rambam has been
designed with a focus on the needs of children and their families.
Open spaces, friendly recreational areas, facilities that allow kids
to continue normal activities such as schooling and play dates with
friends, and double and single rooms with ample space for families
are not luxuries but basics for providing quality care and promoting
a child’s sense of well-being.
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Main lobby with three-story open-space atrium.
This nine-story children’s hospital will provide full medical services via
seven inpatient departments and over 20 professional units. Equally
important, the new hospital will feature a science museum, a movie
theater, classrooms, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, a healing
garden, and more. These comfortable surroundings will welcome
families undergoing a difficult time and encourage visits from siblings
and friends. Perhaps most important, the bottom three floors will
be fortified against conventional and nonconventional warfare to
assure the safety of our most vulnerable little ones.
Your gift to the Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital will better
the lives of kids entrusted to Rambam’s care. The boys and girls
benefitting from your generosity are tomorrow’s men and women
- the future of Israel.
Find out how you can help, at: www.rambam.org.il
pic tured by Eran Be'eri
Israeli entertainer Yuval HaMebulbal plays with a child in the current children’s hospital at Rambam.
37
HATACHANA IT’S YOUR STOP
Located in the area of the city separating Jaffa from Tel Aviv, between
the Neve Tzedek district and the Mediterranean Sea, Hatachana
(Hebrew for “the station”) is one of Israel’s finest new centers for
fun and entertainment, fashion and culture.
Formerly a railway station from which travelers would set off for
Jerusalem, and a crossroads for local commerce until it closed down
and was left derelict, the site on which Hatachana is situated was
hidden from view for a long time, but it underwent a unique process
of comprehensive refurbishment in recent years.
The Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa (via its municipal subsidiary Ezra
U’Bitzaron) in cooperation with the Vitania Corporation, reopened
the site after 22 of its buildings had been renovated and preserved,
a process carried out by a team of architects, engineers, and expert
contractors that took pains to maintain the compound’s historical
and architectural value so that visitors would be left with a sense
of its historical authenticity. The building housing the passenger
terminal itself, where tickets were sold and from which the trains
would depart, is among those that have remained intact, along with
that of the Vilner Family, members of the local Templar community,
and the family’s building supplies and floor tile factory, and some
constructed by the British Army, which was based there prior to
1948.
Featuring on-site commercial enterprises and one-off initiatives for
special activities and events that take place there, Hatachana offers
38
visitors a wide variety of opportunities for shopping and fun, culture
and entertainment. It is a unique blend of history, commerce and
culture, a cultural compass enabling every visitor to feel comfortable
and to find the places he or she likes best.
Visitors may enjoy special musical events, art fairs and temporary
exhibitions in the on-site gallery. Trend-setting fashion events also
take place from time to time, as do children’s activities (like the
Saturday plays for young audiences), sports activities - the annual Tel
Aviv Marathon begins at Hatachana - and open-air sporting lessons.
The space is shared by many commercial enterprises as well fashion and jewelry shops and boutiques, alongside others dealing
with home décor, which stock products by Israel’s finest fashion
designers.
Bellinsky, a boutique branded and designed by Idit and Or Bellinsky,
graduates of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, specializes
in leather products - bags, belts and wallets - as well as clothing
designed with clean lines and a modern twist.
with a collection based on classic wearing apparel complemented by
design innovations.
Alma, a boutique offering a diversity of fashion accessories and labels
from all over the world, proudly presents Alma and Black Market,
two lines created and designed by Keren Cohen-Banker. The latter
is an international brand that has been very successful in Israel too.
Razili, which operates as a curated fashion collection and specializes
in spotting new fashion trends, showcases eclectic exhibitions
featuring works by the finest designers and jewelry artists. Years of
appreciation for Israeli creativity and an understanding of its artistic
value have placed Razali at the vanguard of the local design scene
and have strengthened its standing as a trend-setting leader and as a
leading contributor to the development of Israeli design.
Shoofra showcases the finest shoe brands in a unique and unusual
space in which old furniture and other items receive a new lease
on life.
Hella Ganor and Dorit Gray have been creating jewelry these past
20 years and more, for clients that enjoy and appreciate original
pieces. They run a gallery on the premises, to showcase their handcrafted jewelry in gold, silver, diamonds and semi-precious gems.
Studio Noa by designer Noa Yaar is a different type of fashion
house offering children’s, girl’s and women’s clothing designed in a
style that is creative and special. Combinations of different textiles,
embroidery, transfers and one-of-a-kind handmade pieces raise the
level of the offerings in the boutique to “Art to Wear” status.
Owned by fashion designer Yossi Katzav, Sketch sells men’s clothing
Nudie Jeans features the Swedish premium brand of the same
39
name. Youthful and “underground,” it burst onto the scene in 2001
armed with a real passion to design the world’s highest quality jeans.
Sane prices. A strong social and environmental philosophy. An “anti
fashion” conception.
Soho is a special shop selling designer objects: household items;
kitchen utensils; fashion accessories; well-designed gadgets; office
products; things for children; pop and paper products.
Made in TLV, a shop selling unusual souvenirs, is loaded with
hundreds of items dedicated to the “White City.” Most of the pieces
have been designed in Tel Aviv by local artists, and the goal of the
shop is to help spread word of “the sexiest metropolitan area in the
Middle East” to the entire world.
Gaya offers hundreds of thought and strategy games, along with
original, exciting quality puzzles and quiz games.
The Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories shop at Hatachana is pleased
to recommend products it sells on the spot, for healthier skin.
Cosmetic and spa treatments are available in the treatments space,
designed to exude an ambience of relaxation.
H ATACH A NA A L SO OFFER S V ISITOR S
A VA R IET Y OF SPECI A L CULINA RY T R E ATS
Italkia Ba'Tachana (“Italian in the Station”) is an Italian restaurant
featuring a rich, and diverse menu for breakfast, business lunch and
dinner, presided over by Chef Amir Marcovitz, who has created a
bill of fare that combines his expertise with the enchantment of
southern Italy with many dishes based on this cuisine. Open for
business daily, 9:00-24:00.
Vicky Cristina is a wine bar specializing in the preparation of Catalanstyle tapas dishes. Patrons may sit under the shade of Tel Aviv’s
oldest ficus tree and enjoy the sounds of Spanish music and pitchers
40
of sangria. The bar offers business lunches, and is open every day of
the week until the last customer leaves.
The Station Café is located in the original station building, more
than 100 years old. The café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner,
with a menu based on local raw materials and dessert surprises.
The unique location and ambience make it an excellent choice for
having fun any time of the day and evening. Open seven day a week,
starting at 9:00.
Regina is a kosher restaurant situated in a 19th-century
Mediterranean-style building of architectural loveliness. The inner
courtyard, decorated with flowers and foliage is surrounded by
an iron gate and a wall, and the rooms surrounding the yard have
been designed in a unique way, with chandeliers, tiles featuring a
rhomboid design and authentic doors and shutters.
The kitchen, set up in one of the rooms, specializes in the
preparation of food from Israeli ethnic communities, inspired by the
railway station itself, which once reverberated with a mixture of
languages and the tastes the new immigrants brought with them.
The restaurant is open weekdays, from the morning; it closes on
Friday at sundown.
Zorba, a contemporary Greek-Mediterranean restaurant, offers
a wide choice of meze options, alongside skewers of quality meat
served on imported Greek pita bread. Zorba offers an amazing
selection of ouzos, and features a colonial verandah overlooking the
Jaffa and Mediterranean Sea landscape.
The ice cream sold at Vaniglia is created from quality ingredients
compiled with artistic sensitivity from all over the world, with
knowledge and traditional and modern practices working all
together to form ice cream influenced by French and Italian styles
with an aromatic creamy texture. The branch houses a huge variety
of 45 different ice creams, including sorbets and sugar-free flavors.
DEDICATED EVENTS
AT THE DAVID
INTERCONTINENTAL
The setting couldn’t be better - the “Sunset Lounge” adjacent to
the hotel swimming pool and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
- and the service, care and the attention to even the smallest detail
are what you have learned to expect from the hotel. The next
time you think of hosting a small event for about 50 to 60 guests, a
special cocktail, circumcision reception, a “Shabbat Kallah” weekend
celebration, or other special celebration or event, think no further
than the David InterContinental Tel Aviv. It is sure to exceed your
expectations.
SERV ICE & EXPERTISE
“We employ a staff of three that are dedicated to social events,
which are different from corporate events, for which an entirely
different set of issues is involved,” explains the hotel’s Director
of Sales, Meetings & Events Ilya Borgakov, “and once the person
in charge of your file understands the reason for the celebration
and the theme you’d prefer, and knows how many people are being
invited, he or she will detail a program fitting your needs to a T.”
The emphasis is on the personal and the unique, suited to your
requirements and with a unique twist, and with the same hotel team
member orchestrating the event from the first meeting and until it
is over. Take, for example, a recent event at the lounge, one with a
“frozen” theme, where all the buffets were sculpted in ice, as were
the champagne buckets and the tureens for cold soup. “This is just
one example,” Ilya says, “but it shows that we pay as much attention
to creativity as we do to demanding implementation.”
