Nalaga'at (Nalagaat Center)
Jaffa Port, Tel Aviv, Israel
Nalaga’at (Nalagaat Center) is a groundbreaking institution in Tel Aviv that’s transformed the lives of deaf and blind people. It’s home to a theater where deaf-blind actors perform award-winning shows, a café where hearing-impaired staff encourage guests to communicate in sign language, a restaurant where guests dine in the dark, and a wealth of workshops.
Performances, workshops, and sensory culinary experiences at Nalaga’at are paid for, and booking in advance is recommended. It is, of course, also possible just to drop by the center and visit the on-site café. Despite its central Jaffa location, the Nalaga’at center is not a common stop on Tel Aviv tours. Most travelers visit independently, either booking a table to dine in the dark, arranging tickets to enjoy a theatrical performance, or attending education workshops around hearing and sight impairment.
Nalaga’at is a must for anyone who’d like to learn more about living with hearing and/or sight impairments.
Nalaga’at is a not-for-profit institution that supports its core community.
Eating in the dark can be messy, with hands involved. Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty when eating at BlackOut.
BlackOut is dairy kosher, with fish but no meat.
As you’d expect, Nalaga’at is wheelchair-accessible.
Nalaga’at is located in the heart of Jaffa, close to the ancient port. It’s walking distance from most Jaffa attractions and about a 4-mile (6-kilometer) drive from Rabin Square. During the day (excluding the Sabbath), the open-topped 100 tourist bus runs directly to the Old Port, while there are numerous buses from central Tel Aviv.
Nalaga’at is open during the Israeli working week only, Sunday to Thursday, from morning until late in the evening. BlackOut restaurant has two seatings on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings, which should be reserved in advance, while theater performances and workshops are generally in the evenings as well.
Dining in the dark is a great way for sighted people to gain insight into the world of people with visual impairments, as well as rediscover the tastes and textures of food, which can be a very different experience without visual cues. All waitstaff at BlackOut are either blind or visually impaired.
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