Inspirational Jaffa

The heart of her apartment, in which she lives with her husband, is undoubtedly the kitchen.

By GLORIA DEUTSCH
Interior design (photo credit: URIEL MESSA)
Interior design
(photo credit: URIEL MESSA)
What better place to write a travel book about Jaffa than in the place itself, looking out of the second-floor window of one’s home onto the vista of the ancient city spread out below? Elinoar Rabin has written many travel and cookery books, but her most recent is a true labor of love about the place she has called home for the last 15 years.
“It’s about the Jaffa that everyone sees, but also about the little-known places that very few people know about,” she says. “I spoke to many people who know the history and stories attached to Jaffa, and just by walking around the areas like the flea market and chatting with people, I learned many new things that are not generally known.”
The heart of her apartment, in which she lives with her husband, is undoubtedly the kitchen.
Not only is it equipped with everything a serious cookery writer would need, it is also the center of an influential philanthropic enterprise.
“Every so often, I open my kitchen to some of the best chefs in Israel, who come here to prepare meals. The event, for which tickets are sold, is held to benefit the Schneider Children’s Medical Center [in Petah Tikva], and we can raise as much as NIS 40,000 or NIS 50,000 at a time for a specific project.”
Everything from the ingredients to the tables and chairs is donated by well-wishers, and chefs like the country’s celebrated Yonatan Roshfeld can be found inside this kitchen creating their famous food for charity.
Apart from the plethora of pots, pans and crockery, the lighter touches of hanging dolls and framed needlework are all from Rabin’s creative hands.
The living room is furnished in black leather sofas from Tollman’s, and another in brown. On the huge glass-topped coffee table is a selection of the many books she has produced. Over one of the black sofas is a photograph of a boat in the Jaffa port.
“It’s the exact same color as the sea just before night falls,” says Rabin.
In another part of the living room hangs a painting by Nahum Gutman, given to her by the artist, who was a friend and colleague. It depicts a scene in Tiberias, in the distinctive Israeli style he pioneered.
Under the painting, on a piece of furniture – which came from Harmony in Jerusalem – are several interesting items: a long glass candle-holder, dolls and several rolled-up handmade quilts, also the fruit of her labors. Underneath is a very old fruit bowl, which a great-grandfather brought from Russia many years ago.
The dining room leads to another small room, where the television is located; a metal rail links the rooms, doing away with the need for a separating wall. The easy chairs in raffia came from her grandmother’s estate in Tel Mond.
On the bedroom wall is a framed, hand-embroidered, ornate dress that came from Italy. The old-fashioned louvered shutters make an artistic statement in their own right, as well as being a practical way to keep out light.
The long balcony, which stretches the full length of the apartment, overlooks the sea and is the perfect spot for morning coffee and croissants. An awning gives some protection from the elements. On the deck-like table is a wooden utensil.
“I got it in Cyprus, and it was originally used to raise dough,” explains Rabin.
The Andromeda project, in which this apartment was built, was named for the group of rocks visible from the balcony, known as Andromeda’s Rock. Legend has it that the maiden Andromeda was chained to the rock as a punishment for her mother’s hubris, but was later rescued by the hero Perseus, who married her.
The rock, a tourist attraction, is identifiable by the flag perched on its battered surface.
The local residents were not happy when the project was built – but nowadays everything has calmed down and the Andromeda Buildings are accepted as a top residential address in the city.