The Third Ear

The Third Ear (Hebrew: האוזן השלישית, HaOzen HaShlishit) is an Israeli media company and retail chain specializing in music, film, and pop culture merchandise. Founded in 1987 in Tel Aviv, it operates stores that sell music albums, vinyl records, DVDs, and Funko Pop figures, alongside rental and sale of classic and contemporary films. The company also runs a production company and distributes records and DVDs under its own label. Its flagship store in Tel Aviv houses multiple departments, including rock, jazz, DVD library, and DVD sales, and it has additional branches in Haifa and Jerusalem. The Third Ear also operates a performance bar and screening rooms, a public screening department, and four publishing labels: Earsay Records, Magda, Third Ear Comics, and Third Ear Films. The company's website hosts the largest Hebrew-language film catalog and a tri-annual magazine. Over the years, it has become a cultural hub for collectors and enthusiasts of alternative and rare music and cinema.

The Third Ear was founded on January 9, 1987, when its first store opened on Sheinkin Street in Tel Aviv. The founders were Miki Dotan, previously owner of the record store Mango (and other stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany), and Doron Gil, owner of the record store Paz. The location on Sheinkin Street was chosen because it was a central street with low rent. Initially, the store dealt in second-hand records, but due to demand, it quickly began importing new records as well. The store became a center for record collectors, a status reinforced by the introduction of the CD into the music market. As The Ear became a central place for second-hand collectors, customers began requesting reissues of old records—cornerstones of Israeli music that had disappeared from the shelves. The album by the band Acharit HaYamim was the first release on The Ear label, and its thousand copies, which sold out within a week, convinced the store owners that publishing would be an integral part of the company. Meanwhile, Doron Gil left, and Eli Hayon and Limor Balat joined, who together with Adi Shalosh and Miki Dotan, the founder and owner, still form The Ear's management team. At that time, the video format began to develop, and music video cassettes joined the vinyl shelves. Video importers in Israel did not bring the margins of cinema—silent films, cult comedies, English humor, art films, and more—and The Ear began to serve as a video library based on imported films. After about a year and a half of focusing on the margins, The Ear began to hold mainstream titles in its library as well. In the first two years (1987-1989), a private and successful pub owned by Yuval Klein, Haimann Yaakov, and Roni Hadad, called "The Third Ear-Restaurants Ltd.", opened in the back of the property of "The Third Ear Records" on Sheinkin. The pub was the first of its kind on Sheinkin Street to hold lecture evenings and screenings of old films from the record company's library, attracting large audiences. In the next stage, the restaurant expanded to a higher culinary level while playing contemporary local music and films, with discs and videos (16mm black and white) of "Lul", "Nos'ei HaMigba'at", Poliana Frank, East-West Ensemble, and more. The late 1980s were the heyday of Sheinkin Street, which later became a vibrant Tel Aviv center with street restaurants, parties, and around-the-clock activity. "The Third Ear Records" found itself in a good spot in the middle and expanded its activities: its first newspaper was called "Black Gold". In 1991, "The Third Ear Pub" (on the recommendation of then-mayor Shlomo "Tzitz" Lahat) moved to HaArba'a Street in Tel Aviv but closed immediately upon opening due to a legal closure order by Kolinor Records. Later, the pub reopened on Derech Petah Tikva Street in Tel Aviv. In the late 1990s, as DVD began to replace video, The Ear became one of the largest DVD libraries in the world in terms of the number of different titles it held (as of the end of the first decade of the 21st century, about 30,000 different titles; Ilan Luvton is the repertoire manager of The Ear's libraries). At the same time, the audience grew, and Sheinkin became a very crowded and commercial street. In July 2005, The Third Ear moved to its new home at 48 King George Street in Tel Aviv, formerly the site of the Maxim Cinema. There, under one large roof, all of The Ear's various departments reside together. In July 2008, the "OzenBar" opened on the floor of the cinema halls. Two additional branches of the company are located in Haifa and Jerusalem. The Third Ear's video library, which included video cassettes and DVDs, closed at the end of 2022, and the collection was transferred to the Tel Aviv Cinematheque library for film archive preservation. Departments of The Ear: Stores: These include the store in Tel Aviv, where several different stores reside in one space: a rock store, a jazz store, a DVD library, and a DVD sales store. As mentioned, additional stores in Jerusalem and Haifa, each adapted to the city in which it is located. Performance bar and screening halls: Above The Ear stores in Tel Aviv is the "OzenBar", which hosts fringe and central indie bands in the local music scene. Every evening, animation films, video clips, rare performances, and Israeli indie films are screened in the four cinema halls adjacent to the bar. The Third Ear store in Haifa opened in 1988 on Nordau Boulevard in the Hadar neighborhood. In 2000, the branch moved to 13 Moriah Street in the Carmel Center, and after about a decade moved to 3 Moriah Street. On March 14, 2018, the branch moved to the Haifa Cinematheque complex. The Third Ear store in Jerusalem opened in 1995 on Emek Refaim Street in the German Colony neighborhood. This branch closed after 18 years of activity on June 30, 2013, due to financial difficulties. However, after a year and a half, on December 30, 2014, the branch reopened at the Jerusalem Cinematheque under the branding "The Ear at the Cinematheque", following a public struggle by several customers. On June 20, 2007, another branch of The Third Ear opened in Ra'anana (85 Ahuza Street), offering discs and comic books for sale, and DVDs for sale and rental. This branch closed after a short period. In 2019, another branch of The Third Ear opened in South Tel Aviv, dedicated mainly to records. In 2022, a branch opened in Kibbutz HaGoshrim, combining the sale of records, discs, and films, alongside a local cafe that hosts artists for live performances, usually on weekends. Currently, a cafe called "Philosoph" is located there. Public screenings: The largest department in Israel for renting films for private and public screenings of new films and classics from all local and international distributors—film screenings in all formats including DVD, DCP, streaming, and 35mm. Among the company's clients are peripheral cinemas, such as those in local councils, various public institutions such as the IDF, the Prison Service, the education system, as well as private companies and individuals who wish to screen for groups and more. Publishing: The Ear has four publishing labels: Earsay Records – specializing in releasing Israeli music albums, mainly independent and high-quality rock music. Artists who have released albums under Earsay include Rockfour, Jango, Yuval Gurevitch, Miki Shaviv, Panic Ensemble, Elephant Parade, and Midnight Peacocks. Magda – world/ethnic music, including the East-West Ensemble and the Andalusian Orchestra. Third Ear Comics – alternative and contemporary Israeli comics, including Gilad Seliktar's Meshek 54 and Guy Morad's Three Beats. Films – The Third Ear releases DVDs. Among those released are the collection of short films based on Etgar Keret, a box set of the works and films of Amos Guttman, Avraham Heffner, and Judd Ne'eman. Asaf Ofek is the manager of the Israeli repertoire and label. Website and newspaper: The Ear has a website containing the largest film catalog in Hebrew as well as many other cinema contents (addresses, reviews, updates, etc.), and a tri-annual magazine distributed to The Ear's customers with a variety of articles and reviews, indicating trends in music and cinema according to the place's employees. PLYMEDIA also began its journey at The Third Ear. Among its initiators is Yuval Klein...

