building Theater "Atzmon" the magnificent former, the dweller in the street the prophets 30 standing neglected from this up מ- 25 Year and his condition arousing thoughts mournful About "how She passed glory world".
"Atsmon" cinema, yesterday
"Atsmon" cinema, with 1000 seats and one of the "big three" of Haifa (along with "Ora" and "Armon"), was built by Simcha Perbstein between 1950-1952, according to the plans of the Tel Aviv architect Aryeh Lin (Lillenfeld) Asher also planned the "May" cinema in Haifa.
But the cinema is especially remembered because its floor had an inverted slope, that is, it was higher near the screen. This situation resulted from the viewing angle calculations, referring to the fact that the screening room was actually above the roof of the grandstand. The hall is also equipped with improved acoustics and an innovative air conditioning system.
Soon "Atsmon" was one of the most successful cinemas in Haifa, but from the 80s a process of decline began that characterized the other cinemas as well, as a result of a change in the leisure habits of the population. Finally, in 1997 "Etsmon" cinema closed its doors. Starting in 2002, the Haifa branch of the "Oman 17" club operated in the place. The club was closed in 2005 due to noise complaints from the neighbors and due to violent incidents that took place there.
Since then, the abandoned and crumbling structure was the basis for various plans that did not come to fruition.
Simcha Farbstein (1913-1980)
Simcha Farbstein was born in 1913 in a town near Warsaw. As an activist in the local "Hashomer Hatzair" movement, he carried out the movement's order and immigrated to Israel in 1931.
During WWII he served in a brigade. After his release, together with a number of other discharged soldiers, he founded the "Liberation" cooperative to carry out construction projects. In 1942, he married Remacha Zemelson and the couple had 3 children: Avi, Miriam (later Miriam Adelson) and Dedi.
In 1948 "Liberation" purchased the abandoned building of the Arab cinema "Al Nasser" and after its renovation successfully opened the "Hadar" cinema in it. In 1950, Farbstein initiated the establishment of the "Atsmon" cinema, which immediately upon its opening in 52 became one of the leaders in Haifa's nightlife.
With the death of Simcha Perbstein in 1980, his sons took over the management of the empire which included the "Ora", "Ampi", "Etsmon" and "Miron" collieries.
Anyone interested in reading in detail about the history of "Atsmon" cinema, is welcome to enter to the blog of my friend Yoram Katz about Haifa's cinemas.
Arya Lin (Lillenfeld), architect
Aryeh Lin (Lillenfeld) is a Tel Aviv architect who designed buildings in the international style (the Bauhaus). Buildings in his design are currently on the list of buildings for preservation in Tel Aviv. These buildings are included in the "White City" declared by UNESCO. Among these buildings is the building at 16 Harevat St., which is considered the first arcade building in the city of Tel Aviv. As mentioned, in Haifa he designed the "May" and "Etsmon" cinemas.
We were unable to find biographical details about him. Therefore, we will be grateful to anyone who provides additional, biographical information about the architect Aryeh Lin.
Today
After it was abandoned in 1997 and since then it was closed and neglected, in 2023 the building was purchased by the Adelson Foundation (remember? Miriam Adelson is the daughter of the Prebsteins). Recently, there was talk of a collaboration between the Adelson Foundation and the global Bnei Akiva movement in order to convert the crumbling building of the cinema into an educational institution of the movement.
and tomorrow?
Following our inquiry, Mr. Tzachi Magnaji, CEO Bnei Akiva Global, gave us the following response:
"In about three years, with the completion of the renovation and adaptation of the historic Atzmon Cinema building, the Bnei Akiva Global Pre-Military Preparatory School is expected to move its activities to a building located in the heart of the Hadar neighborhood. The preparatory school combines graduates of the Bnei Akiva movement from abroad, who come to Israel to serve in the IDF, and graduates of the movement from Israel, and will be an educational and values center for the residents of the neighborhood. Along with preparation for military service, the preparatory school will foster community involvement and strengthen the connection between the young leaders and the old neighborhood, while preserving the heritage and values of the global Bnei Akiva."
It is to be hoped that the transplanting of the Bnei Akiva International Institute in the heart of the aging Hadar neighborhood will indeed be successfully decorated and will bring new life and blessing to the city.
Thanks
My thanks are hereby given to my friend Yoram Katz for publishing his informative book "The Neighborhood Cinemas of Haifa", including the information about the "Atsmon" cinema on which this article is based. Likewise, we thank Mr. Tzachi Magnaj, CEO of the Bnei Akiva global movement, for his cooperation and his detailed response regarding the future plans regarding the former "Atsmon" cinema building.
