Tel Aviv-Yafo is an Israeli city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Tel Aviv is also the main part of the largest and most populous metropolitan area in Israel, known as Gush Dan (“Dan Aggregate”).

The larger metropolitan area comprises a number of separate municipalities with around 2.2 million people living in the 14 km sprawl along the Mediterranean coast. Tel Aviv-Yafo itself has a population of 371,000. Making it the second largest city (in terms of population) in Israel.

History of Tel Aviv

The official foundation of Tel Aviv dates from the ceremony of the lottery of plots of land, which took place on the second day of Passover 1909. But in fact Tel Aviv was established three years previously, in July 1906, at the convention of the Jews of Yafo held at Yeshurun Club. The participants complained about the terrible living conditions of Yafo's Jews, the poor sanitation and congested housing, the badly lit streets, and worst of all the "Muhram" decree which compelled Jews to change their dwelling annually. At the convention, Arieh Akiva Weiss, who had just arrived in the country, proposed the establishment of a new neighborhood outside Yafo. Weiss' idea was enthusiastically received and Yafo Agudat Bonei Batim (House-Builders Association), forerunner of Ahuzat Bait, was formed at once. It marked the beginning of Tel Aviv.

The city born at a seashell lottery

The founders of Tel Aviv aimed to build a new neighborhood that would be independent of Yafo. Their visioned was a city designed along the lines of the Garden City Movement, headed by the British city planner Sir Ebenezer Howard. They had in mind a green and spacious city, the very opposite of the urban squalor of Yafo.

Once enough people had registered for the new neighborhood, land was purchased east of Neve Tzedek, not far from the beach. The land was divided into 60 plots for the first 60 families who had joined Ahuzat Bait.

However, the member families could not decide how to allocate the land and eventually decided to hold a lottery to ensure a just and unbiased allocation.

The lottery was held on the second day of Passover 1909. The participants gathered on the sand dunes by the beach. Arieh Akiva Weiss, chairman of the lottery committee, gathered 60 grey and 60 white shells. He wrote the names of the participants on the white shells, and the plot numbers on the grey shells. After all, at stake was nothing less than the allocation of the first plots of the new city developing on the shores of the Mediterranean. Weiss had aptly chosen seashells as lots.

Today, Tel Aviv is the most active city in Israel. The city is getting her fucus as a cultural, finiancial and a political site in israel.

Site, streets, and other places that we are recommend to visit:

Sheinkin street- This is a special street, who attract actors, musicians, and other Bohemians who live there. The street location is in the center of Tel Aviv. This is a long street with a lot of coffee shops, vintage stores, and a lot of unique people.
In Friday morning, the Street is a specially crowded. People seat in the coffee shops on the sidewalk, with a newspapers and a huge breakfast. Also you can see in Friday a street show, colorful people and on.

Roothold Boulevards- it named on the baron Rothshild, a jowish philanthropic. The boulevards are one of the most major pivot traffic in Tel Aviv and the Israeli's financial center is also there. The boulevards start from the sea and end in the national theater ("Habima"). The most of the buildings in the boulevards are design in the Bauhaus spirit, and walking their premising you pleasant sights.

Of course, along the walking you can stop in the bench under the trees or in the one of the coffee shops or a restaurants whose there..

Dizingof Center- mall in Tel Aviv. Highly recommended.

The Yarkone Park – this is a green lung in the north of Tel Aviv. The park located beside the yarkon stream. In the park you can find a bicycle road, all kind of carriage and a playground for children. In the other part of the park, you will see an artificial lake with a renting boat. There is a botanic garden, and a golf yard
Tel Aviv new port- in the last years, the area around the port became a night site. You will find there the trendiest pubs, bars and night clubs. The port located in the end of Ben Yehuda Street..

Yarkon Street- the first street after the beach. you can find there a lot of  hotels and motels, because the street is located in the shore. In their you also will find a pubs, bars, and night clubs with a lot of tourist as a crowd. The America embassy is also settling in the street..  

Ben Yehuda Street- next to the Yarkon Street and also attractive place for tourist, because of his location- near the beach. You will find there pubs and bars and a small motels to.

