Cinema Amal 

2022 

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The ‘Cinema Amal’ exhibition was the concluding show in an annual series dedicated to the city of Kfar Saba, marking its 120th anniversary. The exhibition focuses on ‘Cinema Amal’, a longstanding cultural institution and local icon, drawing inspiration from its history and the events surrounding it.   

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Designed by Israel Prize-winning architect Arieh Sharon, *Cinema Amal* was established in 1937—over a decade before the founding of Israel—by the local Workers’ Council. Community members contributed funds and built it themselves, envisioning it as a cultural hub for the small settlement, serving as a theater, cinema, and venue for public gatherings. In its early years, the ambitious structure stood as a testament to the vision and spirit of its founders, who, amid building their community, defending it, and working the land, also prioritized cultural life. Over the decades, the cinema hosted films, plays, performances, civic events, and celebrations. Despite being recognized as a heritage site, the building was controversially sold to a private developer in 2002, closed to the public, and gradually fell into abandonment.   

The exhibition is based on extensive historical research, including the official documentation of ‘Amal movie theater’ compiled by architect Prof. Amnon Bar Or in 2013, with support from the Kfar Saba Museum and Municipal Archives. Each artwork in the exhibition highlights a different chapter in the ‘cinema’s story’ — from the original list of workers who funded its construction to its present state of disuse, as local activists and residents’ campaign for its preservation and revival as a public cultural institution.   

For years, Bobrow herself lived near the cinema. Like many other residents, she experienced both its vibrant heyday and its gradual decline. The exhibition presents 11 new works, each offering a tribute to a historical, architectural, or cultural aspect of this landmark