Avshalom Feinberg
Spy's house to turn into cinema
Hadera home of Avshalom Feinberg, one of Nili spy network founders, to be preserved as cinematheque for arthouse films
The house of one of the leaders of Nili, a Jewish spy network which helped the British fight the Ottoman Empire during World War I, will soon become a cinema.
Avshalom Feinberg, one of the spy network's founders, lived with his family in the city of Hadera at the time. His beautiful house, which is located today on Hagiborim Street, was built by Avshalom's father, Israel Feinberg, in 1896. The house was destroyed by Arab rioters in 1921, but was later rebuilt.
Hadera Mayor Chaim Avitan decided recently to preserve the house and turn it into a cinematheque which will screen arthouse films.
The city's architect, Avishay Kimeldorf is currently working on preserving the house, along with the Feinberg family and Israel Feinberg's granddaughter, Tamar Eshel. The building's renovation is valued at millions of shekels.
The Feinberg house will be the only cinema in Hadera, as all the city's cinemas have been shut down over the past few years.
According to Kimeldorf, the new cinema will answer the needs of the city's culture seekers. The architect promises the visitors not just a cinematic experience, but also a visit to a unique and fascinating building with arched walls, decorated floors, special windows and a beautiful courtyard.
The furniture and wall paintings will be memorable. A café will be built on the premises to serve the viewers before and after the film screenings. One of the house's rooms will be used for meetings between the mayor and heads of the State.
The new cinema will be operated by the Khan Theater and will also host a variety of cultural events.
