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The Steinhardt Museum is renowned for its exceptional layout & captivating displays, making it engaging for both adults & children. It showcases Israel’s role as a critical crossroads in the evolutionary journey from Africa into Europe & Asia. The museum’s Ark-shaped design underscores its mission to foster knowledge, promote understanding, & strengthen our connection with nature. The museum’s exhibits are presented in Hebrew, English & Arabic, ensuring accessibility for a diverse audience. Plus, the facilities are top-notch: ample underground parking, full wheelchair & stroller accessibility, spotless public restrooms, a small snack bar & a well-stocked gift shop with a great variety of educational games & puzzles. Interactive maps, multimedia stations & mechanical exhibits allow visitors to engage with the content by seeing the movement of birds or animal muscles, for example. With a collection of approximately 5.5 million items, the museum highlig
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Yesterday, August 15th, marks exactly 26 years since the last train left Jerusalem's 'First Station.' When the station closed the complex became neglected until reconstruction and preservation works took place to enable its reopening in 2013. The original station included a 2-story building, a mechanism for changing the direction of the train, a shelter & a large water tank. Over time, various additions were built, including a layer of concrete that covered the roof in fear of bombing by Italian ‘planes during the British Mandate. Jerusalem started to develop outside of the Old City walls at the end of the 19th century, however access roads to the city were frequently disrupted & travel time to & from Jaffa took about 10 hours by camel or donkey carts. There was a demand for more efficient & faster transportation from pilgrims arriving at Jaffa port. The philanthropist Moshe Montefiore appealed to the British & Ottoman authorities to open a railway line
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The first coin from the Modern State of Israel, struck on August 17 1948 was not - as some believe - the prutah; it was actually a 25 mils coin, which circulated alongside old Palestinian Mandate mils coins (struck by the British) from 1948-1952. An initial unsuccessful batch of coins dated 5708/1948 was minted at a workshop in the Hakirya compound in Tel Aviv (the former German Templer colony of Sarona...remember I talked to you about the Templers who settled in Haifa, a few days ago?) Coins were also minted at the Michsaf cutlery factory in Holon by Yosef Gannoy; he modified a cutlery stamping press to hold coinage dies, which were cut by Saloh Kluegermann, a brother of the factory owner. It is believed that fewer than 100 1948 coins were issued, and only 30-40 are known to remain in circulation today. Michsaf also minted 42,650 mils coins dated 5709/1949. Other coins are believed to have been minted in Jerusalem in 1948, but written documentation about the location & name of the
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Too hot for touring?: Absolutely not, when the company is as good as Janice and Gary ! Yehi’am Fortress & National Park is a place where history, nature, & culture converge, offering visitors a glimpse into the past & a chance to enjoy the region's natural beauty. Yehi’am Fortress, also known as Château du Roi, is a historical site located in the Western Galilee region of Israel, within the boundaries of Yehi’am National Park. The fortress dates back to the 12th century, & was built by the Crusaders when the Crusader capital moved to Akko (Acre)after the fall of Jerusalem, Serving as a defensive stronghold, it features a high citadel offering a panoramic view of the entire area. According to a 13th-century Crusader Christian source, the Arabs referred to the place as Jadin, Judin, or Judyn. In 1265, the Mamluk Sultan Baybars conquered & destroyed the fortress. Though he left behind only a skeleton of broken-down walls, parts of towers & roofless rooms, the
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