Inbal Jerusalem Magazine - Inbal Hotel Jerusalem

InbalInbal Jerusalem MagazineSpring-Summer 2013

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Inbal Jerusalem MagazineSpring-Summer 2013Letter from the GMJoanne OdesEDITOR IN CHIEFDavid E. KaplanEDITORPnina GoldbergASSISTANT EDITORPUBLISHERAd.Lib Unlimited1507 Avenue MBrooklyn, NY 11230tel: 718-382-4200 fax: 718-645-1985email: ruth@adlibunlimited.comISRAEL OFFICEEl-Or Ltd.34 Yitzhak Sadeh St. Tel Aviv 67212tel: 972-3-537-0771 fax: 972-3-537-3627email: israelor@netvision.net.ilGershon ElinsonKety KatavART DIRECTORBat Chen NachmanyGRAPHICSLuda StekolILLUSTRATORDaniel WechsbergPRODUCTION DIRECTORCover: A pastoral scene ofGush Etzion.All rights reserved to Ad.Lib Unlimited.Reproduction in whole or in part of anymaterial in this publication is expresslyprohibited without the written permission ofAd. Lib Unlimited. The views, comments andopinions expressed in this publication are notnecessarily those of Ad Lib Unlimited or itsaffiliates and/or the Inbal Jeruslem Hotel andshall not in any way be held liable for anyerrors, inaccuracies or omissions regardingany of the material contained herein. Alladvertisements published herein are the soleresponsibility of the advertisers and the Hoteland the publisher accepts no responsibility fortheir content. 2013. All rights reserved.Dear Friends,It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Inbal Jerusalem Hotel and wishyou a pleasant stay with us. You are visiting Israel after a most welcomewet winter which brought the biggest snowfall to the city in two decadesbringing smiles upon all the capital’s children only too pleased to missschool and build snowmen instead.Now is the perfect time to enjoy Israel’s beautiful flowers, both indoors andin parks and nature trails across the country. Enjoy our article about flowerarranging, including an interview with Bella, the Inbal’s in-house florist.Jerusalem is constantly moving forward and you can read in this issue aboutthe new “Tahana”, Jerusalem’s 19th century railway station that is due to‘re-open’ this summer as a center for culture and entertainment. Museums,audio-visual shows, concerts, movies art & craft stalls, coffee houses andrestaurants, it’s all happening at the ‘Tachana’, literally only a hop, skip andjump from your hotel.Israel has a lot to be proud of in the 65 years since its Independence andyou can read in this issue all about its Nobel Prize Laureates who have donetheir country proud.I hope you enjoy the Hotel’s ‘new look’. As you can see, we have renovatedthe entrance as well as part of the lobby and are in the process of renovatingthe bathrooms on the 6th floor, having completed the 7th and 8th floors.Despite any temporary inconvenience as a consequence of buildingoperations, we will always endeavor to ensure that our guests at all times,receive only the best of our Inbal service.I hope you have an enjoyable stay and look forward to welcoming you backsoon.Bruno de SchuyterGeneral ManagerInbal Jerusalem Hotelwww.inbalhotel.com

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Table of ContentsDudi SaadReuters8ExcellenceThe Magnificent Six18HeritageFrom Eyesoreto Eye-catching24DesignFlower Power32LegacyBack to the Future38TourismDon’t Beat About The GushDoron Nisim Instruction in the art of Flower Arranging by Gina EtingReuters46In at the InbalInbal Jerusalem Magazine

