036 Like a Wildflower

Oct 30

"I hope the festival will charge everyone who visits it with inspiration, hope, and the desire to create - beautiful and new things," declared Shlomi Shaban, the artistic director of the newly announced Tel Aviv Festival. The 4-day event is planned to start Wednesday night, November 5th, and last throughout next weekend in its entirety.

A classically-trained pianist and acclaimed singer-songwriter and composer, Shaban is known for his perfectionist attitude. His ability to fuse together rock and indie, jazz and pop in high-energy live performances elevated him to stardom in the Israeli music scene. Original voice as he is, Shaban orchestrated the first edition of the Tel Aviv Festival as a musical journey, symbolic of the evolution Israeli music saw in the course of the last few decades.

The festival will open with a tribute to the legendary 1974 album "Like a Wildflower" (כמו צמח בר) by Chava Alberstein. The groundbreaking woman who rose to fame with her unparalleled singing capabilities will be joined by an impressive all women lineup - Esther Rada, Netta Barzilai, Ninette Tayeb, Alma Zak and Rona Kenan - all of whom took inspiration from Chava Alberstein with her career spanning more than five decades.

While the opening event will take place in the much respected Heichal Hatarbut (or Charles Bronfman Auditorium), the closing performance of the debut Tel Aviv Festival will happen at the grittier Barby club at the Jaffa Port. Singer Zehava Ben, a leading figure in the Mizrahi music scene in Israel will celebrate her birthday on Saturday, November 8th, with special guest Dudu Tassa.

From start to finish, the Tel Aviv Festival will try to tell the complete story of how Israeli music has expanded, diversified, and finally embraced its complex cultural identity. From the pioneering folk poetry of Chava Alberstein, that helped define Israeli songwriting in the 1970s, to Zehava Ben's Mizrahi musical legacy, that popularized Middle Eastern sounds and made them mainstream - this artistic arc is the perfect expression of that.

Most events will actually take place at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The ambitious vision of the festival was outlined by its artistic director: "a wide musical range, from experimental to mainstream, in the same breath; an absolute majority of original productions, premieres, pre-premieres, instrument experiments and first glimpses; and meetings between mediums and artistic brainstorming sessions for hearts and minds."

To achieve these goals, the museum will host in its numerous halls over 40 performances featuring more than 120 artists, showcasing everything Israeli music has to offer, from electronic experiments to traditional collaborations, debut albums to one-time tribute concerts. Audiences will be able to wander freely between an open discussion with leading Israeli cultural figures, an intimate one-on-one performance by famous Israeli actor Evgenia Dodina, electronic sets by the Israeli band Garden City Movement, a recording of a live musical episode for a tremendously popular Israeli podcast and more. It's an attempt to blur out the boundaries between different artistic mediums, turning the entire museum into what organizers describe as "a living, breathing space of art, music and culture."

From the refined museum to the edgy Barby club, from folk legends who shaped the nation's musical identity to contemporary innovators pushing creative boundaries, the inaugural Tel Aviv Festival next weekend promises to capture something essential about how Israeli music has grown from its pioneering roots. It is now a diverse, confident artistic landscape that reflects the complexity of modern Israeli society, worthy of such a festival.

My name is Tomer Chelouche and I've been guiding tours in Tel Aviv since 2008. I started out of fascination with my family history - the Chelouche family was one of the founding families of Tel Aviv. My ancestors built this city - and I'm telling its story.

The best way to get to know Tel Aviv better is by purchasing one of my audio tours. I also have one more audio tour, that’s in Jerusalem. Here's one way to experience it -

The Jerusalem Gate Hotel provides a convenient base for exploring Jerusalem on a budget. It’s right next to the main bus terminal and the main train station in Israel’s capital. You can easily arrive at the hotel fresh off the plane after landing at the Ben Gurion Airport and taking a 30 minute train ride. After enjoying breakfast at the Jerusalem Gate Hotel, with its Kosher menu, you’ll be able to hop on a tram and within 15 minutes you’ll stand at the Jaffa Gate - the main entrance to the Old City and the starting point of my audio tour.

Prepare yourself for a 90-minute journey through the Armenian, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Quarters, that reveals the origin stories of the three Abrahamic faiths. Let my voice guide you passing by the Tower of David, down the ancient stairs to the Western Wall, along the Via Dolorosa following the footsteps of Jesus, and concluding at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

You'll have the opportunity to tuck a note between the stones making up the Western Wall, decipher Crusader-era symbols, and navigate the dense alleyways rich with heritage. You will also visit the Roman-era Cardo, immerse yourself in the multicultural atmosphere of Al-Wad Street, and learn about the religious overlaps between Jewish Temple Mount and the Islamic holy sites.

