3 New attractions in the capitol

בס"ד

We, a group of bloggers and journalists, were invited to get to know three new attractions in the holy city of Jerusalem. The tour included a visit to Menachem Begin's center, the tropical greenhouse in the botanical garden, and a visit to the museum of the western wall platoon.

We started the day in the Menachem Begin heritage center with an audiovisual tour following the life and work of the sixth prime minister of Israel, Menachem Begin.
The Menachem Begin heritage center museum is located near the walls of the old city and offers a look at different stations in the life of Begin.

The museum is divided into four sectors:
1. Begin's childhood in Europe. Including his arrest and restoration of his interrogation by the Soviets due to his Zionist activity.
2. Commanding the Etzel period, including significant battles against the British rule in Israel: the explosion of King David hotel, the break into Acre prison, etc.
3. His time in the opposition, including a visit to a restoration of the Begin's family living room as it was at 1 Rosenbaum street in Tel Aviv and listening to his speeches in the square.
4. The period of Begin as prime minister, including the peace agreement with Egypt, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, and more.
And finally, passing through an avenue dedicated to Menachem Begin's legacy learned from his writing and public activities over the years.

Some people knew about Menachem Begin's life, and others, like me, didn't know almost anything. And from the content found in the museum, I can say that there are pieces of information that are just fascinating and moving.
The tour touches personal and captivating points from the life of the person that became the prime minister of Israel and did it with impressive humility and modesty.

Begin lived in simplicity, and even after winning the Nobel prize, he took the money and started a foundation for the unfortunate. While touring the museum, we heard another story that was recently discovered; Begin got a cheque with a huge sum and instead of redeeming it, he used it as a bookmark in one of the books he read. That bookmark was found not long ago.

I enjoyed watching the clips full of knowledge and history. Go through the different eras of Menachem Begin's life. Sit in the living room with the original furniture the Begin family used in their house and hear how the grief became a part of his being in his later years.

The tours in the museum are guided audiovisual tours conducted in English or Hebrew. You need to keep up with the pace of the guide since the videos are automatically played. Don't worry, the pace is okay, and you get to enjoy the place quite enough.
The museum is tailored to people who have difficulty standing too long. In every part of the museum, they made sure to have seats while watching the videos screened.

In addition to visiting the museum, the center offers a variety of activities to groups, individuals, and families. The activities are held at the Begin center or in various branches of the center throughout the country.
On holidays, including Chanukah, you can enjoy theatrical tours that take place in the center.

Moreover, near the center, you can find the "Hinnom shoulder." It is an archaeological garden which is part of a ring of tombs (necropolis) that surrounds the ancient Jerusalem. Many burial systems were found in the area and are dated back to the first temple period, the days of Yehuda kingdom, alongside a burial field of Roman legion soldiers and more. Among the unique discoveries found in the area, a silver roll was found with the verse from "Birkat Hakohanim" ("Yevrchecha Hashem Veyishmerecha.."). This finding is the earliest biblical text to date.

The site was recently renovated by the Begin heritage center in cooperation with the Israeli antiquities authority and the Jewish National Fund (JNF). And now the park next to it has signs and walking trails, and it is connected to other parks in the area. The admission is free, and it is open between 10am to 6pm on Sundays through Thursdays.

We then headed to the Jewish quarter towards the western wall platoon museum. In Chanukah, you can find beautiful menorahs that will lit the way in the quarter.
AS befits the city of Jerusalem, the road to the quarter is a tiny bit demanding with climbs and stairs. However, it definitely pays out. We went through the Zion Gate and got into the picturesque quarter where you can meet ancient ruins, a memorial site for the war of Independence and culture, and colorfulness that surrounds it all.

At the western wall platoon museum, which works under the responsibility of the Begin Heritage Center, we had very little time, but it was enough to tell that this museum is a must-visit.
The museum follows the story of the platoon that guarded the western wall. The museum is open to the public and invites you to watch a 35 minutes display that was inaugurated about a year ago.

At the entrance of the museum, you can watch a movie following the story of the platoon. The platoon began operating in 1928, when the British regime in Israel imposed restrictions on the Jews, including banning the use of Shofar at the Western Wall. The ban was applied following a complaint from the Arabs that the Shofar is harming the sanctity of Islam.

A group of young people from the Betar movement, who later became the Western wall platoon, decided to take action and smuggle a Shofar to fulfill the mitzvah of Shofar in Yom Kippur at the Western Wall.
This action often ended in arrests, and the platoon members also suffered constant harassment from the British rule, which considered them as outlaws.

The Western Wall platoon museum is the same place that once was used as the residence of the platoon.
80 Years after the site was shut down by the British, the museum opens to the public and brings the fascinating story of the people who tried to keep the Jewish ember in Jerusalem to life.