Dear readers,
We invite our readers to suggest buildings as subjects for articles and if interesting stories are found behind them we will be happy to review them in this section.
The articles in this section are based on open information published in sources such as Wikipedia and other websites and may include various historical inaccuracies arising from the aforementioned sources.
Arya Lin (Lillenfeld), architect
– Biography and cultural context
• Childhood and early influences: Aryeh Lin was born in 1919 in Vienna, Austria, to a traditional Jewish family. Vienna at that time was an important cultural and intellectual center in Europe, with scientific, artistic and political influence, but also with an increase in anti-Semitic movements. During his childhood, Lin experienced the effects of Viennese modernist architecture, developed between the two world wars by architects such as Adolf Loos and Otto Wagner. Movements such as modernism, which advocated simplicity and the use of advanced materials, influenced the design of his aesthetic and professional outlook.
Significant career events
1. Immigration to the Land of Israel (1938): Following the rise of the Nazis and the events of the Anschluss, Lin left Vienna and moved to Israel. The experience of forced migration out of a sense of persecution had a profound effect on him and strengthened his commitment to designing spaces that provide security and stability. The move to Israel awakened in him the desire to contribute to society by designing a suitable living environment.
2. Architectural studies at the Technion (1940-1944): Lin studied architecture at the Technion in Haifa, where he was first exposed to the principles of modern European architecture. He was influenced by international architects such as Le Corbusier, which contributed to his functional and practical approach to building design.
3. The establishment of the State of Israel and the expansion of public construction (1948 onwards): After the establishment of the state, the need to build many public buildings such as schools, hospitals and residential buildings arose. Lin contributed greatly to the design of public buildings that were adapted to local needs, while integrating the principles of Western modernism with the conditions of the Israeli climate and community.
Design style and influence on Israeli architecture
Lin became famous for a functional and efficient design style that combined modernist principles with local needs and materials. His works stand out in residential buildings and public institutions, while adapting to the Israeli landscape and climate. His work is considered one of the most prominent examples of modernist architecture in Israel, and he greatly influenced the creation of a unique architectural identity for Israel.
Awards and honors (60s and 70s)
1. Richter Award for Architecture: a prestigious award given to architects who have made an extraordinary contribution to Israeli architecture. Lin won this award thanks to projects in which he combined functionality and modernist aesthetics.
2. Israel Award for Architecture: the most prestigious award given for a contribution to culture and society in Israel. Lin won this award for his unique contribution to architecture, and especially for the design of public buildings.
3. Michael and Colin Steiner Award: Award given to architects for sustainable planning and positive impact on the built environment in Israel, thanks to their commitment to functional architecture sensitive to the local environment.
Teaching and influencing a new generation of architects
During the 80s and onward, Lin also began to influence a younger generation of architects through consulting and teaching in educational institutions. In the last decades of his career, his works were published in articles and books, which became reference points in architectural studies in Israel.
Legacy and lasting impact
Aryeh Lin left behind a legacy of public and residential buildings, which combined modernist values with local needs. His work is relevant and influences Israeli architecture to this day, thanks to the combination between a modern vision and the local characteristics of the society and the region.
As of today, there are no known buildings or streets named after the architect Aryeh Lin. Despite his significant contribution to Israeli architecture and the design of many public buildings, his name has not been officially commemorated on a specific street or building
Thank you very much for your response and the comprehensive information about the architect Aryeh Lin. I will add several details from your response to the article, even if late.
An interesting and enriching article. If you have, Dr. David, more details about old buildings in our city that are supposed to be renovated/upgraded, I would be very happy to read them.
The most annoying thing is that everything is neglected, abandoned and dirty and no one is doing anything. The municipality, which is supposed to clean and tidy up, fell asleep standing up, that's why all the streets of Hadar Carmel look like this, what a sad and painful shame 🥲
The beautiful Haifa has become the garbage can of the north
Thank you for a great article ahhh the mythical Atzmon cinema, how many movies have I seen there, the last one was Zahar, a beautiful time that passed and will not return again, there were times ♥️👑🎸
Thank you very much for the support, have a good week!
The article and illustration made by the architect Dr. David Bar On is so instructive and adds to all of us additional knowledge about our city Haifa.
I had such a close friendship with my late father Perbstein, the brother of Miri Adelson, my father was very close to me, and at the time we got to meet a lot.
