January 18 - Community Service, Sarona & Speaker's Forum

CAARI visited Sarona where we met Eran Shadar, a noted Israeli actor, that made us laugh and smile while explaining the roots of a unique group of people from Germany. They called themselves Templers and  established 7 colonies in the Holy Land in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. They brought with them modern technology that did not exist in this part of the world, such as windmills, metal weather vanes and stream engine olive press, all of which are present at Sarona. Sarona was one of those seven colonies that today has 37 restored buildings from this period.

The Sarona market place of today is one of the magnets of Tel Aviv offering a world wide variety of food for rising chefs.

CAARI walked through the underground 19^th century wine barrel tunnels which were used by the Templers who were major wine producers.  During the War of Independence large aircraft parts were hidden in these tunnels.

CAARI assembles at the wind mill of Sarona

Eraan Shadar out tour guide in Sarona shows up and starts to explain

Eran Shadar captivates CAARI participants attention with his imitations of figures from Ottoman Turkish times

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Eraan Shadfar in a Fez explains to the CAARI group about the bowling alley at Sarona

The restored Bowling Alley at Sarona

One of the original trees planted over 140 years ago by the Templers at Sarona

Eran Shadar imitates Ben Gurion at Sarona

That evening we heard from Colette Avital, (below) former Knesset member and Israel’s Counsel General to UN in the late 1990’s,  who has led the fight for compensation for Holocaust survivors in Israel and around the world.