Giora Oren
World War II “produced” many patriotic films made in studios across Europe, Russia, and the United States. These films were mainly propaganda pieces, serving the military and national interests of the countries involved in the war. They portrayed life on the front lines and at home through dramas, documentaries, and even comedies. In the Land of Israel, people were glued to the few existing radios, but they also longed to see - not just hear. Cinema fulfilled that need.
The moshav also wanted a cinema! In 1938, the first films arrived in the moshav via a “traveling cinema” from Tel Aviv. Ticket prices were 25 mils for adults and 10 mils for children (a mil = 1/1000 of a lira). Later on, films were brought by “Tzlil-Or” from Netanya, who came to the moshav with projection equipment at varying intervals. In the summer, films were shown on the outer wall of the community center, and in winter - inside the building on the stage, which served as an auditorium (the current hall did not yet exist). The stage was closed off to the north by thin wooden boards, and in winter, the wind blew through, making it bitterly cold.
Film screenings continued intermittently until 1945 and ceased with the end of the war, once the scale of the Holocaust in Europe became known.
In 1946, screenings resumed for about a year. The projectionist was Nathan Brand, a member of the moshav, who had worked as a film operator during his service in the British army. In 1947, as the country geared up for the declaration of independence and the War of Independence broke out, there was neither time nor mood for cinema. Only in 1949 did the moshav committee decide to resume screenings.
The job was taken on by my father, Binyamin Aharonovitch, who had “vast experience” in this field from his youth, when he showed silent films on the Trans-European Railway. He had taken up the profession to prepare a means of escape from Russia, and in 1925, he succeeded in fleeing to the Land of Israel.
How were films screened in Ein Vered? The moshav acquired a projector suitable for 16mm film. A reel held about 45 minutes of footage. A typical film lasted around two hours and was split over three reels. Two intermissions were needed to switch reels. If a newsreel (Gevah or Carmel) was shown before the main film, another break was added between the two. These breaks were also used for socializing.
To screen films properly and prevent the noise of the projector from disturbing the audience, a small booth was built outside the western wall of the building, suspended between sky and ground. Inside were the projector, subtitle machine, and prep equipment. Small square holes were cut into the wall to allow projection. The audience sat on wooden benches set up on the wide stage of the community center. In summer, films were sometimes shown outdoors on the north-facing wooden wall. The audience sat on a sandy slope (there was no grass yet), bringing chairs and blankets from home to enjoy the show.
In 1950, the youth club was built, and for a while, screenings moved there since the community center served other purposes. In 1960, the current hall was built with around 500 seats, a balcony, and a projection room. From then on, films were screened there every Saturday night.
The films came from various countries and were spoken in the original languages. There were no subtitles in those days. Instead, the film script was translated into Hebrew and typed in black ink on white film, which was projected beside the movie using a special subtitle machine. The timing of subtitles was manually controlled by an operator who understood the language or followed the story visually. My mother, Yehudit - despite limited knowledge of foreign languages - grasped the essence of each film and successfully provided subtitles to the audience’s delight.
The moshav’s cultural committee selected the films from lists published by the Histadrut’s film department in Tel Aviv, from which the films were also rented. Every Thursday night, the film would arrive by Egged bus. Tension ran high that day - would the film arrive? Would it be the correct one? Sometimes the film got stuck in Egged’s parcel department. Later, when my father became the moshav’s driver, he personally picked up the films. His good connections with the film department helped ensure the supply of the newest films available in the country.
In 1954, the moshav began screening 35mm films, as was customary in large theaters, a practice that continues to this day. The first such film was The Tales of Hoffmann. These films were distributed directly by local agents of major studios such as MGM, Universal, and Columbia. The selection was broader, and projection quality greatly improved. Renting a 35mm film was more expensive than 16mm, so better organization was needed to host more screenings and cover the costs. As the local audience grew and film quality improved, screenings were held twice a week - for children and for adults.
The moshav’s cinema developed its own traditions. For example, the mourning custom: if a member of the moshav passed away, films were not screened for a full month. Over time, as deaths became more frequent, this was reduced to one week, and later to skipping only the day of the funeral.
Another tradition: when a young man from the moshav brought a date to the cinema, the entire audience would examine the guest and comment on the suitor’s choice.
After my father passed away in 1974, my mother continued operating the projector with help from Yaakov Kosovsky. Eventually, the film courier from Ramat Gan took over organizing the screenings. In the 1980s, movie theaters in nearby towns became more common, access became easier, and demand for “moshav cinema” declined. This beloved cultural institution came to an end.
On January 16, 1988, the last film was screened in the Ein Vered community center, bringing to a close 50 years of cinema in the moshav.
From: Bilha Nachman, 2000, “Stories of Ein Vered – Seventy Years of the Moshav 1930–2000,” Ein Vered Moshav Publishing.