Another “Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem”
This time – the Israeli Television Building and the Broadcasting Authority in Romema.
The television building and the broadcasting channel on Torah MiTzion Street in Romema were originally built as a diamond polishing center for Jerusalem in order to provide jobs to the city’s residents.
The building was erected by the initiative of Pinchas Sapir, the legendary Minister of Finance.
The building was designed by architect Reuven Trostler, who designed dozens of industrial and commercial buildings at the time, and was part of the Tel Arza industrial area, where, among other things, the Tnuva dairies, the Amcor factory, Rafa laboratories, and more were located.
The building was inaugurated towards the end of 1960 and was occupied by diamond polishing factories, with a branch of Bank Igud opening on the ground floor for the many financial transactions that were supposed to take place there.
Plans are one thing, and reality is another –
The building and complex did not take off; the polishing factories occupied only a small part of the building, and in 1964, the local diamond center closed with little fanfare.
In mid-1966, the building was purchased by the Ministry of Finance for the Broadcasting Authority for 1.5 million Lirot, and in early 1967, the building was declared the headquarters of the Broadcasting Authority.
The Educational Television began operating in March 1966,
and in 1968, the Israeli Television of the Broadcasting Authority was established, with an American consultant, John Stern, Vice President of CBS.
The first broadcast of Israeli Television was the IDF parade on Independence Day 1968, aired in black and white after the glorious victory in the Six-Day War and the period of euphoria that followed.
On August 1, 1968, the first “Mabat” news edition began, hosted by Mr. Television – Chaim Yavin, the man who shaped the future of Israeli television.
Many changes passed over the building and complex –
The nearby building called “The Thread House,” which served as the Jerusalem Wire Factory, was bought by the Broadcasting Authority.
In the building were the offices of “Kol Yisrael”, the national radio of that time, and between the two buildings, a large TV studio was built that also held an audience, where shows like “Chaim Sheka’ele” and music programs were filmed.
Israeli Television was the local campfire of that time with 100% ratings and the topic of conversation the next day.
Over the years, the Haredi population in the area grew, and the TV and radio people had access issues to the complex on Saturdays and holidays.
In 1992, the Jerusalem Development Authority initiated a move to the Kiryat Communication complex for the Broadcasting Authority in the old Shaarei Tzedek area.
The project’s funding was planned from the sale of real estate and land in Romema, to avoid burdening the state’s budget.
But as is common in our places –
Plans are one thing, and reality is another,
and only the budgets and public funds from taxpayers continue to flow like water.
The new complex was never populated; the “First Channel” left the TV building in 2017, the sign was removed, and a glorious era ended.
In September 2019, a large fire broke out in the abandoned building that housed the homeless and street dwellers, and the building was severely damaged.
In June 2021, the building was demolished, and a residential complex for the Haredi population was built in its place with 247 housing units under the “Mechir Lemishtaken” program and 61 apartments for sale on the open market, because as we said, taxpayer money is the easiest to spend.
This is our Jerusalem,
A diamond polishing workshop building that turns into television studios built on high floors, broadcasting the developing history of the State of Israel in black and white,
on a channel that was the national campfire, from which messages to the people of Zion emerged, the transformation and peace agreement until its demolition and the construction of a new residential neighborhood to solve the housing shortage for the Haredi population dominating the area.
Shabbat Shalom to those near and far from Jerusalem, may the hostages return to the embrace of their families very soon, along with the IDF soldiers, and may peace come to Israel.
Photographer – State Archives
