Youth City - The Years of Decline
By the 1970s, the change in atmosphere was already palpable.
Money gained status in Israeli society, and youth replaced the khaki style with jeans fashion, Israeli music with pop and rock songs, short hair with long hair. The free spirit of the sixties in America arrived a bit late, swept in on the waves of protest that washed over Israel after the Yom Kippur War, after the Israeli Black Panthers riots.
A new generation of teenagers arrived at the Exhibition Grounds in the summer - louder, more demanding, more insolent.
The pavilions continued to provide their regular content and even increased their offerings. Photography courses were opened, a special pavilion "for women only" was opened where they learned the secrets of makeup, in a special competition the beautiful girl "Audience Favorite" was chosen, and the night clubs that were once hidden on the fringes of the complex moved to the center.
The balance between "social values" and commercial values was upset in favor of the commercial.
Related or not, the Ministry of Education cut the budget it used to allocate to the event. Conversely, security and ushering expenses increased, and the Tel Aviv police reinforced its forces to curb the phenomena of hooliganism and public disturbances that took place in the city.
In 1976, record incidents of violence were recorded. Gangs roaming the complex harassed anyone in their path – girls who were harassed and boys who were beaten for no reason. The police and local ushers managed to maintain order, stopping the violence, but what were perceived as isolated incidents blended into the general noise emanating from the loudspeakers, at the increasing pace of hysterical screams with the arrival of artists from the light entertainment field.
Entertainment increasingly became the main draw of Youth City.
More and more entertainment stages were set up throughout the complex, and every artist who respected themselves came to find their fan base and maintain their place on the hit parade. Youth City was the premier entertainment venue of those days, and the organizers chose "Singer of the Year" and "Band of the Year", the Movie of the Year and the Film Star of the Year. The artists' demands required electrifying lighting and advanced sound systems.
The electrified audience didn't sit in their seats. They swayed, screamed, and danced in ecstasy. These weren't just high school students. Those who came to hear and see Zvika Pik, Benzine (Rock band), Avi Toledano, and Gali Atari – the big stars of the period – also included discharged soldiers and students.
The youth and the City were no longer one cohesive unit.
The mass happening was part of a series of summer events that took place across Tel Aviv. Nevertheless, the peak year for Youth City was 1979, when about 600,000 people arrived at the Exhibition Grounds. This was despite the attack that occurred at Luna Park, and an explosive device that injured three people.
In 1980, the Tel Aviv Municipality announced that "economic constraints" required it to charge an entrance fee. The event's organization was handed over to a private company that had no intention of losing money, and in addition to the funds it collected at the entrance, it made sure to place sponsorships from banks and commercial companies throughout the complex.
The number of visitors dropped dramatically - only 200,000 people.
Youth City '81, Stars of the Generation, from right to left: Gary Eckstein, Yigal Bashan, Yitzhak Klepter, Danny Litani
After the Lebanon War began, they still tried to hold the event as if nothing was happening.
In 1983, the organizers managed to secure generous sponsorship from Bank Leumi and other commercial entities, who invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and stormed the youth with laser beams and rhythm bands, in pavilions with hostesses offering to open "Youth accounts".
Free entry was once again possible, and the number of visitors increased, stabilizing again at around 600,000.
The true highlight of that year undoubtedly belongs to the closing night, which alone attracted 150,000 people.
The vast majority came for the main performance, which featured 12 artists and bands. On that evening, a special hysteria was recorded that entered the history of Israeli culture – the T-Slam band announced its disbandment from the stage, and all its stunned fans caused an uproar that was not forgotten for many years afterward.
T-Slam band in their last performance before disbanding. The City of Youth 1983
Youth City also disbanded.
For three years, it did not take place in its regular format but rather as scaled-down summer celebrations.
In 1986, they tried again to revive the Exhibition Grounds and opened "Stutz 86" – a title that hinted at things that interested youth in those years. Since then, the event continued by inertia but ceased to be a unique attraction, and other events that competed with it took place.
In 1996, Tel Aviv Mayor Roni Milo attempted a comeback for the event. Milo made a nostalgic turn, bringing things full circle from the days he served (in 1966) as Youth City Mayor, until the key handover ceremony to the young Mayor Yoni Gera.
And that's more or less it.
Youth City's days extended beyond the allotted time for an event etched into youth culture.
20 intensive years immortalized it in the hearts of millions of people, young people who grew up in Israel between the sixties and eighties.
The next chapter:
Honored Mayor - Successes and Tragedies
Here, with a click, is the full story about the Tel Aviv Youth City (IrHanoar), which was an integral part of what happened in Israel between the sixties and the eighties.
For the full Story with all the chapters, click here:
Youth City and the Adolescence of Israeli Culture