Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav commits to naming a Haifa neighborhood after Joe Biden

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav revealed at a toast in the Sephardic House Hotel in Jerusalem his intention to name a neighborhood in the city after President Joe Biden as a token of appreciation for his support for Israel, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.

During the traditional Passover toasting ceremony of the Sephardic House, Yahav revealed for the first time his intention to name a neighborhood in the city after US President Joe Biden. A similar proposal led to the creation of Ramat Trump in the Golan in 2020. 

The mayor pledged that he would introduce Jewish diaspora heritage studies into the curriculum of Haifa schools so that "we would all really know each other".

As part of his desire for a real connection between all the people who live in Haifa, Yahav also plans to implement the study of spoken Arabic in all schools starting from the second grade.

Another distinguished guest at the ceremony was Haim Cohen, the chairman of the World Spanish Federation in Israel.

Along with Cohen came most of the heads of the organizations included in the federation.

Attorney Yosef Gilaur, chairman of the Haifa Sephardic Jewish Community Committee, did not hide his excitement: "Haim is a mentor and a true friend for the community committee and a close friend for me personally."

Sadness, worry, resilience and comfort

In his words for the holiday, Gilaur detailed the sadness and worry that we all experience. At the same time, he also offered consolation: "We knew how to overcome cruel enemies and serious crises in the past. We have mental strength. If we cling to despair, the flowers of spring will not grow. If we cling to hope and nurture it, we will have a real revival."

Yossi Azari, chairman of the Sephardic House's Day Center, also spoke at the ceremony and emphasized the center's activities' contribution to the community in Haifa and beyond.

Netali Ben, the CEO of the Sephardi House, discussed the hardships leading up to the ceremony and the importance of maintaining tradition in dealing with the complex reality.

She also complimented the employees: "We maintained emotional and team resilience even after the horrors of 7/10. We continued to provide the tenants with wholehearted service and also a sense of security."

At the end of the ceremony, all those present expressed hope that all the hostages would return to us soon and that we would all have a happy and peaceful holiday.