Reply to-
Eyal 24/10/2024 16:18
"…..
Is Bnei Akiva missionary?
Say you don't belong to spy squads for Iran by any chance?..."
It is clear that anyone who does not think like you is an Iranian spy. One of the famous ones is that they do not require proof.
And now for a few questions:
Will Bnei Akiva hold flag parades near Arab businesses, shout that your village will be burned and smash shop windows?
Will Bnei Akiva veterans start holding prayers in the public space in which there will be demonstrative gender segregation?
In the general state education, will the number of volunteer "service girls" graduates of Bnei Akiva, who under the guise of helping students, vigorously engage in religion, increase greatly?
Will "Torah nuclei" slowly buy apartments and houses of Arabs in order to push the Arab population out of the city (Adelson is a very rich woman).
Will the expatriates of Bnei Akiva insist on establishing yeshiva precisely near an Arab population (see the case of Jaffa and Lod)?
How long will it take until there is a demand to stop public transportation on Shabbat?
How long will it take until shops and restaurants where food is not kosher, will have to not display it.
Will non-religious Muslims, Christians, Baha'is and Israelis continue to feel good in Haifa?
Will Haifa, which was an example and model of a tolerant and liberal society, slowly and unintentionally become another bastion of nationalism?
Thanks for the response. Your questions are poignant and relevant, only for future answers.
An unborn egg!!
Agree with what loyal reader and architect Ruth Blumenfeld wrote.
All the best to you my friend Dr. David Bar On
Good and blessed Shabat for every one
Thank you very much, my friend Rafol, Shabbat Shalom!
Kudos to Dr. Miriam Adelson, the former Farberstein, for the blessed initiative of converting the former Atzmon cinema to the Beit Bnei Akiva, Haifa.
A blessed initiative in all relevant respects. !
well done
Beautiful and interesting article.
How can I purchase the book about cinemas in Haifa?
Thank you very much for your comment, you can purchase the book directly from me, call me on WhatsApp at 0524642998
A completely secular Prophets Street full of Arabs and Gentiles is really, really not suitable for a religious institution, it will be a cry for generations!!!
The opposite is true... precisely because of Rah's condition. The Prophets Yarod The transformation of the Atzmon cinema into the Bnei Akiva center in Haifa will not only revive the place, but a young Zionist Jewish spirit will once again prevail in the area and constitute a much-needed transformation.
So he used to be a fool?
In this cinema they used to show porn movies and the entrance was from the age of 16.
The late Avi Chaim Weisberger was a central figure in the field of Haifa's mythical cinemas. He was Simcha Perbstein's partner in the Atzmon Cinema, managed the cinema since its establishment, built the first Chinese scope screen in the Atzmon Cinema with his own hands, opened the small Miron Cinema which was adjacent to his brother Atzmon . Following a financial trick that the Perlstein family did to him, he was forced to leave the partnership and moved to manage the nearby Orion Cinema and was the first to screen Ingmar Bergman's films in Israel, he opened and managed almost all the famous cinemas operating in Haifa at the time: Ron Cinema, May Cinema and the tiny Mayon next to it, Cinema Domino and of course the two cinemas in the lower city - the summertime Carmel without the roof which screened Arab and Indian films to the delight of all the communities in the north from Nazareth to Haifa as well as the winter gardens cinema with its partners the Ovitz dwarf family whom I knew personally as a child.
In the exhibition that was held years ago in Haifa to mark the history of Haifa as a city of cinemas, many crowns were associated with the Farbstein family, but my father's name was completely absent, even though without him the entire glorious cinema sector of Haifa would have looked completely different.
World fame for those with wealth and complete oblivion and good compulsions for those who do the craft. My father died poor and sick in 1969. I hope my response will make him happy wherever he is.
Thank you for your moving response, you did justice to your late father. Shabbat Shalom!
The place looks disgusting, infested with rats under the auspices of the Haifa municipality which does not care about anything.
The entire facade is burnt and crumbling, but the municipality, for reasons of its own, does nothing
Exactly like that. It's amazing that I lived in Holon and there every complaint is investigated the same day. Here in Haifa I am amazed anew.
The neighborhood is secular or at least it was in the seventies of the last century.
So such a religious institution in such a neighborhood is not contradictory, it is not religion, it is not missionary???
