A 3-story hotel on the Carmel
In 1936, a three-story building was erected on the Carmel at today's 2 Horev St., intended to be used as a hotel. As happened in many other cases, he passed the building Incarnations until it became what it is today - Carmel Hospital.
The building was designed by the architect Moshe Gerstel, who also designed the Talfiot market building in the city. Later, the architect A. Yanovitz made several changes in it, but the character of the original plan was preserved. The plan included a rounded structural block in the center of which is a rounded glass wall. This wall consists of glass rectangles that join to form a multi-faceted cylindrical shell - a characteristic element of construction in the international style of the period (also known as the Bauhaus style). This ingredient has been well preserved to this day.
The old 'Carmel' hospital
As mentioned, the building went through several incarnations and moved away from its original purpose as a hotel. Following the outbreak of events on the island (1936-39) and the immigration of German Jews on the other - with the rise of Nazism, the building became the "German Immigrant Home". In the first half of the 40s, in its second incarnation, the building was converted into a hospital, when it was purchased by the Histadrut's 'Kellalit' hospital fund. Later it became known as the "Old Carmel" hospital.
the slick
In the book "Defense Systems in Haifa" by Zadok Eshel, it is said that upon completion of the construction process of the hotel, after the workers had left the site and under complete secrecy, a "Defense" Slick was installed in the basement of the building under the watchful eye of an engineer from the organization. The importance of the Slick was great at the outbreak of the War of Independence, when the building was then used as a hospital.
Were weapons hidden in this slip that were used by the fighters who fought for the liberation of Haifa?
Dear readers, if you have any information about this Slick or similar ones in Haifa, we would be happy if you would share your stories with us.
One of the most beautiful buildings in Carmel
It's a shame that part of it is hidden and most vehicles on the roads fail to take in its beauty.. This is the 'Talpiot Market' of the Carmel.
A very important article, I would like to know if there is any information about the Borchov House, on the ruins of which the new Carmel Hospital was built next to Mapo Street.
Yossi A, Hello and thank you for the response.
On the building of the "Old Carmel Hospital" there is indeed a sign that briefly tells the history of the building (not everything), but the story of the Slick does not appear on it.
Hello, Kilit Carmel (1945) I am
I remember my parents' stories about slicks
which were found in Wadi between 17 K. Sefer St
and the corresponding Ehud St. Worth checking out.
Apparently there were many slicks of the Haganah in Carmel. My extended family moved to Kiryat Amal in the early 40s, because of the Italian bombings in Haifa. My early childhood years were spent there. Around 44-45, my parents returned to Haifa and the rest of the family to Kiryat Bialik. My father, Amir Ben-Shahar, was a member of the defense. Our house at the beginning of Givon St. in the estate was renovated by an architect named David Vitamin who was a good friend of my father and the first Ein Hod (the man was also a painter). David Vitamin was like a protective friend. During the renovation, we built a sandbox in the yard for my brother and I. The garden was full of pine trees. I used to collect pine nuts to eat and my mother showed me that if I put them in a row in the sandbox and watered them, they would sprout. I had a beautiful row of pine sprouts in the box And one morning I woke up and found that something had dug in my box and destroyed all the aspects. I cried of course and dad claimed that some cat or dog must have entered the garden and dug in the place.
Many years after that event, in the twilight of my father's life, I took him to live with me. So he told my son, and later also me, that the sandbox they built in the house in the estate was actually a Haganah weapons dump. Upstairs was a sandbox and they always made sure that children's toys were scattered in it, and downstairs David Vitamin made sure to build a basement in which weapons were disposed of. Of course, the Haganah members who came at night to take out weapons did not Consider the row of pine sprouts that one little girl planted...
Lovely story, thanks for sharing!
The architect is called David Whitman (like the ice cream)
He was also a gifted watercolor painter
Haifa architects (who in the past were in charge of the entire construction process from the lot to the delivery of the apartments) collaborated with him in the design of a large number of buildings in Haifa.
The corporation should contact the health fund (today called "Hanotzz" Health Services) and ask that they install a sign at the entrance to the building detailing its history, as well as the names of its builders, so that even those who don't read the interesting article will be able to know.
All the best to you, my friend, Dr. David Bar On. Shabana Tov
Why?????
I wonder what is still in the basement. Please also share on other networks and maybe you will get information from people who fought or worked there at that time. Hurry up, the generation is disappearing.
How many idiots are there in the world?
20 years ago my father went for a diagnosis there when it was a psychiatric center to determine that he was lucid and stable and could responsibly write a will, he explained that there was a huge slick under the building and as a commander in the Hadar district he took weapons and explosives from there to complete the occupation of Hadar and the lower city.
So they treated him as a delusional old man and did nothing about it even though he offered to contact his friends from the Defense Organization and the Carmeli Brigade to locate the Slick
Amazing story! thanks for sharing!
what a wonder It seems that we managed to teach the Hamas where to build slikim
¨
Very interesting information
Amos Baali lived during the War of Liberation at Zidon Street 3, in Haifa. He remembers that there was a pit under the first floor, and remembers dimly that he saw from the window on the second floor, that weapons were taken out of the pit. Worth checking out.
Very nice story, thanks for sharing!