Allenby Street- Is a bubbling street that in the day functions as a normal street with a cheep shops and an all kind of bazaar. And in the night, the street is putting a makeup and become a night scene with a night clubs and places for gay people to.

The promenade- Tel Aviv has a beautiful promenade that spread from Jaffa in the south until the northern neighborhood in the city. all the via is beside the sea.


The Museums of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa

AZRIELI OBSERVATORY

www.azrielicenter.co.il
Azrieli Center (Round Tower, 49th Floor), 132 Menachem Begin Rd., Tel Aviv.
Tel. 03-608-1179. Bus No: 11, 78, 608.
Open: Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday: 10:00-20:00, Friday: 10:00-18:00,
Saturday: 10:00-20:00. Closed on Monday.

BEN-GURION MUSEUM

http://www.ilmuseums.com/museum_eng.asp?id=66
17 Ben Gurion Blvd., Tel Aviv. Tel 03-522-1010. Bus No: 4, 10.
Open: Sunday, Monday: 08:00-17:00, Tuesday - Thursday 08:00-15:00,
Saturday: 08:00-13:00. Closed on Fridays and on holidays.

BIALIK HOUSE

http://www.ilmuseums.com/museum_eng.asp?id=65
22 Bialik St., Tel. 03-525-4530. Bus No: 4.
Closed for renovations.

BIBLE MUSEUM

http://www.ilmuseums.com/museum_eng.asp?id=191
16 Rothschild Blvd., Tel. 03-517-7760. Bus No: 12, 4.
Open: Sunday – Tuesday, and. Thursday: 09:30-12.30, Wednesday: 09:30-12:30, and 16:00-19:00. Closed on Friday and Saturday.

ERETZ ISRAEL MUSEUM

http://eretzmuseum.org.il
2 Chaim Levanon St., Ramat Aviv, Tel. 03-641-5244. Bus No: 7, 7a, 13, 24, 25, 27, 74, 86, 274.
Open: Sunday - Tuesday, and Thursday: 09:00-15:00, Wednesday: 09:00-17:00, Friday and Saturday: 10:00-14:00.

HELENA RUBINSTEIN PAVILION FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

http://www.ilmuseums.com/museum_eng.asp?id=60
6 Tarsat Blvd., Tel. 03-528-7196. Bus No: 5, 26.
Open: Monday, Wednesday: 10:00-16:00, Tuesday, Thursday: 10:00-22:00, Friday: 10:00-14:00, Saturday: 10:00-16:00. Closed on Sunday.

ILANA GOOR MUSEUM

http://www.ilanagoor.co.il
4 Mazal Dagim St., Old Jaffa, Tel. 03-683-7676. Bus No: 10, 46.
Open: Sunday.-Friday: 10:00-16:00, Saturday: 10:00-18:00.

INDEPENDENCE HALL

http://www.ilmuseums.com/museum_eng.asp?id=57
16 Rothschild Blvd., Tel Aviv, Tel. 03-517-3942. Bus No: 4, 12.
Open Sun-Thur. 9 am - 2 pm. Closed on Friday and Saturday.

MUSEUM OF JEWISH DIASPORA - BEIT HATEFUSOTH

http://www.bh.org.il
Tel Aviv University Campus, Matityahu Gate (#2), Klauser St., Ramat Aviv. Tel. 03-640-8000. Bus No: 6, 25, 45, 49, 27.
Open: Sunday - Tuesday, and Thursday: 10:00-16:00, Wednesday: 10:00-18:00, Friday: 09:00-13:00. Closed on Friday and Saturday. Daily guided tours in English: Sunday - Friday: 11:00.

RUBIN MUSEUM

http://www.rubinmuseum.org.il
14 Bialik St., Tel Aviv Tel. 03-5255961. Bus No: 4.
Open: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10:00-15:00, Tuesday: 10:00-20:00, Saturday: 11:00-14:00. Closed on Friday.

TEL-AVIV MUSEUM OF ART

http://www.tamuseum.co.il
27 Shaul Hamelech Blvd., Tel 03-696-1297. Bus No: 9, 18, 28, 70, 90, 111.
Open Monday, Wednesday: 10:00-16:00, Tuesday, Thursday: 10:00-20:00, Friday: 10:00-14:00, Saturday: 10:00-16:00. Closed on Sunday.