The Tel Aviv Casino
The Galei Aviv Casino was a well-known Tel Aviv building that served as a cafe and restaurant on Tel Aviv's waterfront.
The casino building was built at the end of Allenby Street in 1921, at the initiative of Salomon Grigorovich Kazarnovsky, and was designed by the architect Yehuda Magidovich in the eclectic style. It stood on top of concrete pillars built in the sea and access to it was via a narrow bridge that connected it to the shore. Meir Dizengoff, the first mayor of Tel Aviv, approved changing the route of Allenby Street specifically so that it would reach the building. The casino became famous for its unique style and became one of the well-known symbols of Little Tel Aviv.
Although it was called a casino, gambling did not take place there and it was used as a luxurious and exclusive restaurant, cafe, bar and dance club. It quickly became one of the favorite entertainment places for members of the upper class, public figures, writers and artists during the British Mandate period, and was visited by many distinguished guests including Lord Allenby, the High Commissioner, Winston Churchill, Haim Nachman Bialik, Ahad Ha'am, and others.
Although the place was popular and well known, it failed to be profitable and over the years passed between owners. After its first owner went bankrupt, it was leased in 1923 by Mordechai Weisser and Moshe Abarbanel, who were also the owners of Eden Cinema, the city's first movie theater. In 1926-1927 it was operated by a cooperative of waiters, and then passed into the hands of Nahum Greenblatt who operated it until 1936, when the building was damaged by a severe storm and became unstable and dangerous.
In 1939, the municipality of Tel Aviv destroyed it in an explosion that attracted many curious spectators, and even slightly injured one of them, who was none other than Salomon Grigorievich Kraznovsky, the original entrepreneur...
(Anecdote authored by: עמיר)
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