100 JCF blog posts & 100 years for Tel Aviv

The city the New York Times named the "Capital of Mediterranean Cool" is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. In April 1909, on a sand dune outside of Jaffa, a group of people founded a small neighborhood that would later become the center of Hebrew culture, and Israel's economic, business, academic and entertainment capital. In the next series of blog posts we'll tell you more about Tel Aviv and encourage you to pay this wonderful city a visit.

This year the Israel Center brings Tel Aviv to the Bay area! Art exhibits, rock and jazz concerts, evening cabarets, authors, film series, lectures and more… For details and updates, check the Israel Center's website. Last Sunday marked the launching of the year-long festivities with the screening of Jellyfish (Meduzot) by Etagr Keret.  Kanbar Hall at the JCCSF was packed with an enthusiastic crowd of 350 Tzavta, The Hub and the Jewish Film Festival members. When asked about Tel Aviv, Etgar replied that for him, in Tel Aviv, as in San Francisco, there is a sense of cultural and social diversity. Orthodox and Secular Jews, Arabs and other foreigners all share this urban space with mutual respect. We have more to share about Tel Aviv in future posts, but will sign off here with a few words from Mayor Gavin Newson speaking at the port of Tel Aviv in his recent visit to lsrael.