44
Insisting on maintaining the highest level of service and expertise,
the David InterContinental serves as the producer for all of its
in-house events, based on a carefully chosen list of suppliers that
meet its meticulous standards. Not only does this ensure uniform
quality of the highest degree, it also saves time and energy, since the
hotel serves as a one-stop shop for clients to engage the services
of all the professionals - from florists to photographers to musicians
and everything in between - to make their event the stuff of which
dreams are woven. The choice of menus is part of the process
as well, based on a personal meeting with Executive Chef Alfred
Jevnisek, the expertise of the hotel’s culinary team, and an invitation
to look in on a similar event staged at the hotel, if and when feasible,
to observe and get an impression of how it is staged.
W EEK END EXTENSIONS
While the Sunset Lounge is an ideal setting for a small event at the
hotel, other venues are options as well, such as the Jaffa Winter
Garden and the Aubergine restaurant terrace, each with its own
charm and focus, the latter available for weekend celebrations. And
Sunset Lounge.
if the weekend is part of your plans, you might also want to consider
an event that stretches into the weekend - ideal for family parties
and gatherings. When booking a Thursday event at the hotel, plan
for your group to stay for the weekend, based on the special rates
the David InterContinental can offer, and enjoy the Friday night
buffet, designed with a menu that features traditional ethnic tastes
from the various cuisines of the Jewish Diaspora.
But whatever you wish to celebrate at the hotel, “it’s always
a good idea to book in advance,” Ilya advises, “since demand
is brisk at certain seasons, and space may be limited. We can
cope very well with last-minute requests, if we have the room,
even when booked a week before the event is scheduled to
take place, but if you want the best that’s available for your
small special event, it’s a good idea to book it at least a month in
advance, and the earlier the better, to avoid disappointment.
Just give us a call at 03-7951206 [or extension
5206 from within the hotel], or send us an
email [[email protected]].”
Photo by Sasson Moshe.
45
Opposite the Azrieli Towers.
R AMI MEIRI TALKING WALLS
“The intense desire to paint first hit me when I was 16, and it hasn’t
subsided,” says mural artist Rami Meiri, whose iconic painting in
black and white - eyes clenched shut, the mouth pulled open and
the teeth exposed – screams out from a wall opposite the Azrieli
Towers at the intersection of Hashalom Road and Begin Boulevard.
“I painted through my army service, and I enrolled at the Avni Art
Institute afterwards, to obtain a proper art education. It was very
clear to me that I wanted to paint, and over the years, as my friends
developed careers, criticism of my ‘idleness,’ as others termed my
behavior, of my refusal to work, continued to grow. But I knew in my
heart that I was on the right path to happiness.”
“The Scream,” as the aforementioned black and white painting
almost demands to be called, was created in 1989 from a photograph
Rami had snapped two years earlier of a drunk at a street carnival
in Salvador, Brazil, but it was not the first he had volunteered to
execute in Tel Aviv with the consent of the Municipality. Seven years
earlier he began his career with a 50-meter beach scene on a wall
at Gordon Beach in the trompe l’oeil style that would characterize
just about all of his creative accomplishments. The technique
employs realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that depicted
objects exist in three dimensions. “It has always been important for
me for the background - the environment - to enter the picture
and become part of it,” he explains, “and luckily for me, Tel Aviv
in the 80s was quite unkempt and even run down in many parts,
when I started out and real estate prices were low, so city officials
weren‘t hesitant about letting me go about with my work. There
was no money involved, but this didn’t deter me, since I supported
myself without much of an effort by creating figurative candles and
exporting them to shops in Europe.”
46
Rambam Square, the Nahalat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall.
The corner of Arlozorov and Ibn Gvirol streets.
R ECOGNIZED AT HOME & A BROA D
he has been developing with youth groups that come to visit. As
he writes in his book “Talking Walls,” which was published in 2013
in Hebrew and English (and with an Internet version planned in a
variety of other languages too):
“The creation of a mural involves two main elements, the first is the
idea and careful planning and the second is proper management
of the project, and team work. Therefore, mural painting is a
wonderful instrument for group workshops. Regardless of their
talent or skill, participants undergo an unforgettable experience and
reach amazing results.
Rami has gone very far since those early days. Much of what he does
is based on commissions, both abroad and in Israel, for governments,
cities, institutions, companies and private clients, and his work can
be seen in Argentina, Austria, China, Germany, Poland and the U.S.,
where his first commission abroad came from Fort Lauderdale,
Florida. Italy is probably next, after the Mayor of Turin spoke with
him about a project during a recent visit to Tel Aviv. In addition,
there are very few major cities in Israel without a “Rami Meiri.” His
art has added interest to cargo containers in the ports of Ashdod
and Haifa, a bench in Netanya as part of a pedestrian mall project,
a cinema room at the Asaf Harofe Hospital’s Department of
Oncology, music centers in Kiryat Malachi, Ma’alot, Jerusalem, Petach
Tikva and Eilat (in a project sponsored by Cellcom, an Israeli mobile
phone company). They grace schools in Givatayim, Tel Aviv, Holon
and Ramat Hasharon; a wall at Microsoft’s Israeli center; a corridor
of a Tel Aviv branch of Bank Leumi; two elevators at Comverse;
private homes and offices in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Savion, Rehovot
and elsewhere. The list is too long to enumerate!
SH A R ING HIS PA SSION
Nowadays, Rami works with acrylic paints for the most part and the
three-dimensional elements are of wood, metal, or whatever else
fits. His creations invite participation on the part of the viewer. When
he is not out creating another wall, he works out of his studio in Tel
Aviv, a leisurely 10-minute walk from the David InterContinental
Hotel. There too, his mural activity is blatantly evident, a project
Q. What are your favorite places in Tel Aviv?
A. The beach and the Carmel Market.
Q. What is your favorite art gallery in Tel Aviv?
A. I much prefer the wall paintings by the many street artists in
the city to its art galleries.
“For many years I have been developing different techniques for
this type of painting, obtaining a range of tools which I enjoy sharing
in my artist workshops. I lead groups from idea development to
execution, using devices and materials that induce the creation of
spectacular authentic murals. Besides the bonding inspired by group
dynamics and the common creation, the workshops contribute to
creativity and ‘out of the box’ thinking. I try to provide the best
experience by emphasizing the joy of creation. The sessions are
energizing and inspiring for the participants and myself. The process
results in paintings that express the unique imprint of each group.”
Hotel visitors too are welcome to meet with Rami Meiri in his
studio at 11 Hayarkon St., Tel Aviv, but visits must be coordinated in
advance. Rami can be reached by phone at: 054-4751116 - or ask
the hotel concierge staff to make the arrangements.
Q. Where in the city – somewhere you do not have a work of
yours placed - would you like to put one up?
A. On the wall of the old Custom House, on Rakevet St.
Q. Where would you take a friend visiting the city for the first
time?
A. The Moledet bar, on the corner of Arlozorov and Ben Yehuda
streets - true Israeli joy!
47
THE INCA L A CASA DEL
HABANO BAR - SPORTS,
SOPHISTICATION & SMOKE
Ever since the David InterContinental opened as Tel Aviv’s most
luxurious hotel, the Inca La Casa del Habano Cigar Bar, the only
place in the hotel where smoking is permitted, has been a fixture
for both locals and guests from abroad, developing with the times
and offering a mix that is irresistible: a trendy lounge ambience
with a décor highlighted by wooden tables, plush furnishings and
a sense of subdued luxury; a sophisticated shop selling cigars in all
price ranges; one of the best-stocked bars in Tel Aviv, featuring
premium specials like Johnny Walker Blue Label, Glenfiddich 18,
3FNZ .BSUJO 7401 BOE )FOOFTFZ 90 BMPOH XJUI B DIPJDF PG
Israeli wines from both traditional and boutique wineries; free
wireless Internet access, and the same fine lobby food for which the
hotel has gained local popularity. As a local newspaper has written:
“The Inca Bar at the David InterContinental Hotel should
be a must on the itinerary of lovers of nightlife and alcohol.
Comfortable armchairs, a small well-stocked bar and the
friendliest and most professional baristas in the entire
Middle East. But what’s most important - the enticement of
unbridled, cosmopolitan-style pleasure that it holds forth.
“The true heyday of hotel restaurants and bars was at the onset of
50
the 20th century, when travel from place to place was still a luxurious
journey crossing oceans and continents…. At the Inca Bar, romantics
can find faint echoes of this colonial enchantment. There, tourists
passing through town and hungry for the hallucinatory chitchat of
the inebriate can find common ground with the heavy tipplers that
have adopted the place.”
The Inca La Casa del Habano Bar is open Sunday-Thursday from
5 PM to 2 AM, Fridays and Saturdays from 7 PM to 2 AM. It was
redesigned a few years ago and equipped with two large plasma
TV screens flanking the bar and offering sports channels, most of
which are not available on the hotel’s TV system. Usually, the action
is screened without sound, serving as backdrop for the bar’s more
personal tête-à-tête action; however, when important sporting
events are shown, such as the National Football League’s Super
Bowl from the U. S. or matches from England’s Premium League,
the game is shown on both screens and patrons are pleased that the
sound is turned up.
In addition to a great atmosphere, fine drinks, snacks and smoke, the
Inca also serves as a regular cigar supply outlet, offering everything
from humidors and traveling humidors, to cutters and lighters. The
many brands of cigars are arranged in open boxes according to
types and the turnover is swift. Nevertheless, it’s hard to find a cigar
that is not in stock from among those that it sells.
