Tel Aviv-Jaffa, One City, Two Worlds: An Investigation into the History, Culture, Language, Identity, Race, Economy, and Heritage of a Global Centre

This dissertation concentrates on one urban site, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, in Israel. The hyphen between the two names, Tel Aviv and Jaffa, alludes to their separated past, present, and maybe future. In the past they were two cities: Tel Aviv the younger was established in 1909, while Jaffa is thousands of years old. The focus of this dissertation is the last century. During this significant historical period, as modernity gave way to the postmodern period, we find the erection of Tel Aviv suburb next to the old city of Jaffa, a small Jewish site that grew in time to become the countrys leading city. Each of these two cities was independent until 1950 when international and local circumstances led to their unification into one city, carrying both names: Tel Aviv-Jaffa, with a hyphen added between the two names.

Drawing on thousands of archival documents, primary and secondary sources, guided tours in both parts of the city, and interviews, this dissertation charts the changing relations of these two sites.

Exploration of both cities jointly is quite rare. This dissertation analyses both parts: before their unification, (and why the new Jewish immigrants to Jaffa separated themselves physically from the Arabs spirit), continuing with the unification of the two cities into one, and ending with the contemporary state of both sides of this one hyphenated city. It concludes with the question is it better considered as one or two, as just moving from one side to the other reveals the feeling of crossing from one world to another.