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British anemones in front of the mythical Cafe Hermon

Once upon a time in Jerusalem,
And this time, British anemones in front of the mythical Cafe Hermon at 10 Keren Kayemet St.
After the British occupation and the end of the period of Turkish rule in the country, Jerusalem awoke as a noble princess from centuries of a long slumber.
The influence of the British rule was felt in the city, and the Rehavia neighborhood, which was established at the beginning of 1920 as a garden neighborhood by the members of the Labor Battalion, who were workers who lived in tents and advocated simplicity, Hebrew work, and communal life, began to change its character.
The German immigration from Europe attracted to the beautiful and well-kept neighborhood an educated and elitist population, and affluent Spanish families such as Elisher, Molcho, Kukia, and Liro.
This is how doctors, engineers, physicists, and chemists who immigrated from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia found themselves side by side, alongside the neighborhood’s Spanish wealth aristocracy.
At the beginning of the British mandate, there were 10 coffee shops in the entire city, and by the end of the 1930s, there were already over 50 in the city.
Cafe Hermon in the photo, located at the end of today’s Keren Kemeymet Street, near King George Street and the complex of national institutions became a gathering place for the leadership of the Jewish community.
10 Kakal Street was the home of Dr. Moshe Glazman, together with the Admoni family.
The Hermon Cafe was opened in 1938 by the Reiner and Sharaf families.
The cafe had a long, open garden, and it was used by the Zionist leadership of that time, as well as Ben Gurion and his wife Paula, who lived in a wooden shack where the Tirat Bat Sheva hotel is today.
Intellectuals, writers, and poets were also added to the cafe’s residents –
Leah Goldberg, Yitzhak Shenhar, and Aharon Applefeld were some of those who frequented the place.
The radio studios that were closed before the War of Liberation moved to 14 Ibn Gvirol St., the Beit Halutz nearby, and thus a situation arose where the reporters who were sitting in the cafe listening with or without permission to the conversations of the country’s leaders, finished their coffee and wanted to report on the radio the gist of the conversations they heard between an espresso and Kremenschnit cake.
It remains only to speculate what the leaders of that generation would have said about what is happening in our country today –
Between the “Group of weaklings” said a minister in the current government to the Air Force pilots who risk their lives guarding the country’s borders and away from it to the “Rolexes and Mercedes” of the thinkers and philosophers of the country’s leadership in 2023.
It seems that the leaders of the country who sat at the coffee table, those that signed the Declaration of Independence are turning in their graves with spectacular somersaults.
Cafe Hermon was closed in 1984, and thus its world fame passed, to a place that concentrated the essence of the Jewish settlement of the past.
Today, 2 new residential floors were built above the building in the photo, and the commercial floor is currently occupied by a Tambour store, clothing, and deli store.
This is how worldly fame ends.
This is our Jerusalem-
A mythical cafe that housed the fathers of the state along the way,
Workers imbued with Zionism who came from the four corners of the world to build a Zionist Jewish home with Sisyphean Jewish manual labor,
Prime Minister and President of the State who lived in wooden barracks, imbued with a sense of historical mission,
and British soldiers with red berets, who were called by the residents, anemones,
And one country is on its way to becoming a home for the Jewish people, for the entire Jewish people, as the promised and safe place for every Jew wherever they are.
How difficult it is to build a glorious country, a light to the Gentiles, with endless efforts and an unbearable price,
And how easy it is to ruin and destroy a Zionist enterprise that is more than a century old, in two months of complete system trolling.
May we have days of sanity and a return to the source, because as cliché as it sounds-
We have no other country.
May we receive a miracle and may sanity and discretion return to our country as soon as possible.
Shabbat Shalom to all, far and near, from Jerusalem. 

צילום – צבי אורון

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                Once upon a time in Jerusalem– about 18 years ago– you brokered our purchase of an apartment in Rechavia. We’re not sure what we enjoy more–the apartment or your Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem stories. They are both delightful.

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                Jerusalem- New York

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                I don’t have enough words to thank you for the success in selling my house in the German colony in Jerusalem. I asked you to try to sell the apartment over a year ago, during a difficult time of the corona pandemic and feeling insecure about the future.

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                Judith A.

                Israel, Jerusalem

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                Aliza

                Israel

                “It is my pleasure to recommend Oren as a real estate agent for any client searching for the ideal pied-a-terre or home in Jerusalem. Not only is he a master at negotiating contracts (nothing escapes his attention), I can attest to his extremely honest and professional service. As an interior designer working in Jerusalem who is involved with clients at the outset,I have personally witnessed how Oren continues to accompany and help clients way after contracts have been signed. He is highly personable, attentive and if you are looking for a smooth stress-free home-buying experience then do not hesitate to contact Oren.”

                Annette Frommer

                Interior Designer

                “If there was ever a real estate agent that puts the client before his commission, it is Oren Cohen. Oren is well known and highly respected for his in-depth knowledge of the Jerusalem and surrounding real estate market. If there is a property that is available before it is on the market, Oren knows it first. What truly sets him apart in his industry is his superlative customer service and client focused approach.  Oren’s goal has always been to foster and create relationships with his clients that don’t end with the purchase or sale of a property. He gives service with a heart and most of his clients become close life-long friends.

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                Edith O.

                USA

                “I have known and worked closely with Oren Cohen for close to 20 years. I highly recommend him, not only as a professional realtor, but also as a close and reliable friend who assisted me, my family, and my close friends throughout the years, in numerous transactions, with integrity and grace. It is truly an honor and privilege to have collaborated with Oren and hope to continue to do so for many years to come.”

                R.D Dessler

                Cleveland, USA

                “I have had the privilege to work with Oren Cohen, a reliable, experienced, and trustworthy realtor, who has accompanied me, as well as my family members and colleagues, throughout the years, in a wide range of investments and sales. Oren is a loyal and professional individual, who displays a sense of security and stability to all those surrounding him and I look forward to a continued collaboration with Oren in the future.”

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                Rabbi Joseph Reichman

                “My experience with Oren started as a business venture, but quickly turned into a strong friendship. He made sure to accompany me, with the utmost care and attention, throughout the entire process, all while providing his expert advice in the real estate field. I highly recommend Oren’s services, which will turn your home buying/selling experience as stress-free as possible.”

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                Shmaya Singer

                “I have been working closely with Oren for nearly 20 years in order to promote our family real estate in Israel. His long-lasting expertise, loyalty & dedication, have led him to the path of success. Oren makes sure to always be attentive to his clients’ needs and demands and goes above and beyond to ensure a smooth and pleasant experience.”

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                Amir Yaffe

                “Dear Oren, on behalf of my wife and I , we would like to take this opportunity to tell you what a pleasant experience it dealing with you. You found the perfect home for us. Over the years we have been blessed with purchasing many properties. As I’m sure you know it’s not always clear sailing . Dealing with you has been so simple , honest, stress free as you handled every aspect of our purchase . We cannot express in words the thanks that we have to you. May you be blessed with good health and continued success in all your endeavors.”

                Ronnie and Cookie Safdieh

                NY

                “I am pleased to recommend Oren Cohen as a top notch real estate broker. His attention to detail and expert advice has enabled me to sell my apartment after countless attempts through other brokers and agencies, with Oren it was swift and without any difficulties. His understanding of the marketplace is excellent and his ability to find the right buyer is his expertise. I would certainly tell my friends/family members to seek out Oren Cohen if they are either looking to buy or sell a property in Jerusalem.”

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                USA

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