Ha'ir

Ha'ir was a Tel Aviv weekly published by the Schocken Group. For three decades it became one of the most recognizable voices in the city’s journalism, cultural life and leisure scene. Founded in October 1980 under the management of Roni Aran, who had established Jerusalem’s Kol Ha'ir the previous year, and edited initially by Hanoch Marmari, the paper combined local reporting with criticism, magazine features, personal columns and practical guides.

Ha'ir’s importance extended beyond conventional local news. It recorded the social and cultural changes taking place in Tel Aviv and throughout Israel, and gave attention to subjects that received little space in mainstream newspapers at the time. Its coverage of homosexuality, Tel Aviv’s cultural and media circles, nightlife and emerging cultural trends helped make the paper a distinctive force in the public conversation. Its personal columns and investigative features gave it a deliberately provocative reputation, although its tone became more moderate over time.

A Local Paper That Changed the Urban Conversation

The paper’s launch was accompanied by a strike and demonstrations by employees of the daily newspapers’ printing houses. The dispute arose because Ha'ir was printed using phototypesetting rather than the hand typesetting that was still customary. In its early years the paper was distributed free of charge, although newspaper sellers sometimes required customers to buy another newspaper in order to receive it. After several years it began to be sold, and in 2005 it underwent a major editorial and design overhaul before returning to free distribution.

Among its editors over the years were Yoel Esteron, Gal Uchovsky, Meir Schnitzer, Doni Inbar, Amnon Rabbi and Eitan Markovitz. In 2005 Uri Shaltiel replaced Yossi Klein, who had edited the paper for several months. Despite changes in editorial leadership and style, Ha'ir retained its central character: it brought together local reporting, cultural criticism, personal writing and close attention to groups and developments that were often overlooked by established media.

At its peak, Ha'ir reached a circulation of 115,000 copies. On Thursdays it was distributed with Haaretz to subscribers in the Tel Aviv area, and on Fridays it was sold in shops. In 2007, most of the Schocken Group’s local papers were rebranded under the name Ha'ir followed by the city in which they circulated. Jerusalem’s Kol Ha'ir, for example, became Ha'ir–Jerusalem, while Haifa’s Kolbo became Ha'ir–Haifa. The rebranding was later abandoned. From March 5, 2010, Ha'ir was printed in A4 format with a glossy cover.

Journalism, Press Freedom and the Schnitzer Case

One of the most significant chapters in the paper’s history came in 1988, when editor Meir Schnitzer petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court against the chief military censor. Schnitzer and journalist Aluf Benn sought to publish an article containing criticism of the performance of the head of the Mossad and the timing of his replacement. The petition, known as the Schnitzer case, was the first time that the scope of the chief military censor’s authority was subjected to judicial review. The Supreme Court accepted the petition, making the case an important part of Israel’s legal and journalistic debate over censorship, freedom of the press and judicial oversight of security powers.

The paper also carried advertisements for prostitution services; in 2004, the Schocken Group was convicted in connection with those advertisements. Alongside articles written specifically for Ha'ir, the paper also published material shared across the Schocken network of local newspapers. Some issues were devoted entirely to a single subject, including the April 21, 2006 issue, which focused on 25 television series.

Ha'ir Mouse: Culture, Entertainment and Leisure

One of the most influential projects to grow out of Ha'ir was Ha'ir Mouse, a culture, entertainment and leisure guide first established and edited by Kobi Niv. It gathered information about the coming week’s events, including films, concerts, art exhibitions and other leisure activities, alongside reviews and personal columns. Its illustrated covers, created by Israeli artists including Amos Biderman, David Grossman’s collaborator Dudu Geva, and Amitai Sandy, made the guide a conspicuous part of Israel’s cultural landscape.

The publication also produced special supplements, most notably Ha'ir Mouse World, an alternative travel guide. On December 16, 2010, Ha'ir was merged into the Ha'ir Mouse supplement, and Omer Shubert became editor-in-chief of the combined publication. The last printed issue before a four-year interruption appeared on March 21, 2013. A print edition returned on March 3, 2017, this time as a national guide reflecting content from the website and directing readers back to it. Tal Levin served as the publication’s chief executive and editor-in-chief.

The Ha'ir Mouse website went online on May 22, 2006. It offered an events guide and cultural coverage in food, nightlife, film, theater, television, music, art and children’s activities. In February 2017 the website moved to a new content-management system and received a substantial redesign. In August 2017, the Haaretz Group decided to end the print edition and integrate some of its content into Haaretz’s website. In December of that year, the group announced the full merger of Ha'ir Mouse into the site’s culture section, while retaining the brand as an events and entertainment guide.

Ha'ir Mouse Café, launched in December 2008, was an online social network devoted to culture, art, entertainment and leisure. It allowed users to write blogs and reviews of films, music, restaurants and performances. As Facebook grew in popularity, the number of users declined. In July 2020, the Haaretz Group announced that Ha'ir Mouse Café and the related TheMarker Café would close and that their content would be deleted.

The City Classifieds and the Digital Transition

In 1986, Aharon “Ahar'le” Rosenberg established The City Classifieds within the newspaper. It carried notices for real estate, rentals, commercial property, cars, professionals and service providers, as well as personal advertisements and items for sale. The classified section became one of the more stable revenue streams in Israeli local journalism. In 1998, its market share reached 33 percent in central Israel and approximately 65 percent in Haifa, Jerusalem and Ashdod. It was distributed as a supplement in the Schocken Group’s newspapers and in Haaretz at weekends, and promoted on radio through humorous jingles.

At the beginning of the 2000s, classified advertising faced competition from websites that allowed users to post for free. The City Classifieds established its own website in cooperation with Walla! Communications. After that cooperation ended, Walla! acquired the competing Yad2 website. In 2017, The City Classifieds was relaunched as a site focused solely on property sales. Its evolution reflected the broader transformation of local journalism: a shift from a printed product combining news, culture and advertisements to a digital network of guides, content and services.

Events That Became Part of Urban Life

Ha'ir was not merely a publication. It organized annual events in food, fashion, culture and business, including Taste of the City, the City Designers’ Market and the City Business Conference in Eilat. These events expanded the role of a local newspaper: Ha'ir became not only an observer of urban life but also an organizer of encounters among readers, artists, businesses and professionals.

Why Ha'ir Belongs in Moreshet

Ha'ir merits inclusion in Moreshet because it documents a crucial chapter in the history of Israeli local journalism and urban culture. Through reporting, columns, reviews, guides and public events, it captured a changing Tel Aviv and gave visibility to communities, lifestyles and cultural forms that helped shape Israel’s modern public conversation.

Its influence can also be seen in the institutions and projects that developed around it. Ha'ir Mouse became a significant print and digital culture and leisure brand, while The City Classifieds demonstrated how local journalism could create a widely used public and commercial service. The Schnitzer case, meanwhile, connected the paper to a foundational Israeli discussion about press freedom and censorship. For these reasons, the story of Ha'ir belongs in Moreshet.com: it preserves the memory of a journalistic institution that changed how Israelis read about their city, discovered culture, found services and participated in public life.