Known now as “Inca La Casa del Habano” after being rebranded
about two years ago with an international pedigree, it is the first
cigar franchise boutique in Tel Aviv for the well-known global chain.
“We’ve always had a nice stock of cigars available for our customers,
both hotel guests and local clients - about 30 different brands such
as Coheba, Monte Cristo, Davidoff, Romeo & Julieta and Partagas,
along with everything from humidors and traveling humidors, to
cutters and lighters - but our agreement with Casa del Habano
means that our line will be expanded even further,” remarks the
bar’s Manager Shuly Glasberg. “Each year the company produces
a series of private label products, and we are the only outlet in Tel
Aviv where these are available. Cigar lovers are eager to try the new
cigars, and making a ‘pilgrimage’ to the local La Casa del Habano
boutique when word of the new arrivals is publicized is an annual
ritual in many places all over the world.”
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A view of Old Jaffa from the Tel Aviv beachside promenade.
MY DAVID
INTERCONTINENTAL
GUEST
EXPERIENCE
By: Dr. Gerry Aronow
I have been writing and editing the David InterContinental Tel Aviv’s
annual in-house magazine ever since the hotel opened nearly 15
years ago and I find myself at the hotel on countless occasions.
However, a good number of years have passed since I actually stayed
as a guest, so I thought it would be a good idea to spend a long
weekend at the hotel, write up my impressions, while using it as a
base for enjoying the city, and the neighborhood in particular.
DAY 1
Our three-day sojourn at the David InterContinental began early
one Thursday afternoon early in autumn. Already, prior to my
arrival, I had discussed “My Perfect Day in Tel Aviv” with Ronen
Alkalai, the head concierge, we decided to focus on Jaffa, where so
much has happened these past few years that even someone like
me, a resident of “Greater Tel Aviv” could find much of interest.
After checking in, getting our room and enjoying a refreshing snack
at the Club Lounge on the 24th floor, my wife and I set out on foot
to Jaffa, a leisurely half-hour walk along the Mediterranean seaside
promenade, enjoying the summery breeze and the sun, but no less
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Tel Aviv windsurfer.
Jaffa flea market scene.
so the people - many joggers, walkers, cyclists, seaside diners, and
families enjoying the parks and beaches. Others were working out
on a seaside exercise station courtesy of the Municipality - one of
the many scattered along the beach every mile or so; there were
surfers, windsurfers, skaters, beach loungers and people playing or
swimming in the Mediterranean Sea: a wealth of humanity; a mixture
of tourists and locals to judge by the dress and the languages, and
a sense of carefree joie de vivre. In short - Tel Aviv at its relaxed,
playful best!
coopt the “Greek Market,” adjacent to it and has been operating as
a flea market for about 65 years.
THE JA FFA FL E A M A R K ET
Our original plan had ben to focus on the rejuvenated Jaffa Port
area, but when we reached the entrance to Jaffa with its signature
Turkish clocktower, we decided to detour to the flea market area,
which also has experienced profound change these past few years.
The flea market, one of Jaffa’s best-known sites, is the descendant
of an old market that was moved to part of its present location
after being dispossessed by the Ottoman government from the area
around the clocktower in the late 19th century to make way for
its civil administration compound (“soraya”). It expanded in time to
Located southeast of the prominent clocktower, the market features
a colorful cross-section of humanity and a fascinating hodgepodge of new and second-hand merchandise of every type and
description. Bargain-hunters will have a grand time and antiques and
knick-knacks can sometimes be scooped up for a song. A number of
summers ago for the first time, the market stayed open one night a
week - a happening highlighted by music, street theater and special
illumination. It proved so successful that flea market events every
Thursday night have become a part of Jaffa’s calendar in July and
August. If you are in town then, give it a try.
Recently, in the wake of this festival, a number of new pubs,
restaurants and cafes have become a part of the market scene.
Some operate throughout the day; others open for business after
the regular vendors have shuttered their stalls. The area is home
nowadays to a growing number of commercial enterprises and
chains too, and some of the side streets of the market compound
53
Jaffa Port
have been closed to vehicular traffic and serve as new venues for
pubs and restaurants. Plans by the municipality call for transforming
additional side streets in the area - in the old “Greek Market” section
- to accommodate similar food & beverage enterprises.
THE OL D CIT Y
On the way from the flea market to Jaffa Port, we stopped off
at the Aboulafiya bakery for a melawach, one of its specialties, a
fried, flatbread delicacy stuffed with tasty goodies and baked in a
traditional Middle Eastern stone oven (“taboun”), and then took in
two sites in the walled Old City, the Ilana Goor Museum, situated
in a building more than 270 years old that had served as Jaffa’s first
caravansary for Jewish pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem, and “Jaffa
Tales,” a new visitors center, developed amid archeological remains
from the thousands of years of Jaffa’s history. The former features
an eclectic collection of art, Goor’s own works along with those of
renowned Israeli and international painters and sculptors - artists
she likes, from Menashe Kadishman to Henry Moore. The latter
features a Jaffa timeline, artifacts from various historical periods and
a multi-lingual multi-media show presentation taking visitors through
a series of rooms that represent Jaffa down through the ages.
Kedumin Square, where the visitors center is located, leads down to
the port, and a number of new galleries and gallery attractions have
opened along the alleyways.
JA FFA PORT
The Old Jaffa Port has come to life once again after more than a
decade of desuetude, with a totally renovated hangar that draws
thousand to its many events, along with other original renovated
structures in various stages of development. The ground floor
space in Hangar #1, the focus of gentrification efforts, has been
54
rented by shops and restaurants and a new culinary market also has
started to operate there Monday through Saturday. Other parts of
the port area are developing too, with new restaurants, art galleries
and design and performance spaces. Boats are available for short
tailor-made cruises along the coast for groups of up to 50 and for
regularly scheduled fishing excursions as well, including overnight
offshore fishing for tuna, in season.
An easily navigable 1200m2 labyrinth of small shops of all sorts,
frontal kitchens and a variety of stalls, the new food center in the
hangar features a hummus stall, tapas and seafood bar, a beer stand,
kosher-style sausages prepared a la plancha, knafeh (a sweet Middle
Eastern cheese and rosewater semolina dough pastry), a juice bar,
a mini spice market called the Larder, a delicatessen, and more,
including Lia, an Israeli artisan chocolatier that employs workers with
special needs. And speaking of helping others, while benefitting at
the same time, there is even a women’s cooperative, which runs a
shop in the hangar, called the Feminine Courtyard, in support of
young at-risk women, via funds it raises by selling new women’s
designer and imported fashion it receives as donations.
MOR E AT THE PORT
There is so much more to see and do at the port, and we would have
stayed longer, to attend a live music performance at the Container
(free even for those that do not dine there), attend couple of art
exhibitions and look in on the doll hospital. As it was, we decided
we would have to return at our leisure the following week, to dine
at one of the port’s many seafood restaurants and to get a first-hand
look at the new dance performance center, a part of the Hangar #1
complex, less finished and modernized than its counterpart, which
has been converted into an alternative space to serve as a center
for culture suitable for a diverse variety of performance arts events,
The hotel pool.
Photo by Nim Aronow
offering a wealth of varied experiential activities, including dance
performances by Israeli choreographers, music, and theater, and for
performances for the whole family on Saturdays and holidays.
Had we not seen it a few years ago, when it premiered, we surely
would have come back also to see “Not by Bread Alone,” the
flagship performance by “Na Laga’at (“Please Touch” in Hebrew),
one of the first activities to have been established in the port area
(well before Hangar #1 became operational). It is an experience
in theater performed by blind, deaf and deaf-blind people. Even
for tourists that do not understand one word of Hebrew, this is a
powerful experience, a trip to a universe where a foreign language
prevails, one that most people not part of the world of the sightless
and hearing-impaired do not encounter in their everyday lives. The
production itself is a statement that seems to says: “Touch us; listen
to us; interact with us; enter our world, and let us share it with you.
We both will be better off for the effort.” The Na Laga’at Center
also features a restaurant with dining in pitch blackness and food
served by blind waiters.
However, time had passed like a whirlwind, the fiery sun was
dropping magnificently into the Mediterranean Sea, setting fire to
the water, or so it seemed, and we had booked a table for dinner
that evening at Aubergine, the David InterContinental’s gourmet
chef’s restaurant, and we wanted to return in time to freshen up
and get dressed. We hailed a cab for the short ride to the hotel, and
we were ready to start the next part of our day, dining at Aubergine.
The hotel’s new fitness room.
Photo by Amit Giron
DAY 2
We woke up bright and early Friday morning, took our morning
constitutional northwards on the promenade, about a half hour
each way, enjoying the activities of the early-bird bathers, yoga
practitioners and activity enthusiasts on the beach and returned in
time to detour through the Carmel Market opening for a typically
busy and tumultuous Friday and the artists and craft persons at
the Nahalat Binyamin pedestrian mall into which it leads, setting
out their wares. Having recovered from the marvelous feast at the
Aubergine the previous night, we breakfasted at the hotel’s Jaffa
Court on omelets, salads, cheeses, smoked fishes, shakshouka, even
hummus and miso soup - choosing only a few of the dishes on offer
- all washed down with excellent cava and accompanied by espresso,
and we returned to our room to rest after the meal.
