And the city of Tel Aviv rejoiced
Historic journey in pictures through Tel Aviv's first Purim parade
The parade was initiated and produced by Avraham Aldema (originally Eisenstein), an artist who taught drawing in the gymnasium. Aldema came to Palestine from the Ukraine in 1906, and was one of the founders of the “Lovers of the Hebrew Stage” theater, and an organizer of the parties and balls at the Herzliya Gymnasium and in “Little Tel Aviv.”
Tel Avivians and residents of the nearby agricultural settlements came en masse to view the carnival. Tel Aviv mayor Meir Dizengoff promised the organizers a special budget so that the parade could be held in the future as well.
And in fact, the Tel Aviv carnival was held until 1914, when it was stopped because of World War I. It was restarted in the 1920s and held until the beginning of the Arab revolt of 1936-1939. In recent years the tradition has been revived.
In 1932 the city of Tel Aviv held a competition to name the carnival. The suggestions included “Hinga Por,” “Tsahalona,” “Tel Avivon,” “Purimon,” and “Tahaluhon.” Ultimately the name “Adloyada” was chosen, at the recommendation of the writer I.D. Berkowitz, and the rest is history.
The 1933 Adloyada. From the exhibition of “Hama’avir” and “Galei Aviv” from 1908.
Aldema leading the Adloyada on his horse (photo above). He is followed by Dizengoff (on black horse, left, below) and Avraham Shapira (on white horse, right, below). They are followed by “Queen Esther,” who was chosen at Baruch Agadati’s Purim ball.
The procession passes through the streets of the city.
Camels in Tel Aviv
A float of Uncle Sam and American Jewry
The crocodile, symbolizing Hitler’s rise to power. At the end of the parade, the float was set on fire on the beach.
Western European Jewry and “the serpent of imperialism”
“Long live internal aliyah—under government license”
“The Jewish National Fund: the stronghold of the nation”
Borochov, the first workers’ neighborhood in the land of Israel
The “Revisionist airplane”— the Revisionists’ withdrawal from the Jewish Agency and the National Home
“Our one common purpose”
“The Torah of truth”—the war on religion
From the photo collection of Avraham Aldema, founder of the Adloyada in Tel Aviv. Thanks to Ran Aldema, his son, for help in preparing this item.
