About the collectionList of momentsFurther moment info Catalogue information
Geva Newsreel 043, 1954

A Match Between Soccer Teams of Kassit and Nitzan Cafes

1954
Genre:
Moment
  • Rate
Directed by: Unknown
Subtitles: English, Hebrew
Long before Nile Bar and Café Bezalel each made their respective claim to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem café culture fame, there once was a place in the capital, over on 23 Ben Yehuda St. called Café Nitzan which soon also became known at the Nitzan Faculty seeing as how the local Jerusalemite students were spending that much more time there than at the city’s Hebrew University. Meanwhile, across the proverbial pond was Tel Aviv’s legendary Café Kassit that was the dwelling (or rather, drunkenly slouching) place of the city’s then-Bohemian scene. To rule which of the two was the more superior café or perhaps, merely to encourage some semblance of physical activity in between one medicinal cognac tumbler and the next, 1954 saw a football match take place between both cafés’ representatives. The match took place at Jerusalem’s YMCA Stadium, may it rest in peace and which, as you will see in the film, resembled more of a muddy, waterlogged puddle than an actual football pitch. And whilst there may not be any impressive football moves to see here, what you will be getting is poets and artists galore having their moment as footballers, including the traditional handshake at the start of the match. Standing in for the Israeli President was Hazkel Ish Kassit, Café Kassit’s famous owner (and father of Moshe Ish Kassit of the Lool Gang, a prominent collective of Israeli artists, filmmakers, poets, and musicians that also featured the likes of Arik Einstein and Uri Zohar.)And though it is a pity that the film does not have footage of the winning team’s players being awarded their trophy by renowned Israeli poet laureate, Nathan Alterman – a devout Kassit regular – it nevertheless remains an authentic slice of history featuring a highly amusing encounter between art and sport.

Yehezkel Weinstein, the owner of Kassit Cafe in Tel Aviv, and Avraham Shkedi, the owner of Nitzan Cafe in Jerusalem, shake hands at the beginning of a soccer match between frequenters of both cafes. Female and male fans cheer the players on the muddy YMCA Stadium in Jerusalem.

You may also be interested in ...

Subscribe to our mailing list and stay up to date
הירשמו לרשימת התפוצה שלנו והישארו מעודכנים

This will close in 0 seconds