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ExcellenceBy David E. KaplanThe Magnificent SixReutersThe Nobel Peace Prize Medal. The front side shows the head of Alfred Nobel while the back represents a group of three menforming a fraternal bond with the inscription Pro pace et fraternitate gentium (“For the peace and brotherhood of men”.)“Prix Nobel de la Paix”, the relevant year, and the name of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate is engraved on the edge of the medal.Three Israelis have had their names engraved on this medal – Menachem Begin, Yitzchak Rabin and Shimon Peres.Of Israel’s ten Nobel Prizes in its shorthistory of 64 years, six have been eitherfor economics or chemistry, and allwithin the last ten years.This prized ‘Silver Collection’ providesan illuminating barometer on Israel’strajectory into the future.Israel is commonly referred to today as “The StartupNation”. The appellation derives from Dan Senorand Saul Singer’s bestseller by the same name whichexamines how a young nation with a population ofonly 7.1 million was ableto achieve throughoutthe new millennium,outstanding economicgrowth, the envy of mostother foreign countries.With such gumption, gritand abundant ‘chutzpah’,some have amusinglyswitched around thewording to ‘UpstartNation’.Reflecting this new trend,it is little wonder that sixof the ten Israeli Nobellaureates since 2002,have been for eitherReutersRegal Reception. The Swedish Royal family at the Nobelceremony in Stockholm.Spring-Summer 20138chemistry or economics. Over the same period, vastlylarger countries, with larger economies and with highlyeducated populations failed to outperform the tinyJewish state. France produced six Nobel recipients,Germany and Russiafive, Canada two, andIndia only one. Israel’strajectory as a pulsatingpowerhouse of intellectualtalent clearly showed howthe small Jewish state beltsway above its weight.Nobel TimesThe Nobel categories thatIsrael has excelled overthe last two decades revealthe county’s changingdynamics. The 1990s, aperiod of intense Middle

ReutersUnshakable Truth. The statute ofAlfred Nobel looms over as KingCarl XVI Gustaf of Sweden awardsthe Nobel Prize for chemistry toDan Shechtman, who emphasizedthe pursuit of “truth” in his 2011acceptance speech.Spring-Summer 20139

ExcellenceAriel JerozolimskiEast peace talks, Israel’s two Nobel laureates wereboth for peace - Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, thearchitects of the Oslo Peace accords.The new millennium however, coincided with Israel’smodern economic miracle and a world leader in thehi-tech revolution. Over this period, Israel received sixNobel prizes – two for economics and four for chemistry.They were Daniel Kahneman in 2002 for Economics,Avram Hershko in 2004 for Chemistry, Aaron Ciechanoverin 2004 for Chemistry, Robert Aumann in 2009 forEconomics, Ada E. Yonath in 2009 for Chemistry andDan Shechtman in 2011 for Chemistry.The two earlier recipients were Shmuel Yosef Agnonin 1996 for Literature and Menachem Begin in 1978 forPeace. (See box ‘The Fabulous Four’)Meet the SixDaniel Kahneman(Economics) 2002In 2002, psychologist Kahneman received the Nobel Prizefor Economics although having never “taken a singleeconomics course.” The Tel Aviv-born Kahneman wasrecognized for changing the way economists grapplewith decision-making, particularly during periods ofuncertainty.In both 2011 and 2012, he made the Bloomberg 50most influential people in global finance and his book,Thinking, Fast and Slow was the winner of the 2011 LosAngeles Times Book Award for Current Interest.Writing of his experience as a youngster in Nazi-occupiedFrance, Kahneman reveals an incident that planted theseed that took him on the long road into the field ofpsychology and the Nobel Prize:“It must have been late 1941 or early 1942. Jews wererequired to wear the Star of David and to obey a 6p.m. curfew. I had gone to play with a Christian friendand had stayed too late. I turned my brown sweaterinside out to walk the few blocks home. As I waswalking down an empty street, I saw a German soldierapproaching. He was wearing the black uniform that Ihad been told to fear more than others – the one wornby specially recruited SS soldiers. As I came closer tohim, trying to walk fast, I noticed that he was lookingat me intently. Then he beckoned me over, picked meup, and hugged me. I was terrified that he would noticethe star inside my sweater. He was speaking to me withgreat emotion, in German. When he put me down, heopened his wallet, showed me a picture of a boy, andgave me some money. I went home more certain thanSpring-Summer 201310Opening Doors to New Ideas. The 2002 Nobel laureate foreconomics, Daniel Kahneman, influenced the way economistsgrapple with uncertainty.

