Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Rotschild Boulevard





'If I were a Rotschild... if I were a richman', sings Tevye , the poor jewish milkman in the famous musical  "Fiddler on the Roof".
Rotschild is a magic name,  the name of the well-known jewish banking dynasty which has always been associated with wealth and charity.

Rotschild Boulevard, named after the french Baron Edmond de Rotschild, is a lovely and popular boulevard in Tel-Aviv . I happened to be there two weeks ago; enjoyed a stroll and  took some pictures. While there, I thought about the stormy protest demonstrations that started on this very street, in July 2011.



pedestrian zone

A few details about the boulevard. The central, middle part of it, lined by trees , is a pedestrian zone.  It has walking / bike paths, and various recreational facilities : benches, small tables, spots for hiring as well as for parking bikes, kiosks selling sandwiches and beverages. 
The usual daily views include parents and children,  dog walkers, people resting on  benches watching the world go by,  bikers , friends sitting around a kiosk for a bite, drink and chat, etc..,

 
parenta and children

dog walker

chatting, eating and drinking

The street itself, which displays a blending of old and modern architecture,   houses cultural institutions (the national theater 'Habima' and the concert hall  'Mann' at its north end), culinary establishments (fine restaurants and cafes on both sides of the boulevard), and banking offices (headquarters of israeli and foreign banks :  Bank Hapoalim, HBSC, U Bank).


old (Bauhaus style) building

HSBC  bank offices

Ironical or not, the fact is that it was on this Rotschild boulevard where 'the rich and beautiful'  feel at home, that the Protest Movement for Social Justice broke out in Israel of July 2011. It expanded in August , and then faded away in September. People who saw themselves as middle class were protesting against the high cost of living (high prices of food, fuel, electricity, housing) and calling for social justice- which would mean higher taxes for the rich, reduction of indirect taxes, and the establishment of some sort of new social order.

Now, three years later , all I remember of that event is that two of its three young leaders joined the Labor Party and got themselves seats in Parliament . In other words, the protesters became politicians.

The high prices are still here, social justice is still waiting to be rescued. It seems to me , that even the first mayor of the city sitting on his horse, looks dissappointed.


statue of first mayor of  Tel Aviv overlooking the boulevard



36 comments:

  1. An interesting piece, certainly gives way to much thought on human dynamics and psychology.

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  2. Hi Angelina,

    Good to hear from you. Thanks for the comment. "human dynamics and psychology" is always interesting.

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  3. I so enjoyed all the photos Duta and Your most interesting post.

    Shalom

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  4. Hello, Duta!
    First of all, I hope you are safe & well.

    Second, the older I get the more I start to think radical about these kind of things.
    People all over the world should stay at home, stop working.
    Either we die or win.
    Politicians, no matter from which country, are a plague to the normal person like you and me.
    Whether you are jewish, muslim or buddhist. Black or White.
    We are being used like donkeys.

    Sorry for the rant, but we have the same problems with rents & fuel prices here.
    And there is no change in sight.

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  5. Margie,

    As you know, 'a photo's worth a thousand words'. I'm glad you liked the photos in my post.

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  6. PinkPanthress,

    I'm well, just a bit tired of seeking shelter from rockets. Thanks Nokta for thinking about my safety.

    I too believe we're being used by politicians - and this is all very frustrating.

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  7. A thoughtful and picturesque post Duta. So glad that you are as well as can be in all this never-ending conflict.
    Such terrifying times, reminiscent of 1944/5 when my family and I were diving into the Anderson shelter when the V1 and V2 rockets were Hitler's final attempt to scare us into submission.
    I wish you well Duta.

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  8. PhilipH,

    Thank you for your very kind words.
    I can imagine what you and your family went through in those terrible days. I wish you well too.

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  9. Very interesting post.

    So much of what you said is happening here and we, the middle class, are also fed up with " the high cost of living (high prices of food, fuel, electricity, housing) and calling for social justice- which would mean higher taxes for the rich, reduction of indirect taxes, and the establishment of some sort of new social order." It doesn't seem to be working much here either.

    I am making less money per year now than I was 4 years ago and the cost of living has gone up considerably. But I'm not seeking shelter from rockets, so I know I should count my blessings.

    I am glad you are safe and keeping in touch. I always enjoy your posts and learn much from them.

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    1. Alicia,

      So it seems, high cost - low economy everywhere. But you're right; one could make it even with less money provided one doesn't have to experience any war threats. I wish you the very best!

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  10. would like to take a stroll down that street. Old and new together....Happy Friday, Duta.

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    1. You would greatly enjoy the sights and atmosphere of this picturesque boulevard. I know tourists like it as much as the locals do.
      Happy Friday to you too.

