Tower of David Museum (Roman Krivochenitser)

Tower of David Museum

13 July 2008, tour leader Barak Zemer
Report submitted by Roman Krivochenitser

We began our journey through the Tower of David Museum by talking about the Return to Zion that took place under the Persian rule a few short decades after the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. In 526 BCE, Nehemiah and the Jews returned to Jerusalem to reconstruct a the Temple on the site of the First Temple on the Temple Mount, thus commencing the era of the Second Temple. Construction begins in 535 BCE and the Temple is dedicated in 515 BCE. Five centuries later, King Herod (“the Builder”) (73–4 BCE) greatly expands the Temple. (Thus, it is more accurate perhaps to speak of two Second Temples. Herod's popularity within the Jewish population had begun to wane and the construction of the “most beautiful structure in the world” was to help him save face with his people. The Herodian temple compound consisted of a massive vaulted platform with an area equal to twenty-seven American football fields. This Temple is destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE in the wake of the Jewish revolt against their rule. The Roman Caesar who conquered Jerusalem, Titus, issued a coin bearing the words “Iudaea Capta,” “Jerusalem is Captured” to let it be known that the Romans are now in power. Angering the Jews further, the Roman Legion put their symbol, the boar, on top of Temple Mount. This systematic repression of the Jewish population and the calculated denigration of their religion caused wide outrage within the Jewish community, which led to what became known as the Bar Kochba Revolt (132-135 CE). The Romans were once again able to quell the revolt, killing thousands of Jews. They destroyed the last Jewish independent Jewish city, Beitar, in 135 CE on Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av. According to tradition, this is same day that both of the Jewish temples were also destroyed.

The early Romans were pagan until 324 CE when Constantine decided to convert to Christianity and make Christianity the official faith of the empire. This change was largely inspired by his mother, Helena, who came to Jerusalem to seek out the path of Jesus and had a series of visions that told her where significant events of Jesus' life and Passion had occured. She found the Holy Cross upon which Jesus was crucified on and erected the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion. Constantine also moved the capital of the empire east from Rome to Byzantium (later known as Constantinople and now Istanbul). Thus commenced the time period known as the Byzantine Era. According to the last words of Jesus, Temple Mount was not to be rebuilt and it was left in ruins, converted into a garbage dump by the Christians. The only day that Jews could visit there was on Tisha B’Av, the day the holy Temple was destroyed, as a symbol of their humiliation and God's disfavor.

During the sixth and seventh centuries, the Byzantine Empire was engaged in clashes with the other superpower of the time, the Persians--to the diminishment of both. Thus weakened, they were easy prey for the raiding Muslim conquerers exploding out of the Arabian Peninsula beginning in the fourth decade of the seventh century and conquering in the space of a few decades the entire Middle East, North Africa, Spain and the Balkans.

According to the Qur'an, Jerusalem is the third holiest city after Mecca and Medina because the rock upon which the Dome of the Rock sits (the same rock upon which according to Jewish tradition Abram was commanded to sacrifice Isaac and upon which stood both the First and Second Temples) is where Mohammed ascended to the heavens, and tradition maintains that an indentation on the rock is the footprint of the Prophet. Similarly, the Qur'an mentions a "night journey" in which Allah took his servant (Muhammad) "from the holiest mosque (Mecca) to furthest.” Muslim interpreters held that the reference was to Jerusalem. Indeed, initially, attempting to establish his claim as a continuation of the revealed religions of Judaism (and Christianity) Muhammad established Jerusalem as the first qibla, direction of prayer for Muslims. It was only later when his mission to the Jews was largely rejected that he changed the direction of prayer to Mecca. In comparison to the position of Jews under Christianity, Jews fared much better under Islam, and were allowed to return to Jerusalem and worship at the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives.

