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Final: Cafe Bialik will close after about 25 years of operation
The Tel Aviv institution, which was home to the intimate performances of many artists, will be closed amid heavy economic hardship caused by the corona crisis and a future evacuation plan for the building.
The owner of the institution: "With a sore heart full of precious memories I say goodbye. I will miss all my life"
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Bialik Coffee
Sagi Ben Nun
Saturday, 06 March 2021, 12:41 Updated: 12:52
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Bialik Cafe (Photo: Dan Schatzberg, Dan Schatzberg)
Final: Cafe Bialik, a Tel Aviv institution for performances, will close after about 25 years of operation.
This is against the background of the heavy economic difficulties to which the Corona crisis has led, and regardless also a future plan to evacuate construction of the building.
Throughout most of his years of activity, intimate performances by many good artists took place in his small space, including the Tammuz, Korin Elal, Eran Tzur, Amir Lev, Geva Alon, Yahli Sobol, Dafna Armoni, Daniel Salomon, Didi Erez, Danny Gilboa, Danny Litani, Arik Sinai, Danny Robes, Jane Bordeaux, Danny Bassan, Eli Magen, Adi Rennert and Prototype, as well as unrecognized artists and those in their infancy who have been given the opportunity to be exposed to an audience.
Bialik Cafe was opened in 1996 by Meirav Ben Shlomo on the corner of Allenby and Bialik in Tel Aviv, in a building where the Sapir, Zamir and Three Negro cafes operated in the 1920s and 1930s.
In 2002 a suicide bombing took place near the cafe which put him in big debt.
Since 2004, the place has started live and intimate performances every evening, and over time, masses of artists have performed there.
The owner and manager of the place, Ben Shlomo, began to repay the debts.
However, over the years, the cafe has run into additional financial difficulties.
Just a year ago, in March 2020, a loan taken out by Ben Shlomo during Operation Eitan ended, and then the corona appeared.
The plague has hit the restaurant and concert industry in particular, leading Cafe Bialik to a critical condition.
Ben Shlomo accused the government of not helping enough.
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To the full article
During the summer it was reported that the institution was in danger of closing.
Ben Shlomo then opened Head Start, in order to help him financially and raise a farewell celebration, in which Ben Shlomo wrote: "When the corona broke I thought we would go through two weeks of closure and return to activity. Small. I was wrong. Over time the dust accumulated and debts swelled. Then you arrived, lots of coffee and friends I offer words to help, support and take part. I have no words to describe how exciting and heartwarming it is, and so did the headstart idea. With a little help and a lot together, we can return. Regardless of Corona, there are plans to turn the building into a five-story building. Next year. The thought of closing Bialik without parting with the artists, the staff, all of you, without another full of beers and chasers, is unbearable. How to say goodbye? My dream is to say goodbye properly. To close Bialik's 25th year with an ongoing celebration with performances, "Alcohol, good coffee and happy meetings. That's why the headstart. Loves you and is already waiting for us to meet Bialik and raise a glass to life."
Although the Echo Start campaign achieved its goal, the continuation of the corona crisis caused Shlomo to give up his final hands, and also to give up the farewell celebrations.
Yesterday she wrote on the Facebook page of Cafe Bialik: "With a sore heart full of precious memories I say goodbye to Cafe Bialik. I started it so young, years passed, almost 25, I spent most of my years in coffee. Soon this beautiful building will be demolished and replaced by a new 5-story building. "History will be erased by a bulldozer. I had plans to say goodbye to this precious place at graduation celebrations, concerts and parties, but everything went wrong."
"These have been amazing years and it's hard for me to sum them up in farewell words, maybe there are not enough words for a place like this that contained so much and maybe it's me who needs more time to digest. My heart aches and my stomach flips. So many pictures go through my head. Dear staff, regular customers, Angry customers, customers enjoying, coffee (each to their liking, a million requests ..), meals, parties, dates, new babies, cute kids, crazy parliaments, homeless people, leaking ceilings, Passover and the holidays in general, performances, crying and lots and lots of laughter "Be happy. There was love (...) Thank you my Bialik coffee, I had the pleasure. I will miss it all my life".
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