• 2022

  Video library closed at the end of the year; collection transferred to Tel Aviv Cinematheque. Branch opened in Kibbutz HaGoshrim.

• 2019

  South Tel Aviv branch opened, dedicated mainly to records.

• 2018

  Haifa branch moved to the Haifa Cinematheque complex on March 14.

• 2014

  Jerusalem branch reopened on December 30 at the Jerusalem Cinematheque as 'The Ear at the Cinematheque'.

• 2013

  Jerusalem branch closed on June 30 due to financial difficulties.

• 2008

  OzenBar opened in July.

• 2007

  Ra'anana branch opened on June 20.

• 2005

  Main store moved to 48 King George Street, Tel Aviv, in July.

• 2000

  Haifa branch moved to 13 Moriah Street.

• 1995

  Jerusalem branch opened on Emek Refaim Street.

• 1991

  The Third Ear Pub moved to HaArba'a Street but closed immediately due to legal order.

• 1988

  Haifa branch opened on Nordau Boulevard.

• 1987

  First store opened on Sheinkin Street, Tel Aviv, on January 9.

A cultural hub and specialty retailer for alternative, rare, and classic music and cinema, with a strong focus on collector communities and independent Israeli culture.

• Earsay Records

  Label specializing in Israeli independent rock music.

• Magda

  Label for world/ethnic music.

• Third Ear Comics

  Label for alternative and contemporary Israeli comics.

• Third Ear Films

  Label for DVD releases of Israeli films.

1. 1Wikidata: The Third Earwikidata.org
2. 2Hebrew Wikipedia: האוזן השלישיתhe.wikipedia.org