The Esther, Netanya’s first performance hall, was erected in 1936 during the British Mandate. The movie theater, considered grand and opulent in those days, served as the culture center of the fledgling city of Netanya, which was founded only ten years prior. The venue hosted song and dance nights, performances, concerts, conferences and balls.
Esther Movie Theater continued to serve as Netanya’s culture center until the late 1980s, with the rise of malls and new movie theater complexes. In the early 1990s it was closed down, and in the many years since it had patiently awaited rejuvenation. The new Esther Complex currently being built where the old movie theater once stood, uniquely commemorates the legacy of the Esther, which was a part of Netanya’s landscape for some 90 years.
