The Technion (Einstein Slept Here)

The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology is a public research university in my home town of Haifa, Israel. Haifa is Israel's third largest city with roughly one quarter million inhabitants. It is a fairly mountainous area in the Carmel Mountain region of Israel and is located on the Mediterranean Sea. The city's most famous citizen is Elijah the Prophet. His tomb is located in Haifa and the shrine is holy to Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze. 

Founded in 1912, The Technion is the oldest university in Israel. Since its founding, it has awarded 95,821 degrees and its graduates are cited to have provided the skills and education behind the creation and protection of the State of Israel. The university's principal language of instruction is Hebrew. Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Hebrews/Israelites and their ancestors. Hebrew had ceased to be an everyday spoken language by around 200 CE, and survived into the medieval period only as the language of Jewish liturgy and rabbinical literature. Then in the 19th century it was revived as a spoken and literary language, Modern Hebrew is one of the two official languages of Israel, the other being Arabic. Students however come from all over the world. It is wonderful to tour the beautiful campus and listen to students converse in dozens of languages. The campus is located in a hilly area with lots of trees, promenades, and natural scenery. It has the feel to me of a small mountain community in my beloved Colorado.

The Technion which is a public research university in Haifa, Israel, was founded in 1912 and was originally located in the Hadar neighborhood of Haifa. The school was located in Hadar until the new Kiryat Hatechnion (Technion City) campus was inaugurated in Neve Sha'anan in the late 70's. The old historic building, dating from 1912, is now a hands-on science museum - MadaTech.

Albert Einstein was one of the original supporters of the university. Already in 1912 he felt that the development of technical and scientific opportunities for the Jewish people and at the new Technikum in Palestine in particular was an issue worth his effort. In 1923, Einstein visited the Technion. During his visit, he planted a now-famous first palm tree. The tree still stands today in front of the original building in Hadar. Einstein toured Europe and The United States to promote the Technion in those years to develop higher education in what was then Palestine. His actions were designed to promote education for Jewish youth rather than Zionism at that time. He initially was hesitant to support a Jewish homeland, but after the creation of Israel in 1948 became a fervent supporter of the nation. He was offered the largely ceremonial role of Israels second president but he declined due to his self proclaimed lack of people skills. 

Technion City generally refers to the current 1.2 square kilometer site located on the pine-covered north-eastern slopes of Mount Carmel. The campus comprises 100 buildings, occupied by thousands of people every day. It is about twenty minutes west of the center of Haifa. 

Recreational activities on the main campus include an Olympic-size swimming pool as well as gymnastics, squash and tennis facilities. The Technion Symphony Orchestra and Choir are composed mainly of students and staff. Each term, the Orchestra offers a series of daytime and evening concerts. Films and live performances by leading Israeli artists take place on campus on a regular basis

I visited the campus last week and watched the educational film at the visitors center and enjoyed the assistance of the friendly attendants. Everything was done in English but I understood very little of the information due to my lack of scientific training and education. However, It is my understanding that Einstein started a great university that has done much to help build a highly technical Israel and a better world.

Hadar (Splendor) in Haifa Israel

I am sitting at my favorite cafe in Haifa, the Kapiot drinking Cafe, and am blessed to have met a nice Israeli bachura (young lady) named Tal Or who is an Israeli Hayelet or soldier. She is nineteen and like all Israeli women is expected to serve two years in the Israeli Defense Forces.  She is from Haifa and suggested that I tell the readers about her favorite neighborhood of Haifa. We can see Hadar and the famous Baha'i Gardens from the pub which is located in central Haifa or the "Mercaz".

Hadar, which is located in the downtown part of Haifa, derives its name from Isaiah 35:2. The name Hadar is roughly translates into the word splendor in English. The neighborhood of Hadar Hacarmel was founded before World War I.  By 1944, most of Haifa's 66,000 Jewish residents lived in Hadar Hacarmel. Haifa's city hall, courthouse and government buildings were located in this neighborhood, but relocated to the lower city (Downtown) in the turn of the 21st century.  Israel was then part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Hadar at the time was a bustling booming community that served as a government, commercial, and residential center of Haifa. It indeed deserved the description of glorious.

The Technion which is a public research university in Haifa, Israel, was founded in 1912 and is located in Hadar. The Technion, the oldest university in Israel, was located in Hadar until the new Kiryat Hatechnion (Technion City) campus was inaugurated in Neve Sha'anan in the late 70's. The old historic building, dating from 1912, is now a hands-on science museum - MadaTech - the Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space. One of the Technion founders was scientist Albert Einstein. 

The Carmelit, Israel's only subway, runs from the Carmel Center to Paris Square via Hadar Hacarmel, where three of its six stations are located. It is unique in the sense that it is the world's shortest railway. I enjoy a weekly visit to Hadar to drink a cup of coffee on Nordau Street which is the entertainment center of the neighborhood. It is great Keff or fun to travel there on the Carmelit from my home in the Mercaz.  My favorite McDonald's in Haifa is on Hertzel street which is the main shopping thoroughfare in the area. I love to eat an ice cream cone and window shop at the many shops located on Hertzel, which are often family owned. 

Beit HaGefen, an Arab-Jewish cultural center, is located on the seam line of Hadar HaCarmel and Wadi Nisnas. The neighborhood has many Bauhaus Staatliches. Commonly known simply as Bauhaus, the Bauhaus Staatliches was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term Bauhaus, literally "house of construction" stood for "School of Building" - buildings designed by German-Jewish architects who settled in Palestine after fleeing the Nazis.

Sadly, many of the challenges facing urban areas in most of the world today face Hadar as well. Many of the government agencies have relocated and in addition many Haifa residents are mall shoppers who prefer the Big Malls over the streets of Hadar, and yes Haifa has suburbs. Many of the once splendid homes are now run down and often overcrowded. However, the city is taking steps to renovate the neighborhood. The same challenges and changes facing urban areas in The United States are common in Israel.