A street by any other name

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Residents in central Tel Aviv have been more than a little bemused lately to come across a Hebrew street sign with the name Rehov Adolf, reports www.nrg.co.il. The sign was supposed to commemorate 19th-century French Jewish lawyer, statesman and human rights defender Adolphe Cremieux, after whom a street in Jerusalem is also named, but with no surname attached ended up reminding residents of an entirely different Adolf instead. According to the report, the tiny street between Sderot Rothschild and Rehov Yehuda Halevy recently acquired a new sign stating "Rehov Adolf" in bold Hebrew letters above smaller, incorrectly-spelled English, "Adolf Cremieu." The report said it seemed that those in charge of placing the sign had accidentally left off the surname in Hebrew, causing an unpleasant jolt to passers-by who did not pay attention to the English name. "This would seem to be a mistake," a municipal spokesman said mildly, adding that the matter was being referred to the city's landscaping department to be examined and dealt with.