Excellenceever that my mother was right: people were endlesslycomplicated and interesting.” Such an early fascinationwith the complexities of human behavior in the mind ofa young Kahneman, led the legs of the adult Kahnemanto walk the illustrious path to the podium in Stockholm.Avram Hershko & Aaron Ciechanover(Chemistry) 2004Along with Irwin Rose, Israelis Hershko and Ciechanoverwere awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for thediscovery of the Ubiquitin System, the body’s method ofremoving damaged proteins.An enriching bonus for Hershko, was his contributionsto science directly helped cure a long-time friend fromcancer.spent on our tuition fees.“I was a good student, and learned easily differentsubjects, such as mathematics, physics, literature, historyand even Talmud! That became a problem when I finishedhigh school. I was interested in too many subjects, so itwas difficult for me to decide how to continue. I choseto study medicine, probably by default, because mybrother Chaim was already a medical student, so I couldinherit his books for free!” It’s fascinating how mundanecircumstances can lead to monumental results!Ciechanover however, recalls “falling in love withbiology” at an early age. “I remember collectingflowers on Mount Carmel and drying them in the heavyBabylonian Talmud of my brother. I will never forget hisrage at discovering my love of nature hidden among thepages of the old Jewish tracts. Then came the turtles andPhoto: Courtesy of The TechnionAmos Ben Gershom, National Photo CollectionP.M ariel sharon (r) meets with nobel laureates in chemGood Chemistry. The collaborative work Avron Hershko andAaron Ciechanover led to them receiving the 2004 Nobel Prizefor chemistry.The Hershko family having survived the Holocaustimmigrated to Israel from Hungary in 1950. “Althoughwe were quite poor immigrants at that time, my brotherand I were sent to an expensive private school inJerusalem. I suspect that most of my father’s salary wasIn their Prime. After returning from Sweden withtheir Nobel Prizes, Avron Hershko and AaronCiechanover met with a jubilant Prime Minister,Ariel Sharon.the lizards, and extracting chlorophyll from leaves withalcohol, and the first microscope my brother bought mefrom his trip to England when I was eleven years old.With this microscope I discovered cells,” and so began ajourney that took him to Stockholm, with Hershko andSpring-Summer 201312

Rose, where the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciencesdescribed how they “went against the stream at thebeginning of the 1980s and discovered one of the cell'smost important cyclical processes - regulated proteindegradation.” So from within the pages of the Talmudwhere his early fascination with science lay imbeddedwould emerge a traveler to a world only visited througha microscope.Robert Aumann(Economics) 2005“Science is exploration, exploration for the sake ofexploration, and for nothing else. We must go whereour curiosity leads us; we must go where we want togo. And eventually, it is sure to lead us to the beautiful,game-theory analysis. Aumann titled his acceptancespeech ‘War and Peace’ honoring Leo Tolstoy who helamented did not receive a Nobel Prize but “like me,also had a long white beard.” War, unlike the popularview, “is not irrational - it is very rational and we have tounderstand that in order to try preventing it.”“For me, life has been – and still is – one tremendousjoyride, one magnificent tapestry.” Highlighting the“good times”, Aumann cites, “The excitement of research,of groping in the dark and then hitting the light. Thesatisfaction of teaching, of meeting someone at a partywho tells you that the course in complex variablesthat he heard from you twenty-five years ago was themost beautiful that he ever heard. The exhilaration ofclimbing on an almost vertical rock face; the beauty of awalk in the woods with a four-year-old grandchild, whoSasson Tiramistry prof. Aaron ciechanover (3rd r) and prof.Fun & Games. “Life has been a joy-ride,” expressed 2008Economics Nobel Laureate Robert Aumann, who received theaward for his work on game-theory.the important, and the useful.” It also led this writer andprofessor at the Center for the Study of Rationality atthe Hebrew University of Jerusalem to Stockholm wheretogether with Thomas Schelling, they shared the NobelPrize for their work on conflict and cooperation throughspots and correctly identifies a tiny wild orchid aboutwhich you told him last week; dancing with your wife atyour child's wedding; unraveling an intricate passage inthe Talmud with your eighteen-year-old granddaughter,slipping on a ski slope, tumbling two hundred metersSpring-Summer 201313