After an hour or so, when my wife headed for the hotel swimming
pool to welcome our son and his family, whom we had invited to
spend the day with us by the pool and to take part in the hotel’s
Friday night Sabbath buffet, I went down to the newly opened THE
Spa for the deep tissue massage I had booked. I am usually quite
skeptical of one-off massages by practitioners that aren’t familiar
with my body, but Michael, whom the hotel had selected for me,
was truly a pleasant surprise. He felt his way down from one
knotted or pulled muscle to the next, aware of what I was feeling
and sensitive to the pain, both of the spot and the pressure he had
to apply to free me of it. The fact that I had chosen a scent to my
liking - it was nettle - made the time fly by ever more effortlessly,
and the Tibetan gong finale felt like the right closure to a glorious
57
Tel Aviv skyline - a view from the 18th floor of the hotel.
Photo by Nim Aronow
Rothschild Blvd.
(Courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism: www.goisrael.com)
hour, before I joined the family around the pool and took Zoe, our
five-year-old granddaughter, for some wet fun in the kiddies’ pool.
We knew we would be in store for a copious dinner and that we
would continue to be blessed with excellent food for the duration
of our stay, so we decided to limit our lunch to the soup, and the
pleasing variety of cheeses, salads and fruits served in the Club
Lounge. Then, when our son, his wife and their infant baby took a
walk to the Carmel Market for a light lunch of their own and to buy
a few clothes, Zoe lunched on the kids’ poolside bar meal of chicken
cutlet (shnitzel) and french-fries, which she pronounced excellent,
followed by an ice cream bar. By that time, the children’s activity
room near the pool entrance had reopened, so she went there with
my wife, emerging about an hour later with a mosaic work of her
own making, of which she was extremely proud.
DAY 3
Sabbath dinner at the Jaffa Court is a family feast, a cornucopia of
traditional and modern tastes - authentic Jewish cuisine featuring
gefilte fish, chopped liver and matzo ball and noodle soup - and
a bottle of sacramental sweet wine on each table, for the Sabbath
blessing on “the fruit of the vine.” But along with these mainstays,
and to the tune of individual families and small groups welcoming the
Sabbath in song, a chef carved roasted veal for the diners, and other
dining room dishes that particular evening included breast of spring
chicken in a curry sauce, braised beef in a wine and mushroom
sauce, couscous that served as a bed for poached Nile perch, baked
whole fish and a variety of others, along with a welcome selection of
salads, side dishes, sweets and more. After completing our meal, the
women - young and old - sat and played in the lobby, and I took our
son up to the Executive Lounge for a post-prandial cocktail. By then
it was late and all of us were exhausted from a very long fun-filled
day. We said our good-byes, retired to our room, watched some
TV - a dubious treat for the two of us, since we don’t have a set at
home - and soon fell asleep for the night.
58
Our last day at the hotel. We went out for a short morning walk
once again along the city’s quiet Sabbath streets and then headed
for breakfast. Then, after a short morning rest, my wife headed back
to the pool and I to the gym, for a 45-minute workout on one of its
new Technogym treadmills - the latest in style and design and quite
comfortable to operate. I tried out the Kinesis equipment as well,
guaranteed to work on every muscle in the body, but I was just too
tired by then to do very much on this machine, so I decided to join
my wife poolside, take in the sun and the view and help her solve
some crossword puzzles we had taken with us. Perhaps because
it was our last day at the hotel, time just flew. We would check
out that evening and then head for The Social Club, a restaurant
experience well recommended by Ronen the concierge, so we
stayed at the pool until we got a bit hungry, headed up to the lounge
for an afternoon snack, packed up our things, turned on the TV for
an hour to two while we rested, checked out and headed by foot
to the restaurant, located on Rothschild Blvd., about a half hour or
so by foot from the hotel, detouring through the gentrified Neve
Tzedek district adjacent to the hotel, Tel Aviv’s SoHo, with its shops,
boutiques, pubs, restaurants and the Suzanne Dellal Dance Center,
which we surely would have visited had we the time!
It was a glorious stay, an opportunity to revisit a property that I
had been writing about for many a year from the outside, and to
see how it had grown more mature and refined over the years.
There was much I loved about the hotel, but if I had to choose only
one facet that I’ll remember, it was the attentiveness of the staff,
most of whom had no idea that I was staying there to write about
my experience. Kind, courteous, efficient, well-trained and prompt.
I was kind of expecting such service from a hotel as fine as the
David InterContinental, but still, isn’t is a wonderful feeling when
your expectations are met… and then some?!
Tender veal chop with seasonal roasted vegetables.
THE AUBERGINE:
YOU CAN’T
AFFORD TO MISS
THE EXPERIENCE
As Alon Hirtenstein, the Aubergine chef, said to us when we spoke:
“I myself eat only kosher, so it is important for me to show diners
how good kosher cuisine can be, and while there are restrictions
governing what raw materials I can use or mix together, the sky’s
the limit when it comes to taste and quality. Cooking high-quality
kosher is a challenge for me, but one that I embrace, and I want
people to leave with the feeling that ‘this was the best kosher meal
I’ve ever eaten.’ ”
Not only is the food incredibly good – as we found out – better
than it ever has been at the restaurant, I must say, based on firsthand experience, the Aubergine staff takes guest service seriously
into consideration, to such a degree that as the chef stated: “If for
whatever reason, there is nothing on the restaurant menu that a
guest wants, we’ll do what he or she likes, based on the raw materials
in the kitchen.”
In fact, at Aubergine, innovation seems to be the name of the game,
with a nightly selection that features a wide variety of off-the-menu
specialties, along with the regular dishes, many of which change on
61
61
Pan-seared salmon paired with a pepper salsa.
a seasonal basis. There’s always an amuse-bouche, a bite-sized hors
d’œuvre to delight the mouth (which is what the phrase means),
and the particular evening we were there we were served two chicken in curry sauce and mushrooms in curry sauce – and indeed
they set the tone for the rest of the meal. We next enjoyed the
endive and apple salad (with peach vinaigrette and caramelized
pistachio nuts), as well as the grouper and salmon ceviche served
in a cherry tomato gazpacho, accompanied by a fried tortilla. The
fruit vinaigrette served as an excellent balance to the endive and
the slightly sugared nuts added a pleasant complexity to the dish;
the smooth ceviche gazpacho combination was a true taste surprise.
The Aubergine is open for lunch with a more limited bistro-style
luncheon menu that also features hamburgers and additional simpler
fare. It reopens evenings Sunday-Thursday until 10 PM. The wine list
features Israeli varieties exclusively. All in all, a restaurant experience
no hotel guest and anyone keeping kosher will want to miss.
We were regaled with tastes of a few interesting mid-meals
specials too - eggplant mousse and cauliflower salad; foie gras in
phyllo dough, in mocha cream and tahini (with a raspberry sauce
and grapes); sweetbread skewers on a bed of gnocchi and stirfried vegetables; pan-fried gilthead bream. Thus, even though the
chef had recommended the veal medallions crusted with basil
and cashew pesto, accompanied by baked vegetable, we were
looking for something lighter. My wife chose the fillet of salmon
with a brioche crust, accompanied by couscous, beets and mashed
potato and flavored with anise - a full-flavored dish that was light
on the stomach; my choice was the roasted organic chicken breast
accompanied by spiced white beans. “I’d never serve non-organic
chicken breast at the Aubergine,” Alon insisted when we talked
of the dish. “People don’t believe how juicy and flavorful organic
chicken breast is, until they try it here.” And he was right!
Our dessert consisted of a panna cotta specialty dish in a litchi sauce
and a non-dairy ice cream that tasted like the real thing. We couldn’t
have been more surprised or delighted.
Beetroot carpaccio paired with a mango salsa.
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Seared vegetables with polenta - Meshek Barzilay.
DINING NEAR
THE HOTEL
Unfortunately - or maybe it’s not so unfortunate - there is a limit to
the amount of dinners one can enjoy on a three-day holiday, so we
decided to return to the area and try two other restaurants we had
heard about during our stay: an organic vegetarian establishment
with a strong vegan proclivity, and a seafood restaurant at Jaffa Port.
Oh, so much great food to savor in Tel Aviv, and so little time.
MESHEK BA R ZIL AY
After consuming so much fish, fowl and meat, we were looking for
something different, and since we had heard that Meshek Barzilay
(Barzilay Farm) an organic restaurant verging on vegan that we had
enjoyed at its previous home on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, relocated to
Neve Tzedek, near the hotel, we decided to give it a try. The dishes,
all prepared on the premises from fresh locally grown ingredients for
the most part, were eclectic and fascinating to the palate. The menu,
which changes seasonally, ranged when we were there from dishes
rich with a Far Eastern pedigree - Indian thali based on dhal, brown
rice casserole, chutney, goat cheese raita and curried vegetables; a
delicious taste treat named “Punjabi” (mung bean bread served with
guacamole, vegan mustard sauce and a pungent salsa); vegetable
tempura with a miso, wasabi and sesame sauce; pickled tofu, but
with acho bianco (a variation of gazpacho originating in Seville), wine,
garlic and tomato confit - to others no less exotic (tempeh and
shallots with caramelized lemon grass on a puree of celery root and
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Shrimps, artichokes and macadamia nuts at Yona.
almond milk, served with a pomegranate sauce; cauliflower clouds
on a bed of carrot sauce, with chestnuts, garbanzo bean, dates,
thyme and lemon; black rice noodles in a piquant coconut sauce,
with seared tofu and green papaya and carrot salad, soy sauce and
chili vinaigrette). There is a selection of tasty salads as well - the fuyu
yazai salad with seasonal vegetables, sprouts, oven-baked crispy kale,
with a yuzu avocado dressing, is one extremely tasty example, along
with variations of Greek or Israeli salads, and more. The desserts are
delicious too - the superb apple and tahini pie, for example, or the
divine “Holy Trinity” - a three-layered chocolate, halva and banana
specialty laced with cashew cream and topped with chopped nuts
and cocoa nibs. Wine and beer are available, as well as fruit drinks
and green and fruit smoothies (designed for taste, but also for their
value as antioxidants). Try the rum, red grapefruit, green tea and
ginger cocktail if it is on the menu.
