Cohav Cinema

Cohav Cinema (Hebrew: קולנוע כוכב, 'Star Cinema') is a historic movie theater located on Sokolov Street in Ramat HaSharon, Israel. Established in a building whose construction began in 1945, it opened on 1 May 1948 and has operated almost continuously since. The cinema occupies a 1,400-square-meter plot owned by the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael) on a hill at the corner of Sokolov and Bernstein-Cohen streets. Originally named Beit HaPoalim (House of the Workers), it was later renamed Gil Cinema and, in 1980, Kochav (Star). In April 2022 it joined the Lev Cinemas chain and was rebranded Lev Ramat HaSharon. The building was the first structure in the settlement erected specifically for cultural purposes and for many years also housed the Ramat HaSharon Workers' Council. The cinema entered Israeli cultural history in 1951 when the Nahal band performed its first program there. For decades it was the only cinema in Ramat HaSharon's jurisdiction, and even today it remains the only cinema in the city's residential area. It gained a reputation for its warm, communal atmosphere and primarily screens Israeli films and non-Hollywood quality cinema. From 1996 to the end of 2010, the cinema hosted monthly screenings of the cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with active audience participation organized by the film's fan club. In 2007 the owners sought to demolish the building and replace it with a 16-story residential tower, but the plan was rejected by the local and district planning committees. In 2009 the owners decided to sell the building. A major renovation began in late 2011, and since 2012 a Landwer coffee chain branch has operated on the premises. In the second decade of the 21st century, Kochav became the only active single-screen cinema in the entire Gush Dan and Sharon region. Today the cinema operates as part of the Lev Cinemas chain under the name Lev Ramat HaSharon, continuing its tradition of screening Israeli and arthouse films in an intimate setting.

Cohav Cinema, originally known as Beit HaPoalim (House of the Workers), was built on a 1,400-square-meter plot owned by the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael) on a hill at the corner of what are now Sokolov and Bernstein-Cohen streets in Ramat HaSharon. Construction began in 1945, and the cinema opened on 1 May 1948. The building was the first in the settlement constructed specifically for cultural purposes and for many years also housed the Ramat HaSharon Workers' Council. Initially called Beit HaPoalim, it was later renamed Gil Cinema, and in 1980 it became Kochav (Star). The cinema entered Israeli cultural history in 1951 when the Nahal band performed its first program there. For decades it was the only cinema within Ramat HaSharon's jurisdiction, and even today it remains the only cinema in the city's residential area. Over the years it gained a reputation for its warm, communal atmosphere, with most screenings featuring Israeli films and non-Hollywood quality cinema. From 1996 to the end of 2010, the cinema hosted monthly screenings of the cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, featuring active audience participation organized by the film's fan club. In 2007 the owners sought to demolish the building and construct a 16-story residential tower, but the plan was rejected by the local and district planning and building committees. Following the rejection, in 2009 the owners decided to sell the building. A major renovation of the building and its surroundings began in late 2011, and since 2012 a Landwer coffee chain branch has operated on the premises. In the second decade of the 21st century, Kochav became the only active single-screen cinema in the entire Gush Dan and Sharon region. In April 2022, the cinema joined the Lev Cinemas chain and was renamed Lev Ramat HaSharon. It continues to operate as a cinema, maintaining its focus on Israeli and arthouse films.

• 2022

  Cinema joins Lev Cinemas chain and is renamed Lev Ramat HaSharon.

• 2012

  Landwer coffee chain branch opens on the premises.

• 2011

  Major renovation of the building and surroundings begins.

• 2010

  Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings end.

• 2009

  Owners decide to sell the building.

• 2007

  Owners' plan to demolish and build a 16-story tower is rejected.

• 1996

  Monthly Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings begin.

• 1980

  Cinema renamed Kochav (Star).

• 1951

  Nahal band performs its first program at the cinema.

• 1948

  Cinema opens on 1 May as Beit HaPoalim.

• 1945

  Construction of the cinema building begins.

Historic, community-oriented single-screen cinema specializing in Israeli and non-Hollywood quality films.

• Cinema screenings

  Single-screen cinema showing Israeli and quality non-Hollywood films.

• Rocky Horror Picture Show monthly screenings

  Monthly cult film screenings with audience participation, held 1996–2010.

1. 1Cohav Cinema - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2קולנוע לב רמת השרון - Hebrew Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org