Strolling into Sarona's past

A warm but pleasant July early evening saw over 30 ESRA members and friends from Petah Tikvah gather to enjoy a 2-hour stroll with our experienced tour guide, Pamela Levene, around Sarona, where we saw refurbished Templer houses in the heart of Tel Aviv.

Sarona is situated across from the high-rise towers of Azrieli and opposite the Army Headquarters. Nestled among these iconic buildings, Sarona offers a walk into the past of the old Tel Aviv and is a sanctuary of tree-lined pathways, beautifully restored Templer houses, cafés, restaurants, shops and much more.

The tour took us around some of the highlights of this "gem", where we heard tales from the past of the history of the Templer movement in Israel, especially around the time of the Second World War and its Nazi connection. We also had a glimpse of the way of life they had had in the 1800s. Sarona was one of the first agricultural settlements of Palestine, and they had focused on crops and products which could readily sell. This "agriculture-for-profit" was an economic innovation in a land that for centuries had practiced only self-sustaining farming.

There is even history underfoot, and although we did not have time to actually venture into the tunnels and cellars of the old winery, we did see the restored well which was an important source of water in the early days.

We finished our tour by the beautiful lily ponds and all agreed it was a successful first tour by the newly formed Petah Tikvah branch of ESRA.

If you would like to learn more about our Petah Tikvah branch, then please see our page at http://www.esra.org.il/esra_news1 or contact Miriam Crosbie 054 888 5459 for details of our volunteering programs (English tutoring and the Befrienders) and future meetings.