More of the once-upon-a-time Jerusalem,
And this time – 92 years for Edison cinema.
The Edison Cinema opened in 1932 and was the third cinema to open in Jerusalem.
It was preceded by Zion Cinema and Eden Cinema.
The building is located on Yeshayahu St., the corner of Balliliouse St., north of the city center and the Ixim intersection, in the heart of the Geula neighborhood bordering M’ea S’hearim.
The magnificent hall was built in modern architecture by M.Y. Mizrahi and his sons, who also founded Orion Cinema.
The hall, with 1,200 seats, was the splendor of the creation of those days, with high ceilings, and huge burgundy curtains, which gave the place a sense of grandeur and grandeur, and a sense of escape for a moment from the grayness of Jerusalem, and from the tiringly crowded streets that surround the place.
The building was built, among other things, by a group of pioneers from the Third Aliyah, who lived in a commune in the Beit H’aKerem neighborhood, and who drew knowledge and inspiration from the Arab builders of that time.
The hall was also the first in Jerusalem to boast an air conditioning system, a luxury of those days.
The hall is named after Thomas Edison, the inventor of cinema and the electric light bulb.
The cinema was opened with great pomp and splendor exactly 92 years ago on January 5, 1932 in the presence of the officials of the British Mandate government, the dignitaries of the national institutions of the country on the way, which in those days did not even exist in the imagination, and the opening words were delivered by Eliezer ben Avi, the lifer of the Hebrew language, followed by a classical concert by Mendelssohn.
Besides movies, the cinema was used as a hall for plays and concerts-
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performed there the first concert that was broadcast live on the radio station Kol Jerusalem,
In 1937, a celebratory concert was held there in honor of the coronation of King George VI,
In addition, as mentioned, the hall was also used for performances, and the Chamber Theater, the cameri, and other artists performed there.
The proximity of the cinema to the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in the city of Geula and Mea Shearim, caused friction on the issue of Shabbat observance.
In January 1933, a “non-desecration of Shabbat” agreement was signed after pressure from Agudath Israel, and the violator undertook to pay a fine of 300 Israeli pounds to the Diskin Orphanage, and to the other cinemas that remained closed.
In light of the success of the cinema in the city, the management began selling tickets during Shabbat for evening shows, to the chagrin of the ultra-orthodox public.
In August 1933, the owner of the cinema announced that the Eden Cinema had started screenings and shows on Shabbat and holidays, therefore he does not consider himself obligated to observe the Shabbat.
The Edison Cinema was set on fire twice,
In 1965 and 1975, and heavy damage was caused to the place.
In 1971, The Hair Changer appeared at the venue, starring the late Zvika Pick, and the sounds of the musical were drowned out by the shouts of the people of Neturi Karta who demonstrated outside the hall against the abomination inside.
In 1982, the hall from was rented by our acquaintance Moshe Dadash, the businessman and owner of the Beitar Jerusalem football club, the man who signed the contracts with the stars of the group at that time on napkins in cafes.
In 1993 Dadash purchased the cinema for 2 million dollars.
In September 1994 Dadash sold the cinema for 5.8 million dollars.
Dadash, who did not study business administration at universities, proved that the napkin in the cafe is a more successful business model than the economic models at the university,
Back in the time when the dollar was a dollar.
The property was purchased by the businessman Eyal Rotem, who wanted to demolish the hall, and build in its place a 12-story commercial and office building, and a large parking lot.
At the end of 2001, the company that recruited additional investors for the project submitted a request for a liquidation order and inability to meet the financial obligation of the project.
In April 2004, the hall was sold to Satmar followers at a price of 4.6 million dollars, and a building for Satmar followers was planned instead, while preserving the facade of the unique building.
After many delays, the building was occupied only in 2014.
The royal atmosphere of the concerts and the magnificent hall was replaced by the Yiddish of Satmar students, the tights, make-up and glitter of Zvika Peak were replaced by the tights of the Yeshiva boys,
And the Indian films that were screened there, will no longer be screened.
I remember as a child the special atmosphere in the place, where I saw E.T take off for the first time into the sky with a bicycle and a box of Tnuva, and Superman in red tights spins the world backwards counterclockwise, and Chuck Norris defeats 400 people with blows, blows away the dust, straightens his shirt, and continues on his way as if nothing had happened.
When the movie projector was not alert and forgot to change the film’s wheel, the spectators from the audience whistled reminder sounds to him, and brats would roll empty Tempo bottles from the top of the cinema to the stage.
This is our Jerusalem-
The sounds of an orchestra for the coronation of King George are mixed in Yiddish with an American accent,
Contracts that are signed on paper napkins in cafes, followed by ambitious entrepreneurship that collapses in on itself,
Magnificence and velvet curtains that show Indian films and theater performances, and one hall, which is a memory and testimony to a history and rebirth that you will not forget.
It turns out that the cinema was built on the wrong side of Jaffa Street.
Shabbat of peace to the far and near from Jerusalem❤️
Photo by Beno Rothenberg ,1950.
