Middle East - Anthony Ham [223]
MUSEUMS
Holocaust museum Yad Vashem (Map; 644 3769; www.yadvashem.org; admission free; 9am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri) is a moving memorial to the millions of victims of the Nazi Holocaust. A visit here is both enlightening and tear-jerking: the Children’s Memorial, for example, is an underground chamber with a solitary flame commemorating the 1.5 million Jewish children exterminated in the Holocaust, whilst the Hall of Remembrance’s floor is inscribed with the names of victims. A tour of the whole complex takes around three sombre hours. To get here, take Egged bus 99, which stops in the car park, or bus 13, 18, 20, 23, or 27, which all drop you within a 10-minute walk of the museum.
The Bible Lands Museum (Map; 561 1066; www.blmj.org; 25 Granot St, Neveh Sha’anan; adult/child/student 28/15/18NIS; 9.30am-5.30pm Sun-Tue & Thu, 9.30am-9.30pm Wed, 9.30am-2pm Fri, 11am-3pm Sat, reduced hours in winter) illuminates the history of the Holy Land with a wealth of well-displayed artefacts and background information. Free guided tours in English run daily at 10.30am and on Wednesday at 5.30pm.
A good initial briefing on Israel and its 5000 most recent years of history can be found at the Israel Museum (Map; 670 8811; www.imj.org.il; Rupin St, Neveh Sha’anan; adult/child/student 40/20/30NIS; 10am-5pm Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu & Sat, 4-9pm Tue, 10am-4pm Fri), just west of the New City. An assemblage of several major collections of national historical and artistic significance, it also includes a peaceful sculpture garden and the jar-shaped and architecturally inspiring Shrine of the Book. Here you’ll see background displays and examples of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, which were uncovered at Qumran between 1947 and 1956. Note that a ‘campus renewal program’ is underway at the museum until summer 2010, resulting in the temporary closure of some parts of the museum. Check the website for up-to-date details. Your ticket is also good for seven days to visit the Rockefeller Museum (Click here) in East Jerusalem.
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COURSES
Language
British Council (Map; 626 7111; issa.faltas@ps.britishcouncil.org; 31 Nablus Rd) Offers Arabic language courses beginning in September, January and April. Classes meet at the East Jerusalem branch twice weekly for 10 weeks and cost around 900NIS.
YMCA (Map; 569 2692; fax 623 5192; 26 HaMelekh David St) A three-month Hebrew language course is available at the YMCA ulpan for around 900NIS.
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JERUSALEM FOR CHILDREN
Probably the single best Jerusalem attraction for those travelling with kids is the excellent, innovative Biblical Zoo (off Map; 675 0111; www.jerusalemzoo.org.il; Masua Rd; adult/child 3-8/senior 40/32/32NIS; 9am-6pm Sun-Thu, 9am-4.30pm Fri, 10am-5pm Sat) in the southwest of the city, which includes just about every pair of animals that Noah could fit in his ark. Not only that but it’s got a great playground, a petting zoo and plenty of space in the landscaped grounds for a picnic, making it a good place to recover from a day hauling small people around more authentically biblical landmarks. Other obvious attractions for kids are the Kotel Western Wall Tunnels (Click here) and Hezekiah’s Tunnel (Click here) where they can make like that old Indiana Jones again, and wade through ancient water channels.
Taking the little ones along with you to the Mahane Yehuda Market (Click here) will guarantee plenty of free tastings, and they’ll enjoy choosing a picnic lunch for that trip to the zoo. To beat the heat, check the schedule at the popular Train Theater (Map; 561 8514; www.traintheater.co.il; Liberty Bell Park; admission 15-40NIS), a puppet theatre with regular performances for children aged four and upward.
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TOURS
A good introduction to the city is Egged’s Route 99 Circular Line