About Tel Aviv
ICAE
2022
Ever since the establishment of the State of Israel, Tel Aviv has served as the financial, entertainment, and cultural center of the country. Founded in 1909 near the ancient port of Jaffa and built on sand dunes, Tel Aviv lies on a beautiful beach strip of the Mediterranean.
Tel Aviv is a vibrant, modern, cosmopolitan city, with major focus on its high-tech developments.
Also known as the "White City" due to its 1930s Bauhaus styled buildings, it is filled with contemporary art galleries, museums, chic cafes, artisan boutiques and beautiful beaches. With a bustling nightlife Tel Aviv is the "city that never sleeps".
Typical of so much of Israel, Tel Aviv juxtaposes the old and the new. The old port of Jaffa, with its colorful artists' quarter and flea market, reflects the special atmosphere of ancient times, while the modern hotels, skyscrapers and busy shopping malls portray the brisk vibrant city life.
A modern cultural center, Tel Aviv, boasts many fine art galleries, entertainment centers and museums such as the multi-media at the Jewish Diaspora Museum. The world famous Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performs at the Bronfman Auditorium, next to Israel's Habima National Theater. The Golda Meir Center for Performing Arts is home to the Israeli opera, dance companies, theater companies and concerts, and the Suzanne Dellal Dance Center, situated in the old Neve Tzedek Quarter of the city, offers exciting programs.
Apart from the open air markets and shopping malls, popular street shopping areas, like the bohemian Sheinkin Street and Neve Zedek, portray the newest trends in fashion and styles.
About Israel
The State of Israel gained independence in 1948, and is a democratic society with 9.3 million inhabitants. It is home to Jews, Arabs (Muslim and Christian), Bedouin, and Druze.
Geographically, it is a small country, and is comprised of areas and climates that differ vastly from one another. It has the humid and warm western Mediterranean coastal plain, the cool mountains of the Galilee in the north, the dry hills of Judea in the east and the extremely hot Negev Desert in the south.
Within its small perimeters, Israel is abundant in fascinating archeological and Biblical sites, such as Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Masada, Tiberias, Acre, Jaffa, Sea of Galilee, and many more. Israel has a rich history, going back more than 3000 years: the Canaanite period, Kingdoms of Judah and Israel, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Empires, Islamic, Crusader, Mamluk, Ottoman and British periods, have each left their marks.
In the last century, Israel has seen the revival of the Hebrew language and the evolution of a flourishing culture, including literature, music, dance and art. Throughout those years, universities, research centers and scientific institutes were established, and a sophisticated high-tech industry was formed.
In Israel one may encounter different multi-faceted cultures, from modern cosmopolitan cities, such as Tel Aviv, to Israel's unique communal society, the Kibbutz.
Israel's cuisine reflects its multicultural society based on different food traditions from all over the world. From falafel stands to gourmet restaurants, Israel offers a wide spectrum of Mediterranean, Oriental, European and Asian food as well as a variety of refined, locally produced wines.