Without logical planning, real estate sharks destroyed the pool complex
In 1934, the Bat Galim Development Committee announced a tender to open a casino in the neighborhood. The casino craft was part of a whole complex that included a restaurant, a ballroom, an Olympic swimming pool with sea water and a regulated beach.
The design of the building was innovative for its time, and included pillars erected in the sea. Part of the building's floor was made of glass through which you could see the sea waves hitting the beach below. The ground floor was used as a cloakroom for restaurant guests and utility rooms for the pool. The British Mandate hosted many artists from Israel and abroad and served as a center of attraction for the administrative top of the Mandate in Haifa. As such, it also attracted many underground people who came to wonder and spy on the actions of the British.
Bat Galim pool, Haifa, was built a few years before we were born and was an amazing place for swimmers, jumping into the water and just sunbathing looking to see and show. A wooden tribune was built along the length of the pool which was used for cheering crowds during swimming competitions. On normal days, everyone sat down in the place they chose for rest, food or mainly for sunbathing. From the top of the tribune you could look out over the whole area and see everything that moved in the water. On the deep water side of the pool, the British engineers built a short-lived jumping tower.
Jump from the tower only when there was a reason for it. And the reason could be some beauty we wanted to list. At first the jumps were first place at a height of four meters. Over time we dared to go up to the second floor and jump from seven meters. The visits to the third floor ended with a descent back through the ladder instead of a quick descent by jumping into the water. The view from there immediately made it clear that we were far from the surface of the water. The water area looks like a small tub and the location of the pit is marked by dark blue water.
The pit is in the center of the pool in front of the tower and its purpose is to prevent malfunctions at the bottom of the pool when jumping from heights. The gust of wind and the view from above have more than once caused the lifeguard to be called in to bring down a curious boy who only went up to see and was afraid to even go down the ladder. A space at a height of over ten meters separates the water from the concrete surface on which the jumper stands.
A great story for the loyal visitors to the pool. A story that added a lot to the concerns and fears of the tower. During the British period, due to interference, the son of the owner of the pool jumped from the third floor in a difficult and special jump. The fourth inversion is interrupted by the Ibo at the meeting of the belly in the water. The image of the death of the professional jumper was before our eyes even in the simpler jumps.
When she arrived at a beautiful pool that is between a girl and a girl or almost a girl, we slipped into the tower to show the teenager brave jumps and impress her. In the second stage, if you stay alive after the jumps, you start with a small talk that includes a hint about the jumps into the water. God forbid you think that the body is wet from wading in the shallow baby pool that contains more chlorine than water.
Once a week, some thirty-year-old old 'Yika' appeared who seemed to be a fan of high-calorie food and he did a series of Olympic jumps that included different levels of inversions. Climbs the ladder and jumps and repeats, God forbid, until he wipes himself off and disappears into the dressing room. That day we tried not to go near the tower.
One clear morning I sat at the top of the tribune, gnawing on a green cucumber dipped in salt with a slice of black bread spread with a thick layer of yellow butter shipped from America. I was sitting in thought when out of the corner of my eye I caught my crush climbing the ladder in the tower. The track leads to the second floor area. I wonder what disturbed his rest that he decided to jump from the heights. In addition to all the trouble, don't forget that jumping into the water turned the famous roller into a bundle of shaggy hair like that of Dobby Marrot in the doll shop.
I continued to bite into my loaf of bread, enjoying the sea air that whetted my appetite. I almost swallowed the peeled cucumber to my heart's content when I saw that my gnawing dear friend does not stop at the second floor of the tower but continues to the third floor. I missed something very serious. 'The crystal'. Skinny looking, armed with a blue swimsuit that is two sizes too big on him on his way to the tower room and the reason is unknown to me.
My eyes wandered around until I discovered her. I immediately understood the reason for the climb. happiness A young girl whom nature blessed with a painful beauty, a beauty you cannot look at, a beauty that brings tears, a beauty that brings a bitter cry, a beauty that will make you run until the end of days without stopping for a moment to take some air. Now the 'Blood' is on his way to an operation that might make him unable to run at all. He must be stopped at all costs. Such a wave of bones in the air and without a weight can be carried by the wind outside the boundaries of the pool and possibly further.
His foot stepped on the concrete surface at the top of the tower. Slowly move towards the center of the surface. The noise and the talking stopped at once. Everyone hurried out of the pool and stood looking up at the top of the tower. Not every summer a spectacle like this happens. A bouncy sardine boy standing in the center of the field, a boy who seems determined to carry out a task he has undertaken, no matter what. If my hawk eyes are not deceiving me, I noticed in my very fertile imagination a trickle of warm yellowish liquid on his right leg. I knew it was hot because where it came from there are no cold liquids, there is no TMI 4 there.