Meshek Barzilay is open Monday-Saturday from 8 AM to midnight
and on Sundays till 4 PM. Live jazz music usually accompanies Friday
lunch. The menu descriptions are somewhat laconic and do not do
justice to the complexity of the offerings.
YONA - W HER E JONA H THE PROPHET SET SA IL
Once upon a time, when Tel Aviv was still in its culinary infancy,
Jaffa Port was the home of some of the finest fish and seafood
restaurants in Israel. Then the port fell on bad times and nearly all
of the restaurants disappeared - until recently. With the emergence
of Jaffa Port once again as one of Tel Aviv newest tourism meccas,
restaurants have been returning and some of them offer more than
just remarkable views of the sea.
Manta Ray, one of my favorites, is a seafood restaurant fronting the
sea, less than a five-minute walk from the David InterContinental
Hotel. So, when I thought of where I’d like to dine in the port,
Yona, with the same owners and chef, naturally came to mind. Yona
(Hebrew for Jonah, the Old Testament prophet who set sail from
this port on a journey where he ended up in a whale’s stomach), is
situated in Hangar #2 in quite a large space fronting Jaffa’s marina,
with both indoor and outdoor seating. A restaurant that prepares all
its own ricotta and yoghurt, it bakes its own bread too, fresh salmon
and meat are smoked in-house and nearly all the fish and seafood it
serves are from the catch the previous night by local fishermen. Yona
describes itself as an “open source restaurant,” although perhaps “a
restaurant with a frontal kitchen and taboun, where the bread and
desserts are prepared,” would be more precise. But semantics aside,
there is nothing equivocal about the quality of the menu and the food.
Two sources of inspiration are evident in Yona’s cuisine - the
Mediterranean kitchen and the principals of Slow Food, and these
are evident in many of the dishes on offer.
The restaurant encourages diners to share their food, and we were
pleased to follow suit while indulging ourselves in the fruits of the
chef’s creativity. We decided to go for what sounded like more
“exotic” dishes: carpaccio of grouper with wasabi sesame seeds,
Yuzo and ginger; grilled salmon fillet in miso over soba noodles and
mango chutney; shrimp tossed with artichokes and macadamia nuts,
and a wonderful seafood bisque that is transformed in winter into a
hearty bouillabaisse. The gilthead sea bream fillet with gnocchi and
lemon marmalade butter was a winner too, while oxtail cooked in
red wine over risotto of wheat, and filet of beef in smoked stock
with sweet potato puree should satisfy the palates of confirmed
carnivores. The desserts are rich and delicious and the restaurant
features a large, well-stocked bar.
Yona, another exceptional Tel Aviv restaurant, open daily from noon
to midnight; well deserving of your attention.
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NATHAN
YAKOBOVITCH
By Naama Ben-Dror
We met Nathan Yakobovitch in the course of his first-ever
photography exhibition, in a lovely little gallery at the ancient port of
Jaffa, just a short walk from our hotel.
Nathan, an executive at a well-known Israeli high-tech firm, is a
talented photographer whose work is characterized by an optimistic
and colorful view of surroundings, people, nature, and urban life. He
was born in Romania, immigrated to Israel at the age of 10 and grew
up in Jaffa, only four miles away from the David InterContinental
Hotel in Tel Aviv. Hence, it is only natural that his art be represented
in this current edition of our in-house magazine.
Nathan’s photography presence on Facebook has garnered him
thousands of fans and followers, to whom he offers his writing skills
too, where every uploaded photo is accompanied by original poems,
creating a unique reflection of imagery within his lyrics.
His effervescent passion for music is represented in the many
performers photographed in live concert; some of whom are Israel’s
leading artists.
His thoughtful, perceptive view of Tel Aviv-Jaffa is portrayed in the
selected images, representing the vibrancy of this wonderful city and
the different landscapes you can experience around our hotel.
“Every photographer will tell you about her or his passion for
photography, and I am no different,” says Nathan. “But my true
passion is not in taking the photos. My biggest joy lies in uploading
the photos to my laptop, editing them and then seeking out the joy
in those that view them. This art is for the viewers, for the audience.”
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(Nathan’s work can be found at www.nylike.com and he can be
contacted via [email protected]).
Q. What is your favorite spot to photograph in the city?
A. Despite being an ancient town, Jaffa always surprises me with
new angles; a somewhat different and unique atmosphere that
I am always happy to capture. I have also great passion taking
photos from the upper floors of hotels, looking down and
offering a different and unusual angle to watch the beaches and
the people enjoying the life down there…
Q. What inspires you about Tel Aviv and what, in your opinion,
makes this city so special?
A. Being a hi-tech executive, I have traveled the world, visited
some of the most vibrant cities in the world, and I consider Tel
Aviv to be one of the top five cities. Its sense of urban vitality,
openness of people, and the oh-so special and unexplainable
atmosphere on Friday afternoons when the hectic city relaxes
and its residents settle into a relaxing weekend mode, makes this
a city like no other.
Q. Which image of yours do you feel best describes Tel Aviv?
A. It’s extremely hard to choose, but if I must pinpoint a single
image, I would say that “People on the Beach” is the one, showing
how people of all types, no matter how successful or poor they
are, equally enjoy the wonderful beaches of Tel Aviv, while the
angle as well is very unusual.
Q. Where would you most like to see your photographs
displayed?
A. I would divide my answer into two parts. First, I would like to
have my photography presented to as many people as possible,
in art galleries, theaters, coffee shops, etc. The second part of
my reply would be to have my photographs displayed in people’s
homes - in living rooms and bedrooms of people that appreciate
and enjoy this very visual art, offering very high quality of prints to
help create a positive atmosphere in their most intimate spaces.
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OLIVIER AMAR:
ON-LINE PROTECTION
& THE DAVID
INTERCONTINENTAL
CONNECTION
“We help people protect their personal on-line information,
by means of a mobile phone app and browser extension we
have developed,” explains Olivier Amar, co-founder & CEO of
MyPermission. “This enables users to see where their personal data
are exposed, by giving them a dashboard listing all of the sites that
have access to their information, as well as an option to block those
sites that they see as potentially damaging or annoying. It’s a one-stop
shop for people to manage all their personal data.”
AT THE FRONT DESK
Olivier is no stranger to the world of hi-tech, having served as Vice
President, Marketing for GetTaxi, a start-up he joined about seven
years ago that enables users to order a taxi directly by phone and
to track its movement until it arrives. He left in 2012 to develop
his own company, with 10 employees. He is also no stranger to the
hospitality industry and the David InterContinental Tel Aviv.
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Olivier Amar and his wife Noa - who met when they both worked at the David InterContinental Tel Aviv.
“I first stepped through the door of the David InterContinental
and joined the front desk staff in 1999, about six months after the
hotel had opened,” he recalls. “By the time I left, in May 2001, I
was serving in the capacity of Assistant Front Office Manager and
Duty Manager. Those were exciting times, and the hotel was alive
with energy and great expectations. The people in our department
were no exception, highly skilled and motivated hotel professionals,
a number of whom are having amazing careers in hotels in Israel
and abroad as general managers or high-ranking mangers of hotel
chains.”
Olivier also met the woman that would be his wife, at the hotel,
where she was employed as a front desk shift leader: “All of us
were a family then, and when we got married, the hotel’s General
Manager Ronen Nissenbaum gave us the Presidential Suite for our
honeymoon night. It was amazing!”
Q. What does Tel-Aviv mean to you?
A. Tel Aviv for me is a hub for all people. It’s a place where
whoever you are, you can find a space and make it your own.
People will let you live your life as you choose. It’s also the center
for the Israeli tech scene, the place where ideas are born and
produced and dreams are realized.
OUTSTA NDING DEV ELOPMENTS
In the one year MyPermission has been operating, it has enjoyed
tremendous success as a free app. It has been named one of the
top 50 new websites for 2013, by Time magazine, and featured by
the Apple AppStore - “a remarkable achievement for something so
fresh and new,” Olivier adds - and an updated version was launched
in June 2013. The company has also been viewed as a winner
CZ B WFOUVSF DBQJUBM GVOE UIBU JOWFTUFE NJMMJPO JO JU i8F IBWF
hundreds of thousands of users in just about every country on the
face of the globe,” including everywhere in the Middle East, and a
very large number in Saudi Arabia, to take one case in point,” Olivier
is proud to reveal; “wwwhe last time we checked, there were just
four countries in Africa where MyPermission wasn’t being used. Our
basic product will always be free, though the money that has been
injected into the company has enabled us to grow, to take on new
employees and develop premium products and services.”
