The wide, wide beach of Tel Aviv. All photos by Ed Wetschler.
by Ed Wetschler
In 2009 Tel Aviv marked its 100th anniversary with a 12-month, over-the-top celebration. That might seem strange, considering that many places in Israel were settled several thousand years ago. For example, a Who’s Who of ancients fought over Jaffa (aka Yafo), right on the southern edge of Tel Aviv, and in later centuries Arabs, Crusaders, and the Ottomans continued the carnage. Now, they’ve got anniversaries.
Still, the odds that some Jews who planted orange trees north of Jaffa in 1909 would end up founding a large, wealthy, enduring city were slim — yet there it is. And there it was, in 2009, partying nonstop. So now what? It’s simple: The centennial is over, but in Tel Aviv, an essentially secular city with countless clubs, concerts, hipsters, surfers, and connoisseurs of non-Kosher pleasures, the partying never stops. And I’m not just referring to the Jazz Fest or Gay Pride parade or Metallica.
As this burg boogies through its 101st, here are a couple of great things to do by day. Might as well have fun in Tel Aviv until the nightlife kicks in.
