About Us
Salon Mazal was established in 2001, in Tel Aviv, Israel, by a group of social-environmental activists. Salon Mazal is a non-for-profit registered charity that serves as an information distribution center for social, environmental and political change The place functions as a store (including books, magazines and fair-trade products), a lending library, an artist gallery, a vegetarian bar and a community center where movie screenings, lectures, workshops and meetings take place.
The place is run in line with anarchist ideology and values, which encourage an egalitarian, non-hierarchical community. Salon Mazal is run by a group of volunteers. Consensus decision-making is used to promote the expression of individual voices within the group in daily meetings.
Salon Mazal is based on donations. Until now, the "Shukran" fund donated the largest portion of our yearly budget. Unfortunately, the fund ceased its operation.
Objectives
Salon Mazal main objective as an info-shop is to distribute information in the areas of social, environmental and political change. Naturally, attempts are made to connect between the different struggles. Our goal at Salon Mazal, as an alternative to mainstream culture, is to create an open community life. We also wish to make existing information available for all, out of the belief that this kind of knowledge will raise awareness that would eventually lead to social change.
Salon Mazal promotes the following subjects: human rights, coexistence, feminism, animals’ rights, organic agriculture and ecology, civil disobedience, world struggles, independent media, the struggle against global economy and the consumption culture, creating anarchist communities and support independent art.
The Shop
Our shop
contains a large
and diverse selection of books in
several languages that are unavailable elsewhere in Israel. Our shop
gives expression to independent artists and independent publications.
Moreover, we limit our gross profit margin, which can range from as low
as 20% to 30%. We do this in order to enhance knowledge distribution.
Profits are used to maintain the center and cover additional costs. In
addition to social change books, the shop also contains fair-trade
products and ecological cleaning products, information leaflets,
magazines and free social-change groups’ stickers.
Lending and Reference Library
Our
library enables
knowledge accessibility without
encouraging consumption spending. The library includes books, CDs and
videos in varied subjects: human rights, ecology and organic gardening,
criticism on globalization and the consumption culture, black awareness
and the Mizrachi (middle-eastern origin
Jewish
population) struggle, gender and feminism, do-it-yourself, anarchism,
animals’ rights, nutrition and health, inner change,
sociology, history, philosophy, Israeli society and more. Our library
holds thousands of items and has 500 active subscribers.
Events and Lectures
Salon
Mazal
carries out lectures,
workshops, public discussion and movie screenings on a daily basis. The
events are open to the public, with free admission or a 10 NIS ($2)
donation. Every month, lectures focus on a different subject. For
example, in the last months we brought the following: gender and
feminism, urban ecology, music and protest, workers struggle,
anti-militarism and more. The events are published and distributed on
our website, in local papers and in web forums on the Internet.
Hundreds of people arrive every month. For some, it is their first
encounter with Salon Mazal and the
existing
information, and most of them come back again.
A Community Center
Salon
Mazal
functions as a
community center
where people and different groups can meet to discuss and plan
activities around social and environmental struggles. For example:
Green Action, Anarchists Against the Fence, Indymedia, an Independent
Media Center, Maavak Echad (one struggle), Noga, The Center for Sexual
Assault Victims, Kelaf (The Lesbian Feminist Community), Zochrot
(remember), Bustan L’shalom (A garden for Peace), The
Coexistence Forum in the Negev, The Machrozet (necklace) Community,
Hila, The Democratic Arc, Shatil—Mixed Cities Project, The
Alternative Information Center (AIC), Women coalition for peace, New
Profile and more.
Bar Mazal
Bar Mazal is
operated by the Salon
Mazal
volunteers collective. At the bar, we serve vegetarian food, home made
drinks and spices from our garden. Coffee and tea are fair trade
products. The bar combines animal rights explanation activities. In
order to enable a healthy and nutritious approach for all, we maintain
low prices. Profits are dedicated to animal right activity.
Minor Gallery
An art gallery
operates
voluntarily within Salon
Mazal complex. The gallery’s purpose is to
give a
stage to independent artists who bring a social message in their work.
Each month, new exhibition gala openings take place. These openings are
advertised in local papers and allow other artists to display their
work at our gallery. The Minor Gallery has a substantial demand among
artists and the waiting list for new exhibitors can last for at least
six months.
Ecology and the Organic Garden
We are in the process of
establishing and maintaining an
organic community garden. Our goal is to provide practical solutions
for ecological problems. The organic garden is open for the public and
maintained by volunteers, among them there are some who study and
research the subject. The garden also includes composting, which allows
an intelligent, ecological processing of waste and provides a vital
fertilizer for the soil. These are just a few steps in our way to
become an environmental friendly place.
Stands
In order to
distribute
information and reach a larger audience
we put stands in social gatherings, festivals, demonstrations and
universities.
For donations please contact us at: mazalsalon@yahoo.com
Donations
Ways of donations:
1) Transferring money into our bank account:
Name of the account holder: Distribution information center
for social change (mercaz lehafatzat meida leshinui
hevrati)
Address of accountholder: Simta Almonit 3
City of accountholder: Tel-Aviv
Name of bank and branch: Israel Discount bank , Alemby branch (11-
01647)
City of bank: Tel-Aviv
Account number: 451509
2) Sending us a check: Check to: Distribution information center for social change Address: Salon Mazal Simta Almonit 3 Tel-Aviv, Israel