In Tel Aviv, block parties happen at the beach

In Tel Aviv, the beach belongs to everyone, but it’s also a sandy backyard for apartment-dwelling locals.

This month, Tel Aviv residents are invited by the municipality to head down the seashore to Metzitzim Beach on Sunday and Wednesday afternoons, between 4:00 and 6:30 p.m.

It’s the Tel Aviv version of the block party, albeit at the beach.

Metzitzim is one of the city’s more northern beaches, named for the movie of the same name, a 1972 comedy classic directed by Uri Zohar and starring singer Arik Einstein about an aging lifeguard who doesn’t want to get old.

Now, however, Metzizim is considered one of Tel Aviv’s most family-friendly beaches, with shallow waters, plenty of lifeguards, a nearby restaurant, showers, shaded areas and beach volleyball courts.

The municipality is adding planned activities for kids and adults at Metzitzim every Sunday and Wednesday in August, with the goal of strengthening neighborhood ties and community life on this particular stretch of sand.

The activities include organized sandcastle workshops, yoga and capoeira classes, bouncy castles, fruit-cutting design classes, drum circles and sand games.