At the end of the eleventh century, the Pope announces the Crusades to liberate Jerusalem from the heathens (Jews and Muslims) and retake Jerusalem for Christianity. The Crusaders go on a rampage, killing many thousands of Jews on their path through Europe to the and Muslims in their path to take over the city. However, they do not destroy the Dome of the Rock or the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Instead, they convert the structures into Christian churches, renaming the Dome of the Rock "Templum Domini" and the Al Aqsa mosque "Templum Solomani" (mistakenly identifying it with the site of Solomon's Temple).

In the 1287 the great Muslim leader Saladin defeated the Crusaders at the decisive battle at the Horns of Hittin and drove the last Crusaders out of Jerusalem in the name of Islam. This time period became known as the Mamluke Era. The Mamlukes were slave soldiers, kidnapped by Muslim leaders from Mongolia and raised from childhood as warrors. Eventually they seized power and ruled over the empire. In the early 16th century they were defeated by the Ottoman Turks, continuing Muslim domination of the holy city. Much of the city wall we oberve today was by the Turks.

Europeans began to enter the scene as the Ottoman Empire began to decline. In 1869, the Austro-Hungarian emperor, Franz Josef II, came to Jerusalem and built the first road to the city. A short time later in 1898, the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, came to the city and the part of the wall adjacent to the Jaffa Gate was taken down so his carriages could enter Jerusalem. The same year train tracks were first laid in Jerusalem, connecting it to the port city of Jaffa. This European infiltration went hand in hand with the decline and eventual collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1917 in the wake of World War I. At this time, the empire was carved up among France and England, with the latter being assigned a Mandate over Palestine (including the territory of today's Kingdom of Jordan) by the League of Nations. . At the beginning of the Mandate in 1918, Jerusalem’s population was mostly Arab. Although the British tried to restrict immigration, Zionism was quickly picking up steam and near the end of the Mandate the population was 50% Jews and 50% Arabs. The British were increasing caught in the conflict and turned over responsibility for resolution of the conflict to the UN. In 1947 the UN passed a partition plan calling for the establishment of a Jewish and Arab state in the area west of the Jordan River. The Jewish community in Palestine accepted the terms of the plan, but the Arabs rejected it and began to attack Jewish forces. With the pullout of the British, David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of Israel on May 15, 1948 and the new state was immediately attacked by five invading Arab armies. Our tour of the Tower of David Museum concluded with the British Mandate Period. We did not have the opportunity to learn about the development of the modern state of Israel yet. However, we did see the changes that Jerusalem had gone through over the centuries and the important hold the city has on the adherents of the three Abrahamic faiths.

Jewish Exodus Out from the Old City and the Period of the British Mandate (Avram Finerman)

Jewish Exodus Out from the Old City and the Period of the British Mandate

13 July 2008, tour leader Barak Zemer
Report submitted by Avram Finerman

~Turkish Period and Mishkenot
Barak started by informing us that during the Turkish period the old city was in horrible condition. Since this location is very holy to Jews, some pious individuals overcame the difficulties, and went on religious pilgrimages and immigrated to be buried on the Mt. of Olives. At the same time the Ottoman Empire was weakening and the British and other Western powers started to gain power in the area, which allowed the Christians to make compounds outside the city walls primarily for religious pilgrims. These events also led up to founding of the first Jewish community outside the city walls in 1860. This community was named Mishkenot She'ananim, meaning safe dwelling. The community had a locked iron gate and a large stone wall for protection of the new community. All of the windows face the Old City to make it the focus.
The philanthropist, Moses Montefiore, donated all the money to build this gated community. The reason he did this was to have someone to remember him and mourn his death because he had no heirs. He ensured this place would be extremely sanitary and tight security and he put up regulations to ensure that it would be more desirable that the old city. In the end, twelve of the families were Ashkenazi and twelve Sephardim to ensure no biases but at first, it was hard to convince them, until there was a huge famine in the Old City and they knew this would be much more comfortable. Sir Montefiore was the manger of the society and decided to bring most of the construction material from England. He wanted a "New Jew" who would work in industry, so he brought a windmill, but it broke quite often and took a long time to fix which was a big problem. Now a carriage Sir Montefiore used in Europe serves as a memorial for him. Later the British did not like that the Jews could spy from the windmill so they blew the top off it. (Trivia note: It was here that our tour guide Barack proposed to his wife.)

