Once upon a time beauty came before function. Such is the case with Tel-Aviv's old Town Hall, a beatifully unique building in it's style which couldn't be more of a contrast to the dent on the Tel-Avivian skyline that is the new, ugly block of a town hall.
From this building, back in the glory days of the "White City", Meir Dizengoff, the first mayor of Tel-Aviv ran the show. Dizengoff served as the mayor of Tel-Aviv twice, from 1921-1925, and again from 1928 until his death in 1936. Prior to and in between his tenures, the man can be considered a zionist entrepreneur, whose activites included settling up a glass factory, establishing the Geulah company for purchasing land in Palestine, establishing the Meir Dizengoff & Co. import/export shipping committee, heading the Zionist Executive Urban Settlement Department, and establishing the Company for the Development of Tel-Aviv - the list goes on. He was even awarded the title of "Commander of the British Empire" for his contributions under British Mandate rule. It's no wonder he was considered the "King of Tel-Aviv" and the grand office he served from was indeed fit for a king.
Meir the mayor aside, the old town hall is the place to come if you want to get a feel for Tel-Aviv in its pioneering heyday through it's extensive exhibition of family photos showing the different areas of the city and the landmarks that have been and gone.
Here are a few Tel-Avivian oddities that stood out for me:1) There used to be a casino on the beach. Now, I believe, the closest legal casino is floating out in the Mediterranian somewhere.
2) Once all the builders were Jewish pioneers. Now mostly arabs or imports from afar.
3) Yes, it used to snow it Tel-Aviv! Once you didn't need to go to Jerusalem or climb Hermon to see the white stuff.
4) Dizengoff square used to look good in all it's Bauhaus glory.
5) Unbelievably, there used to be a zoo right in the middle of Tel-Aviv near what's now Rabin Square. How Bizarre!
Well I don't know much about local politics or how good or bad a job the town hall is doing, but watching the continued evolution of Tel-Aviv is fascinating, more for better than worse from what i see, and I think Dizengoff, on the whole, would have been pleased with the results. Watch this space.
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