Q. What is your favorite place in Tel Aviv?
A. That’s a tough one, but probably the beach. There’s nothing I
like more than just walking up to the water and dipping my toes
in the sea.
Q. What is your favorite restaurant in the city?
A. Shila, on Ben Yehuda St. Sharon Cohen is the most talented
chef in the city in my opinion.
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The central Social Club bar.
Photo by Ben Yuster
SOCI A L CLUB:
A TEL AV I V
DINING
EXPER IENCE
Situated a three-minute walk from Allenby St., in a plaza cum
passageway connecting Rothschild Blvd. to Ahad Ha’am St. (and
adjacent to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange), between the Max Brenner
Chocolate Bar and Patrick’s (which describes itself as “an Irish pub
and fine kitchen”), Social Club is what Chef Michael Gertopski calls
a “modern bistro”: bistro in that this extremely popular restaurant
may be defined, perhaps, by the food it serves; modern in just about
everything else, from the ambience, design and décor accentuated
in black, with an outside bar, high tables and stools, and high ceilings
inside, along with its attitude, so to speak, and its innovatively simple
cuisine.
With both indoor and outdoor seating for about 180, including
an indoor bar for 30 or so at a time - the most coveted seats
in the house - Social Club, patronized by a mixed clientele of all
ages, is youthful, sophisticated, contemporary and upmarket. It is
quintessentially Tel Aviv, even though the style was developed based
on a New York restaurant concept. “Israelis love to feel they are in
New York, even when they are home,” the chef tells me, and I think
that this may be one of the reasons for the success of Social Club,
though certainly not the only one. When the restaurant booked
us a table, it insisted we sit at the bar, “to get the true feel of the
place.” If this meant feeling its energy and its vibrancy, the attractive,
friendly/almost intimate baristas with their “in your face” service,
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Gastro tapas bar.
based apparently on some enchanting formula that adds to the
experience rather than weighing down on it, and the magic of sitting
around a chock-a-block counter without feeling that our privacy was
being compromised, it was a wise choice - even though all the diners
I looked at, wherever they sat in the restaurant, appeared to be
extremely satisfied too.
For some reason or other, I had expected the Social Club menu to
be more complicated than it actually was, but quickly we narrowed
down our choices to what appeared to be a few particularly
attractive offerings. The first courses we ordered were seafood:
seared tuna with mashed tomatoes - pleasantly spicy - served on
bruschetta, and calamari a la plancha, with a green fava bean salad
and tahini. The tuna was done “a point,” and as to the calamari, all
that needs to be said is that when I spoke to Michael at a later date,
he told me it was his favorite dish on the menu!
For the main dish, I opted for the confit of goose thigh - served
meltingly tender as it should be, with the skin as crispy as I would like
it - accompanied by tasty roasted sweet potatoes, grilled onion and
baked garlic. My wife, who never eats beef or fowl, stuck with fish the fillet of gilthead sea bream blackened a la plancha, with a potato
cream, brown butter sauce, capers and lemon. This particular fish is
a staple on many an Israeli restaurant menu; what predominated in
this particular dish was the mellowness, enhanced by the lemon and
caper’s contrasting tastes. I asked Ohad, the chef on duty that night,
to choose a small portion of another main dish for me to sample; he
brought out the (handmade) Tuscan pasta, with a la plancha calimari
and rounds of a wonderful Italian “saliccia” sausage that served more
as a condiment to highlight this flavorful dish and added a touch of
complexity that I appreciated.
The desserts we sampled - a hot chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice
cream, and a crème brulee with citrus fruit - were very tasty as well
and not cloying at all.
Wine connoisseurs will be impressed by the extensive wine list,
overseen by an experienced professional sommelier and featuring
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an extensive selection of Israel vintages and others from all over the
world, including six French champagnes. We are not much when
it comes to alcohol, but one of the barmen insisted we sample a
cocktail, the Ginger Cosmopolitan - London Hill gin, lychee, lime and
rosewater. It was delicious!
GA ST RO
Michael, who owns and operates his own chef’s restaurant in Liman
in the Western Galilee, serves as chef for Gastro as well, a popular
pub restaurant on Yehuda Halevi St., also within walking distance of
the hotel. “It’s a place with a very casual ambience, where people
can come without advance booking and feel very comfortable,” is
how he describes it. “It is modeled after pub restaurants in the U.K.,
a neighborhood place serving excellent food at moderate prices.
Calamari à la plancha, with a green fava bean salad and tahini.
INTERCONTINENTAL
LONDON
WESTMINSTER
The first InterContinental property to open in London in over 36
years, the InterContinental London Westminster, located in the
political heartland of Britain, is a short walk from Parliament, in
earshot of Big Ben, and within sight of Westminster Abbey.
A project developed at an investment of £150 million, this new
hotel has injected a fresh lease on life into Queen Anne’s Chambers,
a former government building. Behind its townhouse style exterior,
the hotel’s elegant interiors marry rich furnishings and British finesse
to create an intimate sanctuary at the center of Westminster’s urban
revival. Spread across six floors, it features 256 beautifully designed
rooms, including 44 luxurious suites and an imposing penthouse.
Taking its inspiration from the best American pit masters but with
distinctly British overtones. the Blue Boar Smokehouse & Bar, named
after one of the oldest inns in Westminster, stands at the heart of
the hotel’s food and drink offerings. The food, which challenges
the traditional perception of comfort food with a distinctly Britishinspired menu serving up meats that have been dry rubbed and slow
cooked by fire until they are juicy and tender enough to pull apart on
the plate, revolves around authentic smokehouse techniques. Onsite charcoal and smoking ovens serve up classic comfort food using
the finest of British produce. Signature dishes include racks of thick
and meaty baby back ribs that have been smoked by the smoldering
heat of chicory wood chips for over 24 hours before being crusted
in the Blue Boar’s rich and tangy barbeque sauce, along with pulled
shoulder of lamb, smoked until it is “fall off the bone” tender, served
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with potato and thyme batch rolls, smoky baked beans and creamy
coleslaw; and venison pastrami, cured for two days with juniper,
black pepper and coriander, then cold smoked for five hours, with
the entire process taking five days from start to finish.
“Retro” dishes are featured on the menu as well: veal T-bone steak
and also “Fillet of Carpetbag Steak,” a 1970s favorite, stuffed with
oysters and wild mushrooms. Many of the hearty cuts on the menu
are treated with Chef Jon Ingram’s own 12 spice rub, a secret mix
of herbs and spices.
The bustling restaurant leads through to a private dining area, ideal
for guests looking for more exclusivity or to toast a celebration.
The Blue Boar bar brings a sense of sophistication to the traditional
British pub, with carefully selected local ales, classic cocktails and
British wines, while the restaurant has become a buzzing meeting
destination for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Dark wood paneling and
warm tones echo the ambience of London’s traditional members
clubs.
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Emmeline’s, named after 19th-century British political activist
Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of the suffragette movement, is an
ethereal oasis at the center of the hotel. Exotic flowers, soft tones,
and delicate furnishings create an ideal setting for cocktails and
champagne. The adjoining lobby lounge serves indulgent afternoon
teas and offers an extensive range of traditional tea blends.
The hotel’s art collection is totally unexpected for a hotel of this
caliber, injecting satire and wit in healthy doses within an area
renowned for its political heritage. Pieces include a selection of
limited-edition signed prints from political satirists and cartoon
artists, along with lithographs, bronze sculptures and a giant “hall of
fame” canvas featuring 650 past and present members of Parliament.
The hotel’s concierge staff is well versed in the ways of Westminster,
but it is also on hand to help uncover some of London’s best-kept
secrets. From exclusive access to sites and sights around town, to
guided day trips of the area, the concierges’ interactive desk will be
alive to the buzz of Westminster Village.
Beit Ha'ir interior as a gallery space.
INSIDE TEL AVIV’S
NEW HOME
By Naama Ben-Dror
A glimpse into what was termed ‘the city’s black box’ is anything but
dark. Architect Meira Kowalsky gives us a private tour of the restored
and expanded Beit Ha’ir, now housing the city’s cultural events.
Tel Aviv is a city of contrasts - glamorous yet down-to-earth, tailored
yet laid-back - and nowhere is this more apparent than in the city’s
restored 1920s-era Beit Ha’ir.
At 1600 square meters, Beit Ha’ir (city house) underwent a threeyear-long restoration and expansion process by EKA, Efrat-Kowalsky
Architects, in collaboration with Dan Hasson. As part of the Bialik
Compound, to date, it’s the firm’s only project listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Having presided over the expansion of the
Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Efrat-Kowalsky practice, run by
Zvi Efrat and Meira Kowalsky, draws on its wide experience and
tries to address a structure’s cultural meaning, within the context
of time and place. According to Meira Kowalsky, the preservation,
restoration, and expansion of the building was about much more
than just aesthetics or materials, “it was about creating a dialogue
with our heritage and our future.”
The original building was designed by architect Moshe Cherner, who
was commissioned by British entrepreneur Abraham Skura to create
and plan a hotel for the new city. Constructed in 1925, the white
concrete, eclectic-style, four-storey building featured a neo-classical
façade with double-sided winding staircases and a large rounded
veranda overlooking the town square. Never fulfilling its original
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The original Beit Ha’ir. (Courtesy of Ilan Shchori, from his "My Tel Aviv" photo collection).
purpose, the building went on to become Tel Aviv’s City Hall for
the next forty years. Today, Beit Ha’ir seeks to create a community
and provide a home to the city’s residents and guests, showcasing
changing exhibitions, hosting parties and events open to the public,
and providing a stage for discussing social and urban topics.