Excellencedown, and then going back and doing the same slopeagain – this time without slipping, or seeing the flag ofIsrael fluttering in the wind, right next to that of Sweden,from the roof of the Grand Hotel in Stockholm.”Ada E. Yonath(Chemistry) 2009In 2009, Crystallographer Ada E. Yonath won the NobelPrize, along with Venkatraman Ramakrishnan andThomas A. Steitz for her studies on the structure andfunction of the ribosome.Yonath was first in three respects - the first Israeliwoman to win the Nobel Prize, the first woman from theMiddle East to win the coveted award in the sciences,and the first woman in 45 years to win the Nobel Prizefor Chemistry.In her acceptance speech Yonath quoted from the 1978Nobel Laureate for literature, Isaac Bashevis Singer,who started his acceptance speech with: "People askReuters Amos Ben Gershom, National Photo CollectionCrystal Clear. Dan Shechtman was awarded the 2011 NobelPrize in chemistry for “the discovery of quasicrystals”.me often, 'Why do you write in a dying language,Yiddish?'"Yonath could easily relate to this. “Many distinguishedscientists said: 'why work on ribosomes, they aredead ... we know all what can be known about them'or 'this is a dead end road' or 'you will be deadbefore you get there'.” Despite the tiresome terminalwarnings of her colleagues, their predictions provedwrong and “ribosomes are alive and kicking - so am I- and their high resolution structures stimulated moreadvanced studies as well as the imagination of manyyoungsters, including my granddaughter, Noa, whoinvited me to explain to her class what the ribosomeis. Also, there is a new saying in Israel: "Curly hair- like mine - means Rosh Male Ribosomim, whichtranslates to: head full of ribosomes.”Defying the Naysayers. Ignoring the misgivings of her esteemedcolleagues, Ada E. Yonath’s perseverance led this first woman in theMiddle East to the podium in Stockholm for the 2009 Nobel Prize forChemistry who is seen here with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.Dan Shechtman(Chemistry) 2011Israel’s tenth laureate too had to defy the doubtersin his field, including one of the most influentialSpring-Summer 201314

The House on Ben MaimonA Building with PrestigeThis new residential project is being built in an authenticstructure created in 1930 by Menashe Elissar, who was thePresident of the Chamber of Commerce and Deputy Mayor ofJerusalem. Della Pergola Architects has been chosen to designthe building and they have devoted a great deal of effort topreserve the distinctive character of the period and blend thedesign with the surrounding area. The unique exterior façadeof the building is being maintained and the standard of designis state of the art.Chiseled Jerusalem stone will add splendor to the building aswell as fulfilling the requirements for preserving historicalbuildings. Each apartment will have at least one coveredparking space, a storage area & a terrace suitable for a Sukkah.The building will have a well appointed lobby and a Shabbatelevator. The best available sub-contractors and tradesmenhave been carefully chosen & the best materials will be used tocarry out this unique and prestigious project.4,5, 6 room apartmentsgarden apartments, penthouses120-400 sq. m.only 7 apartments remaininghigh technical specifationsstorage, parking, sukkah terraceoccupancy Dec. 2013Architecture & Design:Della Pergola ArchitectsProperty Development:Nofei Yerushalayim Ltd.Project Marketing:Personal Real Estate+972-2-566 6129 +972-54-222 2001nof29@013net.net

