Neve Tzedek was established in 1887 and was the first official Jewish district of Tel Aviv (outside the walls of Jaffa). Neve Tzedek is a picturesque neighborhood, with low built houses, red tiled roofs and colored walls. Buses do not pass through the small streets and the quiet ambience is preserved together with the main streets of Neve Tzedek such as Shebazi Street, where there are coffee houses, shops, boutiques, synagogues and more.
Old and new together
In Neve Tzedek There is a longstanding tailor’s shop next to an innovative dress boutique, an old classic jeweler next to a jewelry shop with young modern designers.
All of them live and work side by side harmoniously – this is the secret magic of this most special neighborhood of Tel Aviv and indeed of the whole country.
A prestigious Mediterranean scene
Neve Tzedek maintains its character by varied means. Firstly, the neighborhood was proclaimed a neighborhood for preservation at the end of the eighties; very strict laws are imposed on it and on the buildings and houses with one aim – to preserve the Mediterranean setting of the Neve Tzedek neighborhood including clearly defined demands regarding buildings that must not be above three floors in height, exterior walls of buildings must be plastered with colored plaster from a specific catalog of colors( not marble or stone), windows must have wooden shutters or Belgian profile and red tiled roofs.
Many people like the charm of Neve Tzedek that remained them of classic Europe. People visiting from abroad and general local tourists are attracted to Neve Tzedek and come to visit or live here because of the beauty of the surroundings and the fact that it has plenty to offer even to families when living in Neve Tzedek with respect to educational facilities, a community center, shopping centers and more.
Sites in Neveh Tzedek
The most important site in Neve Tzedek is undoubtedly the Suzanne Dellal Center that was renovated and restored in the eighties as part of the preservation plan of the neighborhood project that was promoted and backed by the Dellal family from London together with Tel Aviv council. It originated as a small theater, named “The Suzanne Dellal Theater” and a school for boys and girls. The old buildings were restored and it became a cultural center and the official home for dance companies “Bat Sheva” and “Inbal”.
The large plaza in the front of the renovated site is used today for open-air performances for the general public and the site itself comprises four halls where varied performances are held such as dancing or theatrical performances.
Sites in Neveh Tzedek that were restored and are open to the public:
The Writers’ House where in the past noteworthy intellectuals like Josef Chaim Brenner and Debora Baron lived and worked; today it is the Nachum Gutman Museum.
Rokach House in which Shimon Rokach, one of the founders of the neighborhood, once lived. Today it is the museum of Neveh Tzedek and an art gallery.
Shelush House The houses of the Shelush Family – Aharon Shelush was one of the founders of the neighborhood and the foremost owner of land in the neighborhood and built a magnificent two-floor stone house for his family, with a breathtakingly beautiful inner courtyard that included a small synagogue and large garden. A high stone wall encloses the entire house.
Shelush built two houses named “The Shelush Twins” for his grandsons, 30 and 32 Pines Street. The splendid houses belong to private owners today and are considered a symbol of the renovating neighborhood that has been transformed from a neighborhood of veteran residents to a prestigious neighborhood that attracts young residents and the nouveaux riche.
HaTachana A few years ago, at the border of the neighborhood between the sea front and Neve Tzedek, the “Station” site was developed (“HaTachana”). In the past, (up till 1948) it was in operation as a train station on the Jerusalem-Jaffa line. Today it is spread over an area of 20 dunam (about 20,00 square meters) and it contains some 22 carefully restored buildings from different periods, some being original buildings from the historical train station and some are popular new shops of design and fashion that attract a wide and varied population, especially young people.