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  11. I always seem to feel informed when I travel to your blog. Everything on the blvd is so neat, No litter. Sad to see the spray paint on the walls in front of the old building. BTW What kind of trees are the ones in the last photo with the statue of the mayor? Things have to get terrible bad before change takes place. Which is a shame. Ironic about the protesters going into politics. Peace

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  12. Lady Di Tn,

    I wish I had your encyclopedic knowledge on plants, flowers and trees. Unfortunately, I don't. There are several species of trees on this boulevard: ficus, palm, cypress.. I think those in the last picture are cypress trees .

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  13. I never thought of this boulevard ....like all the pics

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    1. Kim,

      I'm glad you liked the pictures. I wish I could put some more, but, well, we have to limit ourselves somehow.

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  14. I liked the photo's also. We have that same problem here, the rich get richer and know the right people and all the loop holes. As far as Politicians, they follow the money. They all can be bought. I wish that Peace would come, but war is Money for some. yvonne

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    1. La Petite Gallery,

      Hi Yvonne,
      I couldn't agree with you more about politicians- '..they follow the money; they can be bought.' Sad but true.

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  15. I always look forward to your posts Duta. I love hearing about your beautiful country and seeing all the pics. I've always wanted to go. I recently put the RED ALERT ISRAEL app on my iPhone to remind me to pray for the peace and safety of Israel whenever it went off.

    I have to admit that the alerts would go off all night long, so one morning I deleted the app because it was non-stop. Guess what? My phone COMPLETELY stopped working and would not hold a charge at all. While I was saying my morning prayers I added in, "Lord, if you want me to pray for Israel constantly, please fix my phone and I'll add the app back on." UMM...IT STARTED CHARGING!!! So of course I added the app back on and I'm praying constantly for all of you. (So crazy huh?)

    I can't tell you how guilty I felt after thinking, "Wow, it's disturbing my sleep? Imagine having to live with the actual alarms sounding and hiding in bomb shelters." We can be so sheltered & selfish here in America sometimes, taking everyday comfort and safety for granted. I definitely needed to be reminded of truth.

    Sorry for the ridiculously long post. I just wanted you to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers...constantly;) Stay safe my friend. HUGS!

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    1. Lisa Petrarca,

      Thanks a lot, Lisa, for your warm and kind words. I really appreciate your attitude towards Israel.

      Praying can help if one believes in it. I believe in prayers, and I'm glad to see that you believe too.

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  16. This is a beautiful street, hope it stays pretty and don't get bombed. I pray for Israel too....

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    1. Hi again , Kim,

      Beautiful street indeed. Appreciate your prayers.

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  17. Now I am singing If I were a Rich man, the Rotchilds
    were such a fabulous Family. They did so much good. I love the wine too.

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    1. I'm trying to picture you singing, Yvonne, and it looks great.

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  18. I love how you can bring us to a place like this and share a moment in history. Great pictures that really capture the moment.

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    1. Tanya Lynne Reimer,

      "A place like this" takes you to all kinds of thoughts, feelings, and directions.
      I'm glad you like the pictures.

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  19. Ola Duta,que bom ver-te aqui em meu "cantinho musical"onde tento amenizar as agruras que corre mundo afora.A Paz e a Igualdade de classes que deveria ser primordial neste universo,ficou esquecida na maioria dos povos mundiais. Òtimas fotos,deu para conhecer bem por onde passastes.Meu grande abraço.SU

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    1. Hi Suzane,

      Glad you liked the pictures. Hugs.

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  20. Interesting and informative post.Nice pictures of Rotschild Boulevard ! They protested because cost of living was high. As e politicians they must be drawing hefty salaries - so cost of living does not bother them much :)

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  21. Ramakrishnan Ramanathan,

    Thank you for liking my post and its pictures.
    Sadly, I have to agree with you that politicians are not bothered by the high cost of living.

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  22. I am not respectful of Politicians. There are no more Roosevelts or Kennedy's. Loved your comment.
    There are some that give big to chairity,
    few and far between. yvonne

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  23. I love your posts! Seeing the world thorough your stories and pics is always enjoyable. Yeah, he does look a little disappointed. I can almost hear him sigh. But what beautiful path!

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    1. Tanya Reimer,

      Thanks a lot.
      The path is definitely beautiful.

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  24. Hi Duta~ It has been a long time, dear friend. I stopped writing, because life intervened, & there has been too much on my 'plate.' I've thought of you often, & prayed for your safety as matters in Israel have become dicey. I have also prayed for my country, whose fate has been in the hands of a nincompoop for the past 6 years. (Heaven, help us.) I do hope (& pray) that you are happy & well. I continue to pray for peace in Israel. Many blessings to you, dear one, this holiday season~

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  25. Hi Susannah,

    I'm glad to hear from you. Thanks for stopping by and for your prayers. I miss your posts - great writing.
    Many blessings to you too! Let's hope the upcoming New Year will be a better one.

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  26. Hi Duta
    I was not able to leave a comment on your last post so am leaving it here.
    I so agree about those divers deserving much respect and appreciation for their efforts to recover the bodies lost in the plane crash, a very sad task!

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