His face is sealed and did not in the least hint at what was going on in his mind or bladder. I knew all my worry was in vain. As soon as he reached the upper surface and the beautiful Hadeva was watching from the side there would be a jump even if we suddenly emptied all the water from the pool. The ladder can be sold to scrap metal dealers from the flea market. Time stood still. With a hesitant step he approached the edge of the surface beyond which is the abyss at the bottom of which lies the Bat Galim Pool. How small she looks from above. Charsnati stood on the edge with his toes already floating off the surface. My heart stopped. I gave a scream: "I didn't crush!!!" But no sound came out of my throat and was not heard. What does he mean? What leap is it going to take off? The lapping of the waves outside the pool was the only noise heard. Everyone is waiting, watching and some of them are praying.
Then…..1..2..and – 3..
I decided to stop the story here. If I tell about a magnificent leg jump of the 'Blurit' there will be those who will rummage through the evening newspapers of the time to read about the story of heroism. Claims of flattery will often be answered. If he goes down the ladder, shame on you! How did he get his glorious name and how did he become famous with such a stain on his past. I mention that the helicopter has not yet been invented, which is another option for rescuing jumpers who have lost their courage, and only he can save them, maybe?
If any of the readers are still in their right mind and were there at the time of the event, please let us know. In any case, the end of the story is kept in a special safe and will be revealed when the day comes. Hadva died a few years ago after a serious illness that even she was unable to overshadow her beauty.
Precious gold! It's hard to laugh these days. I read your amazing story with a big smile on my face. A successful son!
Summer 1971 me and the toddlers at the Bat Galim pool. Both swam freestyle. Suddenly I see the lifeguards and other people jumping into the pool. My two and a half year old jewel slipped away from me and jumped off the bouncer. He came out of the depths of the pool at the peak of naturalness and did not understand what the commotion was about... Later he was Israel's swimming champion for ages 12-13. So we went to DRAP and there at the age of 16 he made it to the top 10 in swimming and was considered a national athlete. As such he had benefits in all kinds of places and we enjoyed it.
Thanks to Yaakov for sharing the details, and thanks to my friends from Sinai for the extra look.
Thanks to Carmela! I also studied in classes and was born in 41. Young or not, you decide.
Karsenati from Ben Yehuda Street was not born in Safed. His father had a vegetable shop on Halutz Street a few houses from the Prophets.
It wasn't Karsanti whose parents were vegetable sellers on Ivan Sina Street, (or maybe the vegetable shop was on Hechluts Street?) and it wasn't Karsanti who was born and raised in Safed. It seems to me that you don't know the above-mentioned two horsemen. So why? Because you're too young... In the Badgalim pool, that's what we called it in our childhood, Max Glazel, the gymnastics teacher at the "Hogis" school, taught us a head jump from the "numbers" The numbers? They were a raised piece of concrete over the banks of the pool, because the swimmers jumped into the pool from them. The water in the pool was reserved for me There was no other Olympic pool in the country back then!!!!!
Hello. My name is Jacob. I am 75 years old, and I, as a resident of Kiryat Eliezer, was a visitor to the barakah, almost every day in the summer. On the days of competitions, Olympic golds, and finals of the water polo league, I was present at the pool. He will return to the wooden stand, and on one occasion I dared and jumped head first from the second floor, as in my youth, and I had a blast, it must be said, but not something that can be considered these days, as an act to be proud of. The name of the lady mentioned in the article was Edva and not Hedva. She often walked around in a black bikini, eyes in color Metallic. Long long hair black as coal, she grew to smoke and turned many many heads with her amazing beauty. She was tall, and often socialized with the lifeguard of the pool, and often with Gershoni as well. A hairdresser for Maccabi Haifa in those days. The story of the jumper from the third floor of the jumping tower was attributed to a member of the Dr. Margolis family. (The square and promenade in front of the barakah or its remains are named after him... and the family's house was also located there) Here is a true story. He was hit by the water while on his stomach. By the way, I won the building The casino-wedding hall where, as an invitee, I was able to participate in the last event that was before its closing. Friends' wedding. Moskovitz./Sde (year 1972). Greek on Friday nights, right in front of the casino building. Those were great days. And very pleasant to remember.
The story...a story!! - Full of grace and entertaining nostalgic humor, good for the mind and health. In the secret of Moss I will reveal that the characters are well known to me personally and also the formula for the lock of the safe is still in my possession for the watch lest the pool be built a second time. I will not elaborate and will only point out that to the best of my memory our heroes, the owner of the CD 'Tarzan the Jumps' nevertheless finally dared to jump in a brave and rare headlong jump from the low floor, the floor of the kindergarten children. To the surprise and sorrow of the many spectators, including all the beautiful girls, the fans of the 'Haifaite crystal' that shamelessly named Elvis Presley, the king of rock, when suddenly, and he was in the air, his inflated parachute, the swimsuit that was three sizes too big on him, flew away in the sea breeze that blew coolly from the shore to me from above Carmel. If I had not quickly given him an emergency towel that saved the exposure of the most private parts of the hero sardine as he left the pool on the shiny ladder, pictures would have been immediately taken to publish and confirm the plot. And maybe I just had a dream about 'once upon a time'...