* British
When Jerusalem was conquered from the Ottomans in December 1917, Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister, sent General Allenby a message: "I want Jerusalem as a Christmas present for the British people." The Ottoman Empire’s mayor of the Jerusalem area had an order to step down and he decided to have a ceremony handing over the city of Jerusalem to the Christian world. This Ottoman Empire really struggled on whom to give the ceremony to and went to five people until finally reaching the cornel of the British because everyone else said they were not official enough. The Jews of Jerusalem celebrated as well when Allenby walked through the Jaffa Gate into the Old City because of the British promise of a Jewish State under the terms of the Balfour Declaration. The day was seen as especially propitious as because it was the first night of Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday celebrating independence from the Seleucid Greeks. At the beginning of the British Mandate, Balfour participated in the dedication of the Hebrew University. At this time, a British officer with the surname "French" was stationed on a hill near Mt. Scopus, which until this day is referred to as French Hill. (The Hebrew name for the hill is actually a misnomer as it translates "The French Hill.")

Some interesting facts:
• The British declared Jerusalem as their capital during the Mandate.
• The British found themselves facing a large wave Jewish immigration due to growing European anti-Semitism and the promise of a Jewish homeland.
• Private Harry Potter of the British is buried in the British military cemetery atop Mt. Scopus which we walk by everyday on our way to campus.
• Mishkenot She'ananim is built atop a Second Temple burial ground.

* King David Hotel
The Mandate given to Britain included the areas both to the west and east of the Jordan River (Cis- and Transjordan, respectively. In order to reward the Hashemite clan of Arabia for their support during the First World War, the British decide to carve Jordan from part of their Mandate. The hotel's construction was financed by wealthy Cairene Jews and opened in 1931. This was the period of Arab riots protesting Jewish immigration that resulted in British White Papers limiting Jewish immigration. From 1936 to 1939, a decline in tourism allowed the British to rent the southern wing of the hotel for administrative and military headquarters. In 1946, angered by the restrictions on immigration and lack of movement on British departure from Palestine, the Irgun underground, after issuing a warning the British ignored, bombed the hotel and 91 people died—both soldiers and civilians (some of who were Jewish). Since the foundation of the State, nearly all visiting dignitaries stay at this hotel (including U.S. presidents and other celebrities). With the rich history of this building, Israel has ensured the preservation of the building's original appearance. For more information, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel

*YMCA International Building
This YMCA, located across King David Street from the King David Hotel, opened in 1933 and set out to be an oasis of tolerance for members of the three monotheistic religions. The building was designed by Arthur Loomis Harmon, a partner of the same architectural firm that created New York’s Empire State Building in 1931. He included in the design religious symbolism: thus, for example, the twelve windows in the auditorium's dome to symbolize the number of the Israelite tribes, of Jesus' disciples, and of the original followers of Muhammad. The building aimed to connect to the past by having the foundation of the building replicate the ancient Herodian stones of the Old City. The purpose of this building was ultimately to unite the Jews and Arabs under their Mandate. Along with this, some Christians hoped by bringing back the Jews the second coming of Jesus would occur. For more information, see:
http://www.jerusalemymca.org/ENG/Building/Building.html
http://www.jerusalemymca.org/ENG/History/History.html

* Palace Hotel
The British allowed Jews and Arabs to build but the Palace Hotel was the only successful place the Arabs built. After many years of deterioration, the question was the balance of preservation vs. rebuilding of the hotel. It was decided to leave the outside but tear down the inside. A quote on the original outside says we should build as they have. The hotel took only one year to build, but the Arab uprising prevented it to succeed and just like the King David Hotel, it become a British military compound and completely rented out. During the occupation of the Palace Hotel, the British cared less about the Arab-Jewish conflict and instead only cared about their personal safety. During the 1930’s during upware- partition plan for the Jews and Arabs the British used this Hotel.

