Last modified: 2015-06-29 by andrew weeks
Keywords: haifa | kheifa | iriyat kheifa | text: english | text: hebrew (blue) | text: arabic | coat of arms (ship: white) | ship |
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![[Municipality of Haifa (Israel)]](../images/i/il-haifa.gif) image by Ivan Sarajcic |    Coat-of-arms adopted c.1935, confirmed 16th April 1959 |
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Haifa (pronounced in Hebrew: Kheifa) is the only town
in Israel that has a real coat-of-arms, registered at the College
of Arms in London in the early 1930's during the British Mandate period. Haifa is also
the only town in Israel to have a mural crown above the shield. I
once went to the Haifa city archive to look for more information
on the coat-of-arms. The only thing that I found was a resolution
from the very first years after Independence regarding the
background colour of the city flag (changing from red to
blue/azure, but I am not sure). Which indicates that the flag is
probably official. I lived in Haifa for many years and I also
remember only this [blue] colour on the flag.
Nahum Shereshevsky, 16 April 1999
Coat-of-arms (blue-white-red) on azure bedsheet. Originally
the English name was in the middle of the coat-of-arms, but it
was changed (sometime in the 60's) after Israel's independence
and the Hebrew name was moved to the center. I cannot tell how
official is the flag, however, it has been used as such for at
least the last 40 years or so. Haifa is the third largest city in
Israel and the capital of Haifa District. It is situated in the
north part of Israel, on the slopes of Mount Carmel and on the
shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is Israel's main harbour. Pop.
250,000.
Dov Gutterman, 20 June 1999
I visited Haifa city archive once looking for information on the coat-of-arms. The only thing they could say about the emblem was that its first appearance on documents was around 1935. I guess that the College of Arms in London should have more info since the emblem is registered there, but is it accessible?
As for the meaning - as with the Jerusalem
emblem, all you need is some background and common sense - we
see a ship and lighthouses (or wave breakers), we know that Haifa
is an important port city - hence the ship symbolizes commerce,
and the other elements - the port. The booklet on the Jerusalem
one mentioned that this emblem was designed by Esther
Berlin-Yoel, who owned a graphics studio in Haifa. In 1942
she sent a proposal for an emblem for Jerusalem to the City
Mayor.
Nahum Shereshevsky, 26 June 1999
The municipal emblem was published in the official gazette (Rashumot),
YP 663, 16 April 1959.
Dov Gutterman, 4 September 2001
Haifa is known since the 1st Century B.C.. The origin of the
name is unknown Until the Mandate era it was quite a small town
and second to Akko. Only the British decision to make Haifa their
main port and their northern capital, gave it a major boost.
Today Haifa is the third largest city in Israel. Haifa is also
known for being the religious center for the Baha'i and their "Golden Dome"
shrine became a known symbol of Haifa.
At <www.haifa.muni.il>
there is an essay about the origin and design of the emblem with
images of proposals. Here is the essence of it::
The Designer was Mrs. Esther Berlin-Yo'el. She design few
proposals and a committee made of the mayor Hasan Shukry, Ing.
Scrivner, head of the Railroad office, Architect Henry Kandell of
the Mandate Department of Health and the artist Herman Shtruk,
choose the winning design which was adopted by the city council
on 22 June 1936.
Explanations was given by the next mayor of Haifa Shabtai Levi on
the opening ceremony of the new city hall on June 1942: "In
this emblem painted the old fort of Haifa which was situated on
this site for hundreds of years and exist until 1880. The fort as
a mark for war and defense disappeared meanwhile, and you can see
that in our emblem it is cut through by an olive branch, because
we believe in peace. Instead of a fort as a characteristic line
of Haifa, the port, intendant for maritime movements in peace
time, is painted. Therefore you find on our emblem the two
lighthouses at the port entrance of the port and a passenger
ship."
Many thinks the this is a crown on top of the emblem but it
isn't. It is the old fort of Haifa (El-Burj = The fort)
that was destroyed and the city hall stand in its place.
After the independence war, the inscription was changed by moving
the Hebrew one to the center instead of the former English one.
Haifa emblem appear on a stamp
that was issued on 14 March 1966 as well on stamps (here
and here)
issued 13 April 1952.
Dov Gutterman, 20 April 2005
![[Municipality of Haifa (Israel)]](../images/i/il)haifa.gif)
image from wikipedia
