Another historic building gone

Erich Neumann (1905-1960)

On the corner of Hayarkon Street and Gordon Street no.1, you will find today a modern 6th floor apartment building, just finished a few weeks ago. On this spot stood once a historic building, not as much for his architecture but his occupants. The place was familar to all ‘jekkes’ (Jews of German origin) from Ben-Jehoeda-’strasse’.
It was a place of pilgrimage. The first ‘Jungian temple’ (Carl Jung) in the ‘holy land’, established by Erich Neumann and his wife, Julia. Erich Neumann, born in Berlin in 1905, who was considered one of the greatest psychological theoreticans of the 20th century, was the disciple and scientific heir of Carl Gustav Jung; he was anointed as such by Jung himself. Neumann’s students in Israel and everywhere view him, today, as Jung’s crown prince. At that time (in 1930), though in Little Tel Aviv, the cordial neighbor from Gorden-street no. 1 was known only to a handful of ‘yekkes’ who, like him, had arrived from Berlin immediately after Hitler’s accession to power. Rali Loewenthal-Neumann, their daughter said once: “The language in the house was German. Mother didn’t know Hebrew. My father knew. He was always reading Ha’aretz and he had patients with whom he spoke Hebrew. But he wrote all his works only in German”. Rali remember a house that was abuzz with people, and her partents were always busy, closeted in their rooms or on long trips. Rali found a letter from her father to Carl Jung in which he complained about the difficulties of making a living in Palestine. In 1934 he wrote Jung that he didn’t have enough patients and therefore was compelled to give courses in the house.
Four years ago, the municipality of Tel Aviv gave an order, to ‘torn down’ this historic building. I am afraid that no one at the muncipality knew, who lived there once. (or maybe they just didn’t care!!). As before, an other piece of history of Tel Aviv is gone…Just a shame!!

The new modern apartment-block at the corner / © Tel Aviv Fever