The only single-screen theater left in the capital, the distinctive building houses a cafe and a unique lobby, with tables clustered around twisted tree trunks.
By GREER FAY CASHMANOutside the German Colony’s Smadar theater(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Every few years, the Jerusalem public is informed that the Smadar movie theater in the German Colony is about to close. The reasons have always been related to money, whether it be the inability to maintain the enterprise or an inheritance dispute between sisters Sara Harush and Nava Chechik, who inherited the theater from their father, Arye Chechik.According to the latest reports, the owner's decision to increase the rent has proven to be too much, and the Smadar will indeed close.The Smadar is the oldest movie theater in Jerusalem, possibly the oldest in the country.It was built in 1928 in the art deco style.Anyone not familiar with it could easily pass by and not realize that the side street establishment that looks like a suburban coffee house has a movie theater at the back.A beloved, almost legendary institution in Jerusalem, the Smadar was built by Gottlieb Bohrle, a member of the Templer community, who originally called it “Orient Cinema.”The movie house was extremely popular with British soldiers, who occasionally had private screenings.In 1934, wanting to create premises suitable for the local Jewish community, Bohrle introduced significant renovations. By then, the Nazis had come to power in Germany and had banned Jewish businesses and all things Jewish. In retaliation, the Jews living in the Holy Land put a ban on all things German.While many Templers were active Nazis, Bohrle was not. He refused to screen Nazi propaganda films or to have a Nazi swastika flag on his premises.However, the Jews pegged him as an agent of Hitler’s, and the Templers regarded him as a traitor. Bohrle suffered greatly and sued for defamation of character, but the accusations continued.So did the Nazi threats. Ludwig Buchalter, the head of the Jerusalem branch of the Nazi party, sent him a threatening letter.Apparently realizing what the repercussions might be if such a letter fell into the hands of the authorities, he included a post script under the Heil Hitler sign-off, stating that the letter was classified and should not be shown to anyone.Meanwhile, Bohrle was subjected to heavy losses which forced him to sell out to Eitan Belkind, who changed the name of the theater to “Efrat.” After three months, Belkind realized that he couldn’t run the theater and returned it to Bohrle.When World War II broke out, Bohrle was rounded up with other German nationals and was banished to Sarona by the British Mandate authorities. After the war, he was deported to Australia.He tried to reclaim his property, and then tried again after the establishment of the State of Israel. He hired a lawyer named Mordechai Buchsbaum, but he too failed in his quest.In the interim, the theater was rented out by the Mandate authorities to a Christian Arab, who renamed it the Regent.In 1949, a group of Israeli soldiers who had completed their army service formed a cooperative and took over the theater. They wanted to give it a Hebrew name and launched a competition in which the prize was free admission for a year. The competition was won by a 14-yearold girl who proposed the name Smadar.In the early 1950s, most of the partners backed out of the cooperative, leaving as owners David and Leah Bitran and Arye Chechik. Not long afterwards, Chechik bought out the Bitrans, and he and his wife remained the sole owners.His wife ran the food and beverage operation, while Chechik sold tickets, then rushed inside the theater to be the ticket inspector and usher. He was also the projectionist and, during intermission, walked up and down the aisles selling soft drinks to the patrons.His daughters were recruited to do the cleaning.Chechik retired in 1973.Even before the establishment of the Cinematheque, the Smadar was screening films on the weekend.Although the Smadar was well attended, there were always money problems.In the 1990s, the Smadar became part of the Lev Cinema network.The building now needs serious renovation for which the Lev management is not prepared to pay. Nor is it prepared to continue the relationship if improvements are not made to the building.The only comfort is that the building has been designated as a protected landmark intended for preservation, so even if the curtain comes down, the building will be left standing.In 2009 it was put up for sale, but through joint efforts by the public and the Jerusalem Municipality, the cinema continued to function.Hopefully, even at this late stage, during the season of miracles, the Smadar will experience yet another miracle of its own.