After 7/10, Judaism became the religion of power and the evil control of the rabbis and not a beautiful and connecting religion
Is that what worries you?? the religion?? The whole city will be religious, at least the city will look different with development and a better future. More businesses, more cleanliness, more schools and kindergartens. Much more than all the progress and renewal that exists in other cities. Do religious people worry you???
Is Bnei Akiva missionary?
Say you don't belong to spy squads for Iran by any chance?
How delusional can the bitter and anti-Zionist extreme left here be?
Tired of your dressing up for grades. Zionism was a defiance of religion and you steal it for the opposite purpose like thieves in the night and thieves of opinion. You are not only the religion, you are also a fascism of Israel. Haifa is a mixed secular city with public transportation on Shabbat. Look for another place to stick a finger in his eye.
It is a great pity that there is no photo left of the north wall of the entrance hall to the cinema which was very impressive. It was a transparent glass wall with colorful paintings of Walt Disney characters.
Agree with loyal reader.
To decide if a building is crumbling, you need an opinion from a construction engineer who will give his opinion based on tests and not based on visual appearance - which is usually misleading. The lack of maintenance does not necessarily indicate the "disintegration" of the building.
A conservation survey in the complex that includes the Atzmon cinema (Hadar-Emek Zeytim-Herzliya-Ben Yehuda) is being carried out these days.
Let's hope that the building will be declared for preservation.
I meant "found" and not "average"….
Thank you for your response. The conservation survey is being carried out for a long time and in the meantime the buildings are being destroyed, either by a natural process or by the owners of the properties. By the way, on the municipality's website it is not possible to view the list of buildings approved for preservation. Is this confidential information? Happy holiday!
Let's hope it won't be part of an ultra-orthodox takeover.
Let's all hope, time will tell. Happy holiday!
What exactly are we hoping for, what is wrong with Bnei Akiva? When did you last walk, if at all, in the streets of the city, Ben Yehuda, the Valley of Olives, the Prophets, Ibn Ezra, HaShalom, Gideon, Herzliya, Md. Ben Shemen, Ibn Sinai and this is a small list if at all, there are other streets, the Azova, the population, most of them are families It's a crime that they were smuggled to Haifa from the south, so it's great to have a positive Jewish settlement in Haifa. It is not possible for there to be negative migration to neighboring cities because of these. Food for thought!
I wish they were ultra-Orthodox. Go to Bnei Brak and you will see what a growing and prosperous city it is. You are apparently sleeping from the last century.
Let's hope so. So far everything is crumbling and no body is taking responsibility. Now that there is someone who wants to nurture and awaken the city, what comes to your mind is hatred and fear. Al Gaga, you will not be forced to participate. Once you get to know them up close, I'm sure you'll change your mind!!!
Strength to you Akiva movement, yes they will fight...
We as a country are so busy with wars and defense that there is no time and money left to preserve our culture. And it's a shame.
During the holidays, the Atzmon Cinema became a synagogue, thus closing a circle with its purchase by Bnei Akiva. Atzmon's little brother Miron Cinema is fondly remembered by schoolchildren as a place of refuge during morning shows.
Thank you very much for the information about the purchase of the Atzmon Cinema by Miriam Edelstein and the relocation of the headquarters of the Bnei Akiva movement to the building. This is great news as part of the renewal process that is going on in the Hadar neighborhood and it is appropriate that the municipality should support more initiatives like this. To leave the public buildings as public buildings and allow Hadar to return to being a true urban center and not just a residential neighborhood.
There are 21 buildings in Moriah that were built in the XNUMXs. Neglected but with a beautiful history. Can I get more details?
Thanks for the offer, we will definitely look into it. Happy holiday!
A. How did Dr. Bar On determine that the Atzmon building is crumbling, did he visit the building? Has the building been declared a dangerous building?!
on. Even if the building is not crumbling, and it is likely that this is its correct condition, there is a high chance that the municipality will support and encourage it to be subject to TMA 38, similar to the other buildings in Haifa that the director of engineering declares to be "crumbling", even though they are very far from this condition, with the encouragement of engineers like Zavin and irresponsible led by the municipal engineer Eng. Y.S. and backed by the failed legal advice of the local committee led by Adv.
You burst into an open door and miss the essence of the article - the plan for the future of the building. Happy holiday!
Hello, there is a house on 1 Yavne St. that looks unusual. I don't know if it deserves an article, but I love this building.
Also love reading your articles and the special drawings.
Best regards
Mira Landau
Thank you very much for the offer and of course for the support - you made me very happy. Happy holiday!
Doubt about the offer, we will definitely look into it. Happy holiday!