The audio tour addresses the challenge many first-time visitors face in the compact maze of market streets and overlapping religious sites of the Old City of Jerusalem. With over three thousand years of layered history compressed into less than one square kilometer, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the significance of every stone and archway. So, I’m happy to be at your service, leading you through the top visited sites in Jerusalem, and indeed in Israel.

You can make sure you've downloaded my Old City of Jerusalem audio tour before you head out, or you can download it on the go if you're set with a data package allowing for uninterrupted internet access. There's a link in the show notes to purchase my audio tour -

The Four Corners of the Historical Old City: A Self-Guided Jerusalem Tour

If you have any questions - you’ll find all the ways to contact me on telaviv.tours (telaviv as one word, no space, no hyphen) and there’s a link in the show notes for your digital convenience.

While Tel Aviv continues to evolve and attract international attention, it's important to address some realities that visitors should understand before arriving. Managing expectations isn't about dampening enthusiasm - it's about ensuring that tourists can fully appreciate the city's genuine charms while being prepared for its challenges.

The cost of living in Tel Aviv consistently ranks among the world's highest, which directly impacts the tourist experience. Restaurant prices, particularly in tourist areas, often exceed those found in major European capitals. A basic meal that costs 15 euros in Barcelona might easily cost 25-30 euros in Tel Aviv. Hotel rates can shock even visitors from expensive cities, with simple accommodations commanding premium prices. Even basic necessities like toiletries and coffee come with hefty price tags that can quickly drain a vacation budget.

Customer service standards can be inconsistent, reflecting the local mentality of "it'll be fine" (Yihiye Beseder, in Hebrew). What locals consider straightforward communication might feel brusque or disorganized to visitors accustomed to more formal hospitality protocols. Restaurant servers might seem inattentive, tour operators may not respond promptly to inquiries, and even simple retail transactions can involve more negotiation than expected.

An attitude of it’ll be fine. Yihiye Beseder

For solo travelers, Tel Aviv presents unique challenges alongside its opportunities. The city's social culture revolves heavily around groups and family gatherings, making solo dining sometimes feel awkward, especially at traditional restaurants where sharing plates is the norm. Language barriers become more pronounced when navigating alone - while many Tel Avivians speak excellent English, Hebrew signage dominates, making simple tasks like understanding bus routes or reading restaurant menus require patience. Solo female travelers should be aware that Israeli men can be quite direct in their approach, and the Mediterranean culture involves less personal space than Northern European or North American visitors might expect.

Families with children face different sets of challenges in Tel Aviv. The weekend invasion phenomenon means Friday afternoons and Saturdays see crowds of visitors from across Israel converging on the city, transforming beaches and attractions into much more chaotic experiences. Some historic neighborhoods feature uneven cobblestone streets and lack proper sidewalks, making stroller navigation difficult. Additionally, the city's famous nightlife culture means some places can be quite noisy. If you’re travelling with kids - don’t spend the night in Florentine or the Jaffa Flea Market area.

Older visitors or those with mobility issues should prepare for a city that, despite its modern aspirations, wasn't designed with universal accessibility in mind. Many of the UNESCO-protected Bauhaus buildings lack elevators, and the historic Jaffa area involves significant walking on uneven stone surfaces and steep inclines. Public transportation can involve crowded buses. Plus, rude bike riders sometimes mount the pavement, making pedestrians feel less safe.

And, of course, politics. Yes, Tel Aviv is in Israel. Yes, we’re fighting a war against Hamas to release 48 hostages, at the time of this recording, still held captive in Gaza for more than two years, as this episode comes out. Yes, many Tel Avivians are also actively participating in the war as soldiers. Yes, Israel is reprimanded for this war, that could end in a second if the hostages are released right now. So I know that some might think more than once about visiting Tel Aviv on moral grounds, but I believe that visiting this great city is actually the moral thing to do. To stand on the side of what’s right.

With all its shortcomings, Tel Aviv is still the greatest city in the world, in my opinion. With so many visitors over the years having the time of their lives here, I’m glad that more and more people now agree.

Thanks for listening and you’ll hear from me again when the next episode comes out next week.Until then - I am Tel Aviv tour guide Tomer Chelouche, signing off and hoping to see you soon in Tel Aviv.