* Ben Yehuda Area during the Turkish Period
Rabbi Mikhala Sheva decided to build a settlement outside the city wall and bought the land with seven families and they registered it with the secretary. Then they raised enough money to build one house to start and had a raffle to see who would live in it. The Rabbi continued his program in 11 areas and died very accomplished yet very poor. This community had streets with a width large enough for a donkey with to sacks to pass through.

* General Post Office
During the Mandate period, a regular and efficient postal service was organized. In the Central Post Office on Jaffa Street, a mural depicts heavenly Jerusalem and the return of the Jews from Babylon to Zion. Then it shows families of farmers rebuilding the city. In the building, the British decided to use the languages of Hebrew, Arabic, and English, which became the official languages of Israel. During this time, the British also made a law that all buildings must have Jerusalem stone on the outside. In addition, they banned new buildings adjacent to the Old City in order to preserve its ambience. Finally, the city center became centered upon the Postal Service.

*Break for Lunch* at Kikar Safra (site of Jerusalem City Hall)

*Women’s Hostel – Prison during the British Mandate
The British took over the Russian Compound and converted the former women's hostel into a prison. This prison at first was just for thieves, but then they used it for the political opposition, especially for members of the Jewish underground. The Jews felt they needed to care for themselves so that is what made them create the Jewish Underground “Defense Haganah,” The British made it illegal to possess or use weapons, so if anyone was caught, they could face death or a life sentence. The main Jewish underground organization, the Haganah ("defense") was very popular among the Jews of Palestine and most chose to affiliate with it. In addition to the Haganah, there was two other Jewish underground groups--Lehi and the Etzel—that were deemed terrorist groups by the British. These groups opposed each other, reflecting the division within the Jewish community as to how to move toward statehood. Barak described how one would need to go through a series of three checkpoints in order to reach the prison. However, within the prison the prisoner’s main concern was their friends, family, and the status of their underground. Within the cells, the prisoners obtained a mat to sleep on, slippers and a blanket and nothing more, except for one inmate who received a bed and mattress because he kept order in the cell. Then we learned that the lowest member of the cell slept by the bucket used for human waste. The goal of many of the underground prisoners was to escape, so they continuously thought of escape methods to go back on duty.
Special treatment was granted to prisoners convicted of lesser crimes and these were housed in a cell adjacent to the bakery oven—this was desirable because the winters were freezing and there was no other source of heat. These prisoners also got the privilege of more outdoor time. The Revisionist leader, Ze'ev Jabotinsky, was among those arrested for possession of weapons. Many of the other Zionist leaders were arrested as well, which made the Zionist leaders nervous upon how the underground would do without them. With the Arabs riots in 1939, immigration became extrememly limited for Jews who wanted to leave Europe because of Hitler’s rise to power. Initially, Germany sought to solve its Jewish "problem" by allowing its Jews to emigrate; they were able to score a large propoganda victory and prepare the way for the Final Solution when no country would accept them. After that, Jews started illegal immigration into Palestine. The reaction of the new Yishuv was to destroy the infrastructure of the British to fight against the White Papers that limited immigration.
Some prisoners escaped by building tunnels with extreme caution and with the help of Jewish guards. We were told a story about a rabbi named Aryeh Levine would always come to be with the prisoner on Shabbat always and how beloved he was both by religious and secular prisoners. The Rabbi would memorize prisoners' messages to convey to their families because the prisoners could only write letters once a month. This Rabbi was even able to convince the British to build a kosher kitchen.

Some other interesting facts about the prison:
• Poor sanitation so horrible that mice ran around and mousetraps were set up nearly everywhere.
• Most of the prisoners only got a half hour of time outside in the yard. During one of the play times in 1947, there was an Arab- Jewish riot within the prison and that forced the British to separate Jews and Arabs.
• Two Jewish prisoners, Me'ir Feinsten and Moshe Barazani, facing execution, blow themselves up with a grenade smuggled into the prison within an orange. Menahem Begin was so moved by their action that he had himself buried next to them on the Mount of Olives.