Haifa Zoo Explained

Haifa Educational Zoo (Louis Ariel Goldschmidt Zoo) is located on the forested northern slope of the Lotem Stream, on the lower grounds of Gan HaEm in the Carmel Center, at 124 Tishbi Street, Haifa.

History

The Biological Institute, which initially included a small petting zoo, was founded in 1949 by Pinhas Cohen, one of the first nature teachers in Haifa.^[1]

The institute began in the basement of the central synagogue in the Carmel Center on Derech Hayam Street. In the basement, a nature room was established, where lessons for students and teacher training sessions were held. This basement was located above Biring's Cave—a cave named after a Dutchman, Biring, who used it to observe the movements of Ottoman and German fleets and report them to the British.

A small petting zoo was established on a small plot of land near the basement and quickly expanded. The noise from the animals disturbed the synagogue's worshippers, and under their pressure, in 1952, the petting zoo was relocated to its current site at the zoo. In 1955, the construction of the Biological Institute building within the new zoo area was completed. After Pinhas Cohen's death, the institute was named "Beit Pinhas" in his honor.^[2]

The Biological Institute - Beit Pinhas

The zoo grew out of the Biological Institute, but over the years it overshadowed it and became a separate entity. The Biological Institute initially served as a center for training and research in biology and ethology for teachers. Its founder was Pinhas Cohen. Over the years, its focus shifted, and it now primarily caters directly to students.^[3]

The institute includes:

• Center for Nature Studies: This center offers enrichment classes for schools at all educational levels, special programs for gifted students and science classes, teacher and kindergarten teacher training, guidance for schools in setting up and maintaining petting zoos, student research guidance, and fostering attitudes toward animals. High school students receive guidance in ecological projects.
• Library: The center includes a professional library with about 3,000 titles and journals in Hebrew and English, a large collection of taxidermy specimens for teaching and display, a resource center, and a lending center for traveling exhibits and educational materials.
• Botanical Garden: The botanical garden at the Biological Institute is dedicated to the wild plants of the Mediterranean region of Israel. Part of the garden is a water garden with aquatic and riparian plants native to the country. The lower section of the botanical garden contains a fern plot. The garden features hundreds of species, some of which are endangered. It continues the natural vegetation of the Lotem Stream.
• Natural History Museum: The museum displays taxidermy exhibits on various topics and an exhibit of cetacean vertebrae and jaws. During holidays, temporary exhibitions are held on the connection between Jewish holidays and nature.
• Prehistoric Museum (Moshe Stekelis Museum): Managed by the Haifa Museums, it is located in the Biological Institute building. The museum displays dioramas of Neanderthal life, findings from underwater sites in the Haifa area, and a permanent exhibition titled "Bones and Spirit," which deals with prehistoric burial customs.
• Educational Petting Zoo: The petting zoo houses a variety of animals used in the institute's lessons and serves as a source of animals for schools. Raising animals in this zoo allows for training and support for schools interested in developing their own school petting zoos. The petting zoo includes hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, mole rats, and a hedgehog among the mammals; laughing doves, budgerigars, and ducks among the birds; and iguanas, chameleons, and geckos among the reptiles. Additionally, it hosts Israeli amphibians, scorpions, stick insects, and other insects.

Gan HaYeled

Gan HaYeled ("the child's garden") is an educational and therapeutic institution for children with various disabilities.^[4]

Located within the Haifa Zoo complex, it provides therapeutic enrichment, mainly through animal-assisted therapy, as well as treatment in other areas.

References

1. Web site: ⁨Untitled⁩ - ⁨⁨דבר⁩ 21 יוני 1962⁩ - הספרייה הלאומית של ישראל │ עיתונים . 2024-08-20 . www.nli.org.il . he.
2. Web site: קירשטיין . רולי . 2017-11-22 . כיכר ע"ש פאול ומאי אריאלי גולדשמידט נחנכה בדניה . 2024-08-20 . כלבו – חיפה והקריות . he.
3. Web site: המכון הביולוגי - בית פנחס .
4. Web site: גן הילד חיפה : אגודה לניהול גן משחקים לילדים מוגבלים . 2024-08-20 . קשר - הבית של המשפחות המיוחדות . he-IL.