Cantor Roochvarg's Israel Trip Blog

Installment #9

I went for a stroll this AM, just to further acquaint myself with the neighborhood. Saw lots of streets named for famous Jews, like Rothschild. The man has an appropriately opulent boulevard in his memory, considering his generosity to the pre-state residents; a wide, tree-lined thoroughfare with a wide median in the middle with bikes lanes, flowers, children's playgrounds, and lots of room to just spread a blanket & relax!

Others named for Jews I had never heard of, and quite a few named for distinguished non-Jews, like King Cyrus, who allowed the Jews to return to Zion after their first exile, & Allenby, who secured Palestine for the UK in the First World War (& who famously got off his horse to enter the Jaffa Gate on foot, as a sign of humility). There are also a good number of streets named for Americans. (See photo of the intersection of Lincoln & Wilson streets---though the men's LIVES never intersected.)

I followed Rothschild as far as Kikar HaTarbut (Culture Square), which has the Habimah---Israel's national---theater, as well as the Bronfman Symphony Hall.

But at one point I stopped in my tracks: one of my Jewish music idols is Yoel Engel (1868-1927), distinguished Russian composer, music journalist, & ethnomusicologist. At the height of his career, in 1924, he chose to emigrate to Palestine. He is considered the "father of Israeli music" because of his work in developing Music curricula, concerts, & other music programs in Palestine in the late 1920's. To acknowledge his contribution to national culture, the Israeli government, shortly after his death, established the Engel Prize, given annually to an Israeli who has made a great contribution to Israeli music. And there, a few blocks from our apartment, I found Yoel Engel Street. The sign was about 10 feet high, so I couldn't read the small print, but I believe it is the street where he lived.

I also noticed on my walk, one of the ways in which TA is a much more cosmopolitan city than Jerusalem: Although it is the 7th day of Passover, a national holiday, MANY cafe's were not only OPEN, but crowded with people. And some stores were open as well. An open store on a festival in Jerusalem is rare indeed

So Linda & I made our reservation Thursday for Thursday & Friday nite dinners in two different fancy hotel-connected restaurants. One had an unusual orange juice ad.

A surprising thing (to me) that they both did was that after the meal, they put on the table a fancy little cup of....toothpicks! I have never associated toothpicks with fine dining. Never saw folks picking at their teeth in the nicer restaurants I've dined in before. Maybe it's a British thing. (No photo of anyone picking their teeth. Sorry!)