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Israel Celebrates 60
On the night of November 29 th 1947 the United Nations' General Assembly voted in favor of the foundation of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel. With a majority of 33 votes in favor, the Zionist dream of making a home for the Jewish people in the land of our great fathers became a reality. A year later, on May 14 th 1948 , the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel was signed.
That night, after prolonged exile, after decades of anticipation and hope, after the tragedy of the Holocaust, the prayer said at the end of the Passover Haggadah -"next year in Jerusalem" - came true. The state of Israel was born.
In may of 2008, 60 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, Israel will celebrate it freedom once more. As is the tradition every year, celebrations will be held throughout the country, with festivities reaching every city, town, Kibbutz and Yishuv in the land.
Whether on a Jewish heritage tour, a family tour to Israel, a Bar Mitzvah tour or a Bat Mitzvah tour, what better time to visit the grand state of Israel than on the year marking its 60 years of independence!
In preparation for the event, we offer a special Israel Celebrates 60 tour, following Israel's history from the time of the Bible to its present day glory.
Israel Celebrates 60 - A Visit to Independence Hall, Tel-Aviv
There is no site more important to the state of Israel than Independence Hall. Here David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, signed the Declaration of Independence.
Today Independence Hall, formerly the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, is an important landmark. Here you will find the podium where Ben-Gurion stood as he read the Declaration before the Jewish National Council. The original structure of the Hall has been preserved, giving visitors a vivid image of the bustling auditorium on that historic day when the state of Israel was announced.
Still in the Hall you will find the original scroll on which the Declaration of Independence was written. As you inspect it through the glass cover, you will notice the signature of Leader of the Yishuv organization and future Prime Minister, Ben-Gurion, along with 27 other signatures belonging to some of the Jewish community's leading figures.
Israel Celebrates 60 - Ben-Gurion Home
When at Independence Hall you are only a short walk away from Ben-Gurion's Tel-Aviv home. Located at 17 Ben-Gurion Blvd. , the building which housed the reputable Ben-Gurion family was the couple's permanent home until they moved to the southern village of Sde-Boker (Ben-Gurion led by example; his move to the impoverished south prompted urban inhabitant to likewise populate Israel 's poverty-stricken southern region).
Upon his death, Ben-Gurion asked that his home in Tel-Aviv be returned to the state of Israel and turned into a museum and historic landmark.
Israel Celebrates 60 at the Knesset, Jerusalem
Having seen Israel's historic headquarters in Tel-Aviv, it is only fitting that your next stop will be Israel 's present day center of operations—the Knesset.
Seated atop Givat-Ram hill in western Jerusalem, the Knesset is the legislative branch of the Israeli government. Its 120 members are elected by Israel's citizens and remain in office for four years.
Having parliamentary supremacy over the government, the Knesset is the body which elects a prime minister, enacts laws and watches over government operations. With its many roles and responsibilities, Knesset meetings are often thrilling and colorful.
When planning your trip to the Knesset, keep in mind that observing official Knesset sessions is possible on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays only. Try to fit this exciting experience into your schedule.
Whether you manage to come during these times or make it to Jerusalem any other day, no Israel tour would be complete without a visit to the Knesset.
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