The visit to the museum includes a 35-minute film and a route that goes through several historical points; From the Shofar blowers, the Western Wall platoon to the heroism of Ha'etzel, and clashes with the Arab population and the British government.

Due to the short time we had, we only watched about 20 minutes of an exciting movie. I personally can't wait to come again and get the full experience of the museum.
The museum is perfect for history lovers, and whoever loves to investigate and explore the past.

Afterward, we continued to the tropical greenhouse at the university botanical garden in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.
The botanical garden covers an area of about 150 dunams, and you can travel by foot or by the garden's train, which allows covering more ground quickly. The ticket fee includes the ride on the train.
The garden contains the most extensive collection of living plants in Israel and the Middle East and has over 6,000 species and plants from around the world.

The garden is divided into six sectors: South Africa, Europe, North America, Australia, Southwest, and Central Asia, and the Mediterranean.
We traveled by the botanical garden train in the South African plot and saw ancient burial caves from the Second Temple period and heard about the aloe plant, which contains a variety of plants, and the most familiar to us is the Aloe vera.

The train stopped at the closest point to the tropical greenhouse. We got down and hiked on a wooden bridge passing through trees with Koala dolls grabbing on to them.
We reached the tropical greenhouse that was renovated for a year and a half for 7 million NIS and opened to the public a few weeks ago.
The greenhouse works on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2 pm to 3:30 pm, with guided tours.

The tropical greenhouse is divided into two areas: a tropical zone and a desert area.
There are about 300 different plants and species in the greenhouse, including various orchids, coffee bushes, banana trees, and cacti.

During the greenhouse construction, the remains of a rock-hewn columbarium were discovered. The columbarium is dated to the second temple period. And it has many niches that in Israel were once used as a dovecote.

In the tropical wing of the greenhouse, you can find beautiful orchids, green trees, bananas, and running water. While in the desert wing, you can feel the desert climate and find typical desert plants You can see cactus plants, shrubs from the perfume family that is used to produce the world's best perfumes and even the azure flowers of the Trichoderma.

The tropical greenhouse serves as an educational tool that helps to connect the garden visitors with nature. The garden even launched a new campaign to save extinct wildflowers in Israel. The project is dedicated to the late wife of President Reuven Rivlin, Nechama Rivlin, who loved nature and contributed significantly to Israeli society and nature conservation.

Following the project, dozens of volunteers embarked on a mission to gather wildflower seeds. The seeds germinate easily and are prominent and water-saving, which makes them accessible to all.
This way, everyone can grow extinct wildflowers in their home garden and take part in the conservation of the ecological environment.

The seeds have been cleaned and packed by various people from the Jerusalem communities, including Friends of the botanical garden, people with special needs (Alu"t and Reut), young people in national service, the IDF, the garden volunteers, and the botanical garden staff.

This year, 12,000 seed bags were packed. Each bag can be planted in planters and gardens. During the greenhouse tour, we received a packet of seeds that we made sure to plant it already :-)

While touring the garden with the train, we spotted trees with reddish fall colors, met meadow saffrons, and enjoyed the flowers and plants that continue to bloom at this time of year.
After a dry, hot summer, the blossom is not at its peak, but in my opinion, the botanical garden still has a lot of magic to it in this season as well.

If you are more of the type that seeks to watch flowers at their peak, you should wait at least until February or to the Spring, and you will enjoy the blooming and colorful fields of flowers throughout the different parts of the garden.

Begin Heritage center
Address: 6 S.A Nachon St. Jerusalem (between the bell garden and the cinematheque).
Working times: Sun, Mon, Wed, Thus: 9am - 4:30pm, Tue: 9am - 7 pm and Fri: 9:00am - 12:30 pm.
Tour length: 75 minutes (waiting time between two tours is about half an hour).
Visits are with guided tours only and must be coordinated.
Languages: The tours are conducted in English or Hebrew. You can obtain headphones with other languages: Spanish, French, Russain, and Arabic.
Price: 25 NIS per adult, 20 NIS for veteran citizen/student/soldier/child. Family: couple + 1 child - 65 NIS, couple + 2 kids - 70 NIS (extra child for 15 NIS)
Group visits over 20 people: 15 NIS (up to 25 people).
For more information: www.begincenter.org.il or by phone: 02-5652018/11

Western Wall platoon museum
Address: Hayehudim street corner of the Western Wall platoon
Price: 20 NIS per adult, 15 NIS per child / veteran citizen / disabled person / security forces. Special price for groups.
The place participates in the Jticket card of the Jewish quarter.
For group bookings and pre-registration: 02-5652011 or hazmanot@begincenter.org.il

Jerusalem Botanical Garden
Address: Zalman Schneur 1, Nayot, Jerusalem
Price: 35 NIS per person, 28 NIS for Jerusalem card holders, 25 NIS for soldiers/students/pensioners. Free for a kid accompanies by his parents.
For more information: 02-6794012 or at https://www.botanic.co.il