The team worked to maintain the integrity of the structure and
completely restored the exterior part of the building. Wanting
to address the White City, the interior suggests hints of early
modernism, thus conforming to the site’s eclecticism. Profoundly
different from the original building, the structure’s contemporary
annex proves it is possible to create modernity within the historical
context, seamlessly attaching both parts into what has become a
natural blend of styles.
The interior was outfitted by architect Dan Hasson in collaboration
with Kowalsky. The crew restored the floor tiles and preserved the
double stairwell, echoing those on the outside part of the building
leading to the entrance. Once upstairs, one can view the chambers
of the city’s first Mayor Meir Dizengoff, which underwent a full
restoration by a renovation team led by Dr. Doron Luria of the Tel
Aviv Museum of Art. In addition to the paint job and floor tiles, all of
the original furniture has been preserved and is on display. The upper
level leads out to a roof top patio, where parties are to be held.
One of the project’s most arresting features is the direct passage from
the entrance on the ground floor to the back door leading outside,
which was reopened by Kowalsky. Aside from converting two side
rooms into a café and a city memorabilia shop, she reconceived the
interior as an airy through-line from the street to the garden. The
garden is graded and leads directly to Zalman Shneor Street, creating
easy access and all-round visibility. “We wanted to enable a direct
transition from the outside square to the back garden, creating yet
another public space for the city’s inhabitants.”
The project’s expansion is a contemporary black box. It is a lightweight structure cladded by thin concrete panels. In direct continuity
from the main entrance, it features two gallery floors and a ground
floor. The ground floor is covered in a collage of original tiles
uncovered and transferred from forty different buildings around the
city; creating what is essentially a quilt-like archive of Tel Aviv’s early
styles, ranging from classical, oriental to modern, exposing a bevy a
colors underlying the renowned white city.
With the panache of an art gallery, the structure also reflects the
public events which took place in the past. “The building always used
to hold public assemblies with people crowding the front balcony
as well as the square; so our mission was to create an indoor public
space for gatherings and events,” says Kowalsky. The open plan allows
the public to indulge in an exhibit depicting life in the city of Tel Aviv,
complemented by three-dimensional shaped windows which are
designed to capture the fleeting moment and prosaic fragments of
the urban landscape. The importance of interpenetrating exterior
and interior spaces is best accommodated with an oversized alcove
windowsill set in the middle of a big strawberry tree from the
garden, and can be likened to nesting in a tree house. For those on
the outside, glimpses of the interiors can be seen as well.
When asked about the decision to combine two completely
different styles, Meira explains that it was important to add a
contemporary dimension to such an iconic building. “Not only did
we want to distinguish the new from the old, but we also wanted to
create something that wouldn’t overshadow it.” Befitting a city that
can best be defined as merging conservation with innovation, Beit
Ha’ir seems to be the perfect spot to call home.
Beit Ha’ir is located on 27 Bialik Street, Tel Aviv. For more information
regarding visiting hours see www.beithair.org or check in with our
Concierge Team.
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MY JOURNEY
THROUGH THE
HOLY L AND
By Lauren Green
I grew up in Los Angeles my entire life and was raised in a very
reform Jewish family in a neighborhood where not many Jews
lived. I was never educated about Israel or the beauty and history
of this hidden gem of a country. Never once when I was younger
did I dream of going to Israel, until my grandmother presented me
with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a program
called Taglit-Birthright. This 10-day trip gives young Jewish adults the
opportunity to explore their roots and travel through the holy land
while experiencing a new culture and learning about their religion;
all while making lifetime memories and friends.
During my first trip to Israel, I fell in love with everything the country
had to offer, from its history and language to the food and the people.
After spending only a short 10 days there, I knew in my heart I
had to come back to my “homeland” and continue my journey that
ended so quickly. Returning to Los Angeles, I was determined to
find a way to go back to Israel, so I spent hours online, searching for
programs that would give me the chance to experience what life
was like living in Israel; that’s when I came across the MASA Israel
Journey Tel Aviv Internship Program.
MASA Israel Journey is a joint project of the Israeli government
and the Jewish Agency, and it offers young adults an opportunity
to embark on a life-changing experience. Whether it is a gap-year
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Lauren and friends from the MASA program.
03-5175179, 03-5167305
Tel Aviv, 12 Ha-Yarkon st.
82
program in between high school and college or a volunteer and
internship program, MASA finds participants a suitable framework,
based on their interests and needs. Its goal and mission as stated on
its official website are to “…effectively shape and inspire the next
generation of Jewish leaders and strengthen their connection to the
Jewish people and to Israel.” After doing my research and talking to
the MASA recruitment team, I knew Tel Aviv was the place for me
and that doing a five-month internship in the “Business Hub Capital”
of Israel would benefit my future and career tremendously.
I had studied Communications in college, with an emphasis in Public
Relations, so I knew I wanted to do an internship in that field. Gili, my
program coordinator, put me in contact with the PR Manager at the
David InterContinental Tel Aviv, Naama Ben-Dror, and informed me
that Naama was looking for an intern to help with hotel PR. As soon
as Gili told me about this opportunity, I was thrilled! To do PR for
an international company, and one of the world’s best known and
successful hotel chains, was a dream come true. Naturally, I jumped
on the opportunity, and I began working at the hotel in March 2013.
Since interning at the hotel, I have learned so many useful tools that
will benefit my future in PR. I have learned the ins and outs of social
media marketing, how to create and build a website, marketing
strategies to promote the hotel, hosting VIP clients, creating press
releases, in-house advertising, and so much more. Naama, my mentor
and boss, inspires me with her creativity and her professionalism,
which I look up to. Not only have I learned tremendously from her,
but from all of my other colleagues as well. We’re all one big team
and family, always looking out for one another.
After four months of interning, my program came to an end and
I was at a crossroads about what my next move in life was to be.
A few weeks before my program ended, with my internship at the
hotel almost over, I was offered a job to continue working as the PR
assistant. Now, I am happy to be a part of the IHG family, and I’m
thankful to have participated in the MASA Journey which has jumpstarted my career. I look forward to what the future holds for me.
“MY TEL AVIV”
“Living here, being here, knowing the city - realizing that Tel Aviv
is more than merely a place to live or to be, that its unique spirit
of freedom, liberalism, and ‘live and let live,’ where ultra-Orthodox
Jews live side by side with young secular Jews and where the gay
community celebrates one of the world’s most “in” gay parades
every year, has given rise to a human mosaic living in harmony to the
sounds of an urban rhythm that pulsates in tune with its character
24 hours a day.” For Eli Ziv, director-general of the Tel Aviv Hotel
Association, his love affair with the city - which continues to this very
day - began many, many years ago, well before he became involved
in it in any official capacity.
“I wasn’t born it Tel Aviv,” Eli remarks, “but I remember enjoying
myself there from a very early age. At first, it was the sea, which
fascinated me as a youngster. I enjoyed the sea and the sun, and riding
the waves on what we call a ‘hasaka,’ a sort of surfboard prevalent
on Israel’s beaches and used by lifeguards to get reach people in the
water in need. Then, as I grew older, I was attracted to Tel Aviv’s night
life; it was happening in Jaffa then, well before Tel Aviv became what it
is today, and also along Allenby and Dizengoff streets."
Tel Aviv has changed much since then, and even from the time
Eli returned to the city to take up the position that would keep
him working there for the past quarter century. “Even then, I
was familiar with the city, its pace and its temperament, which we
wanted Israelis from out of the area to reveal and enjoy,” he recalls.
“We were working on a campaign to promote Tel Aviv-Jaffa to the
domestic tourism market, and the new slogan 'Tel Aviv, Ha’ir Lelo
Hafsaka' [Tel Aviv, the city that never stops], was such a success, that
we started using it to leverage our incoming tourism promotional
activities too.”
The rest is history, as the saying goes: The slogan became a self-
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Eli Ziv (right) pictured with Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai (left) at Israel’s annual International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM),
Tel Aviv.
fulfilling prophecy, so to speak, as the buzz it generated and the
economic and tourism activity it succeeded in implementing
motivated entrepreneurs from all fields of life to want to invest in
Tel Aviv too, which filled the concept with content.
“Tel Aviv is the center of Israel in quite a number of fields, and the
number of creative areas in which it has gained worldwide renown is
no less impressive,” Eli explains: “Fashion; cuisine; start-up ingenuity;
architecture, and other areas too. Thanks to the initiative of the private
sector, which also organizes large-scale events, a remarkable number
of world-renowned foreign artists perform in the city each year, and
about 90 percent of what is happening in Tel Aviv to make it grow, is
based on private initiative. But this could not have happened without
the support of the Municipality, which is actively involved in improving
the lifestyle of its residents in meaningful ways, and - giving credit
where credit is due - of Mayor Ron Huldai, who has pushed for and
lent his support to the dizzying pace of infrastructural development
and renewal that serves as a background for all these activities.”
