"This year, one hundred years after the famous lottery, Tel Aviv-Yafo will mark its Centennial Year with dozens of events, festivities, celebrations and ceremonies…"
Tel Aviv was officially founded on April 11, 2009. On that day, representatives of 66 families gathered on the beaches to the north of Jaffa to participate in a lottery to divide plots for a new neighborhood. They envisioned a modern city in the biblical homeland, and called the new neighborhood "Ahuzat Bait." The neighborhood grew larger, and eventually became Tel Aviv – the region's most creative, pluralistic and tolerant urban center.
After much debate and many suggested names, including: New Yafo, Neve Yafo, Nof Yafo, Aviva, Beauty, Tranquil, Ivria, one of the names that came up – and was nearly chosen – was Herzlyia, after Theodore Herzl, the founder of political Zionism. It was Menahem Sheinkin, one of the leading Zionist figures at the time, who suggested Tel-Aviv. Sheinkin noted that Nahum Sokolow, author, translator and pioneer of Hebrew journalism, had used that name when translating the title of Herzl's book "Altneuland' (Old-New Land in German). Sokolow explained that he chose to translate "Altneuland" as "Tel-Aviv" because he had been especially intrigued by the combination of the two words "Tel" (a mound of ruins) and "Aviv" (springtime, the season of blossoming and renewal), which link old and new together. The combination of the two words also appears in the Book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament. A democratic vote was then held and Tel-Aviv was chosen by a majority of 20 votes, over 15 votes for Neve Yafo.
In 1950, Tel Aviv and Jaffa united to one municipal entity (Tel Aviv-Jaffa, or Tel Aviv-Yafo, in Hebrew), and the combined city continued to draw the nation's leading artistic, cultural, economic and social forces.
This year, one hundred years after the famous lottery, Tel Aviv-Yafo will mark its Centennial Year with dozens of events, festivities, celebrations and ceremonies. The events will begin on April 1st and last for 9 months. Each month will be characterized by one major theme, with a central mega event and numerous smaller events all giving that month its special flavor.
For a full list of Centennial Events, go to www.tlv100.co.il/EN/Pages/EngHome.aspx
