Suzanne Dellal Center

Plan Your Visit

• Location: 5 Yehieli street, Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv
• Open Times: The outside area of the Suzanne Dellal Center is always open. Performances, workshops, and other activities each have their scheduled time advertised on the center’s website.
• Prices: Performance prices range from 70 ILS to 200 ILS. Enjoying the outside area of the campus is free. Pro Tip: There are excellent children’s shows on Saturdays usually at 11:30 and tickets cost 55-75 ILS.
• Average Visit Duration: To enjoy the outside area takes 30-60 minutes. For performances, you’ll need about 1-2 hours.
• Special Events: The Suzanne Dellal Center plaza in front of the building is often the site of festival happenings and special events, especially during Israeli national holidays. In July the center hosts the “Tel Aviv Dance” festival with both paid performances in the venues and free performances outside.
• Relevant Tours: On a tour of Neve Tzedek you’ll be taken to see the Dellal Center. If you take a private tour in Tel Aviv, you can ask your guide to go through the Suzanne Dellal Center. 

This may be a performance venue but it is also an attraction worth visiting even if you are not attending one of the shows! No visit to Tel Aviv’s historic neighborhood of Neve Tzedek is complete without stopping at the Dellal Center.

The Suzanne Dellal Center

The Suzanne Dellal Center is the heart of Israeli dance and in particular contemporary dance. It offers several venues, rehearsal studios, and a restaurant. For casual visitors, the main attraction is the beautiful outdoor plaza that spreads out under shady trees in front of the building. 

Neve Tzedek and the Dellal Center

Neve Tzedek dates back to the late 19th century when it was founded as the first Jewish neighborhood outside the walls of the ancient port city of Jaffa.

The historic neighborhood has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years and has become a hip, gentrified destination with a bohemian vibe. Neve Tzedek is a vibrant and trendy district, known for its picturesque streets, boutique shops, and charming architecture. 

The lovely Neve Tzedek streets

At the heart of Neve Tzedek lies the Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theater, a cultural hub that has become a symbol of creativity and artistic expression. After a period when Neve Tzedek was slowly collapsing in the 1980s, the Dellal Center was created and helped turn the neighborhood into a fashionable and expensive part of the city. The center attracted people of different cultures to Neve Tzedek and opened their eyes to its potential and beauty. 

Pro Tip: Nearby you can find a wealth of other attractions including the Nahum Gutman Museum, and HaTachana Center.

History of the Suzanne Dellal Center

 Following World War II, most of Neve Tzedek was abandoned buildings, and only poor residents lived in the dilapidated remains of the historic neighborhood. But in an abandoned educational compound, a theater group was operated by Miki Yerushalmi and Oded Kotler, and in another part of the school compound, the Annabell Dance Troupe was founded. The compound consisted of the Yechieli Girls' School, the Alliance School for Boys, and Seminar Lewinsky.

The main building of the Suzanne Dellal Center

In the 1980s, the compound buildings were chosen as the site for the new performance center. The compound structures were derelict, and the Seminar Lewinsky building had collapsed. The rehabilitation of the compound aimed to preserve as much of the original architecture as possible. Most importantly the historic facade was saved. In addition some new structures were added, including the present home of the Batsheva Dance Company. 

Originally, Yechieli Street ran through the compound’s two main buildings, but permission was granted to remove the street and bring the two buildings together creating a central plaza. This has become a popular pedestrian walkway and place to hang out.

The Suzanne Dellal Center for Dance and Theater was established in 1989 by Yair Vardi, who sought to create a space dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Israeli dance and performing arts. The venue received support from the philanthropic family of Jack Dellal of England, and it was named after his late daughter, Suzanne Dellal.

Modern Dance show

The Dellal Center’s main goals were to create a venue for world-class dance performances and a place for cultural and educational activities. The center's history is closely intertwined with the evolution of contemporary dance in Israel.

Pro Tip: Take a walk from Tel Aviv’s Jaffa Road in the east, over the Aharon Chelouche Street bridge to Amzaleg Street, through the Dellal courtyards, through the center’s colonnade, and follow the row of eucalyptus trees to the Charles Clore Park on Tel Aviv’s beachfront promenade. 

What Can You Do at the Dellal Center?

The center hosts an array of Israeli and international performances, from cutting-edge contemporary dance to traditional theatrical productions. Beyond performances, the center also offers workshops, classes, and educational programs, engaging the local community and visitors in the creative process. 

The beautiful outdoor courtyard is a popular gathering spot, hosting cultural events, festivals, and open-air performances. There are benches, water features, trees, and flower beds. Here you can see the water well that was discovered during construction, and enjoy the beautiful façade, and colonnade of the Dellal Center.

Pro Tip: Not far from the Dellal Center is the Dallel Bakery (yes, spelled with an “a” instead of an “e”). It is renowned as one of the best bakeries in the city.