It is easy to understand what Eli means. In just the past few
years, the Tel Aviv Museum and the Tel Aviv Cinematheque have
been renovated and enlarged, the Habima Theater/Bronfman
Auditorium complex has been modernized, the Old Tel Aviv port
Q. What are your “must” areas of the city?
A. The seashore, of course; Rothschild Blvd. and the Tel Aviv
Port, for a sense of nightlife in the city, and Old Jaffa, in particular
for people that enjoy history - to spend some time at the Visitors
Center and to wander the lanes. I also would advise people to
plan a visit to Tel Aviv that coincides with its “White Night”
festivities, which always are held on either the last Thursday
evening of June, or the first in July,
Q. What are some of your favorite Tel Aviv restaurants?
A. There are a lot of excellent places near where I work, which
and the abandoned Turkish Railway Station have been transformed
into magnets of dining and nightlife, as have Jaffa’s port and flea
market, attracting tourists, locals and Israelis from outside the area
throughout the year, the beach promenade has been extended the
length of the seashore (from Herzliya in the North to Bat Yam in the
South) and the city center beaches have been improved, formerly
sleepy neighborhoods have been upgraded to the status of nightlife
centers, annual events like “White Night” and the Tel Aviv Marathon
draw revelers and participants from all over the country and the
world, and the success of Tel-Ofan, the city’s public biking program,
has resulted in about 200 km of bicycle lanes.
With its warm to temperate climate, countless days of sunshine,
openness to others, its countless variety - the 4000-year history that
is Jaffa and the cutting-edge modernity that is the city itself, “Tel Aviv
is a place where everyone can find his or her own thing,” Eli stresses,
“and it is a great city for kids. I’m in Tel Aviv just about every day, and
whether it’s a new restaurant, art exhibition, show or attraction, or
the gentrification of yet another area to renew its past and prepare
it for the future, there always is something new to see or do. And
people get hooked on it. Our surveys show a remarkable number
of returning tourists.”
is very close to the David InterContinental. I love Manta Ray, but
also Bellini in Neve Tzedek and Carmela B’Nahala in the Carmel
Market area. Messa, elsewhere in the city, is a favorite too.
Q. Is there anything missing for you in Tel Aviv, which you
would like the city to have?
A. My dream is for Tel Aviv to host international music, art and
dance festivals, but this hasn’t happened yet. Activities such as
these would enable more foreign visitors to be exposed to the
city even more. I am also waiting for the Tel Aviv Metro to be
constructed, since it would enable even easier access to all parts
of the city.
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GUESTS &
V ISITOR S AT
THE HOTEL
U.S. Pop singing star Paula Abdul pictured during her stay at the
David InterContinental with the hotel’s Evening Manager Eytan
Rothschild.
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U.S. actress Shannen Doherty (middle), who stayed at the hotel,
flanked by Public Relations Manager Naama Ben-Dror and (former
hotel employee) Hani Sand.
A group of American actors from the “American Voices”
organization pictured during their stay at the hotel, with Resident
Manager Milos Cerović, Director of Sales & Marketing PA Limor
Alster and PR Manager Naama Ben-Dror.
Former Portuguese soccer star Paulo Sousa, who currently manages
Maccabi Tel Aviv, on a visit to the hotel.
New York Knicks (NBA) basketball star Amar’e Stoudemire pictured
during his stay at the hotel with Director of Sales, Corporate Maya
Zalmanovich.
Evening Manager Eytan Rothschild (left) with professional
snowboarder Shaun White, who stayed at the hotel.
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SHANTI HOUSE:
A LOVING REFUGE
FOR AT-RISK YOUTH
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Shanti House just seemed to grow, to develop naturally from the
needs and talents of its founder and director Mariuma Ben-Yosef,
who started it off - without dreaming of where it would lead - while
still an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) conscript.
When only 19 years old, Mariuma and her former partner began
opening their Tel Aviv home to homeless youth every Friday night
for Sabbath dinners, providing a festive ambience, a comforting meal
and a feeling of family warmth.
It was 1984, and no frameworks existed in Israel then to deal with and
treat abused or at-risk teens; no warm alternative living situations for
youngsters affected by physical, sexual and verbal abuse; for orphans
or the victims of parental neglect that had dropped out of formal
therapeutic services. These were to begin only about a decade later.
“As someone that had been abused, sexually molested and left to
sleep out on the streets,” Mariuma explains with a matter-of-fact
intensity, “I had a burning need to do whatever I could to help others
in similar situations, and I believed that I could, that it was my calling.
It still is. Word got out; one thing led to another, and our home
quickly filled with young people seeking a place to eat and sleep."
The Shanti House Association, which marked the transformation of
acts of lovingkindness into a framework providing an appropriate
response to the problem of homeless youth, youth at risk and in
danger in Israel - street youth between the ages of 14-21 - was
founded in the early 1990s, shortly after Mariuma had moved it to
its current home in the city, in 1991, in the Neve Tzedek district,
opposite the lot on which the David InterContinental Hotel would
be built. While developing plans for a new Tel Aviv facility, the
permanent home it hopes to occupy in the very near future, Shanti
House inaugurated a second home in the south of the country a few
Photo by Eran Lam
years ago. Called the Desert Shanti House Youth Village, it is located
on the road between the Negev cities of Beersheba and Mitzpe
Ramon. About 120 youth enjoy a warm home and are cared for, on
average, each week, in the two facilities.
“We’re a house - a home - so there are no holiday closures or days
off,” Mariuma adds, “and we are open 24/7, 365 days a year. There
are no waiting lists or time restrictions on stays and there is never
a need for an official referral. Shanti House takes in youth from
all sectors of the population, regardless of religion, race, gender
or nationality, but does not accept drug addicts, alcoholics, sex
offenders or those suffering from psychiatric illnesses. It also helps
hundreds of non-resident young people every year, providing advice,
food, laundry, classes and more, and it serves as a family for lone
soldiers and new immigrant youth. Residents remain from 24 hours
up to three months, depending on circumstances, and there are also
some for whom Shanti House is the place they call home.”
The Shanti House Association’s methods of practice have been
formulated according to Mariuma’s unique perception. Her ability
to speak to young people as an equal, with compassion but without
pity, comes from her own life experience, and appeals to at-risk
youngsters that have lost their faith in adults. They speak the same
language she does, and this enables her to guide them through a
process of change, from victimhood to being able to cope, forgive
and feel gratitude for being alive.
THE DAVID INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL PARTNERING
WITH THE NEVE TZEDEK SH ANTI HOUSE.
“The David InterContinental has been helping us out here and
there over the years,” Mariuma says, “with surplus food, from time
to time, and Hanukkah holiday donuts, but the recent cooperative
agreement we have with the hotel is an especially significant and
satisfying accomplishment. It is a natural ramification of what we
focus on doing, getting our youngsters back into the communities
from which they were alienated.”
As a result of this cooperative effort, a number of Shanti House
youngsters aged 17-21 that until now had never been employed
a day in their life were selected to work at the hotel, serving as
waitresses and lounge hostesses.
“This has been a very challenging - but also very rewarding - project for
us,” admits the hotel’s CSR Manager Livnat Nahmias-B. “We took on
young people with no work experience or orientation and have put
them in contact with people in suits!!! It has been a real eye-opener for
them, a ‘Wow' experience, and they have been fulfilling their roles in
an exceptional way. Two of these are orphans from Eritrea, incredibly
motivated young adults for whom we act as surrogate parents of
sorts. They are now studying for their matriculation examinations
while holding down paying jobs at the hotel and receiving all the social
benefits afforded to every staff member.”
MARIUMA
In 2000, Mariuma won the President’s Award for Volunteerism,
and was honored with lighting one of the beacons in the official
eve of Independence Day ceremony that year; in 2007, the City of
Tel Aviv-Jaffa honored Mariuma with the Honorary Citizen’s Merit
Award, in recognition of her work with street children and for her
achievements. Israeli government agencies also find value in the
work she does, and government funds account for about 20 percent
of Shanti House’s annual budget. It lives off donations for everything
else - to care for the 2500 or so young adults it welcomes, cares for
and treats each year, sustaining them with everything from a hot
meal and a bed, to medical insurance and scholarship funds.
As Mariuma says: “We’ve fed tens of thousands of people over the
years and have served as a home for thousands of youngsters ever
since we opened our doors. Based on the follow-up work that we
do, we know that 90 percent of the youth that leave home and
then come to us return to their parents, and that 88 percent of the
homeless youth we take in stay off the streets once they leave. But
there is so much to do, and finding the wherewithal to fund all our
life-saving - and life-changing - projects, and to adapt to developments
in a meaningful way, becomes more challenging all the time. We are
deeply grateful for any assistance we receive.”
To learn more about Shanti House, please go to:
http://shanti.org.il/english/
If you would like to help support this worthy cause, you may do so via
the Shanti House website or Facebook page, or by telephone:
972-3-5103339.
89
INSIDER SECR ETS
Welcome to our neighborhood, the heartbeat of Tel Aviv!
The David InterContinental Tel Aviv has recently launched a special postcards initiative for its guests. Insider tip recommendations by
various members of the hotel team - from General Manager David Cohen to receptionists, billing clerks and managers - have been printed
on 10 different “Insider Secrets” postcards, to enable hotel guests to enjoy special insider experiences during their stay in Tel Aviv, based
on the hotel staff's “in-the-know” recommendations of what is “hot” in the city.
Guests are invited to share their experiences in Tel Aviv with their loved ones via the Insider Secrets postcards, or else by means of a
specially designed Facebook application (http://apps.facebook.com/digreetingcards/edit.php).
90

tel aviv`s

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