Excellencechemists in history, Linus Carl Pauling - a two-timeNobel laureate.From the day Shechtman published his findings onquasicrystals in 1984 to the day Pauling died in 1994,Shechtman experienced professional hostility to hisfindings. "For a long time it was me against the world,"he said. "I was a subject of ridicule and lectures about thebasics of crystallography. The leader of the oppositionto my findings was Pauling, the idol of the AmericanChemical Society and one of the most famous scientistsin the world. For years, 'til his last day, he fought againstquasi-periodicity in crystals. He was wrong, and after awhile, I enjoyed every moment of this scientific battle,knowing that he was wrong."Rewarding the ‘going it alone’ determination ofShecthman, the Nobel Committee at the Royal SwedishAcademy of Sciences said that while his work was“extremely controversial," it "eventually forced scientiststo reconsider their conception of the very nature ofmatter."Noting the intensity of the intimidation, Nancy B.Jackson, president of the American Chemical Society saidthat when Shecthman “first discovered these materials,nobody thought they could exist. It was one of thesegreat scientific stories that his fellow scientists thoughtwere impossible, but through time, people came torealize he was right.”Shecthman’s finding led to new definition of a crystal.Previously, defined as having “a regularly ordered,repeating three-dimensional pattern” - according tothe International Union of Crystallography - the newdefinition adopted in 1992, stated that a crystal issimply a solid with a “discrete diffraction diagram”that is, something that produces patterns like the onesShechtman found.In his acceptance address, Shecthman said, “scienceis the ultimate tool to reveal the laws of nature andthe one word written on its banner is TRUTH. Thelaws of nature are neither good nor bad. It is the wayin which we apply them to our world that makes thedifference.”Dream OnAll Israel’s Nobel laureates have “made a difference” to aworld they have enriched by their extraordinary insightand talent.“From my earliest youth,” expressed Israel’s StatePresident Shimon Peres at his Nobel acceptancespeech in 1994, “I have known that while one isobliged to plan with care the stages of one's journey,one is entitled to dream, and keep dreaming, of itsdestination. A man may feel as old as his years, yet asyoung as his dreams.”National Photo CollectionThe Write Stuff. A central figure of modernHebrew fiction, Shmuel Yosef Agnon won theNobel Prize for literature in 1966.Ten Israeli Nobel Prizelaureates!This is a remarkable achievement for a nation so young,so small, and so challenged by existential issues. Priorto the new millennium’s monumental recipients, therewere four earlier Israeli laureates, one for literature andthree for their pursuit of peace.Shmuel Yosef Agnon(literature) 1966Following twice been awarded the Bialik Prize (1934 and1950) and twice Israel’s most prestigious civilian award,the Israel Prize (1954 and 1958), it was in 1966 that hereceived the world’s most coveted recognition - theNobel Prize “for his profoundly characteristic narrativeart with motifs from the life of the Jewish people.”In his acceptance speech at the award ceremony inStockholm, the Ukrainian-born Agnon introducedhimself in Hebrew, saying, “As a result of the historiccatastrophe in which Titus of Rome destroyed Jerusalemand Israel was exiled from its land, I was born in one ofthe cities of the Exile. But always I regarded myself asone who was born in Jerusalem.”While known in Hebrew by his acronym Shai Agnonin English, his works were published under the ‏,(ש”י עגנון)‏name S.Y. Agnon.In later years, Agnon’s fame was such that when hecomplained to the municipality that traffic noise nearhis home was disturbing him, the city closed the streetHarnik Nati, National Photo CollectionSpring-Summer 201316

‘The Fabulous Four’Sa’ar Ya’acov, National Photo CollectionMission Man. Israel’s sixth Prime Minister, Menachem Begin,received the 1978 Nobel Prize for Peace bringing an end tohostilities between Israel and Egypt.to cars and posted a sign that read: “No entry to allvehicles, writer at work!”In 2005, he was voted the 19th-greatest Israeli of all timein a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet to determinewhom the general public considered the 200 greatestIsraelis.Pursuers of PeaceMenachem Begin 1978The most inspiring achievement of Israel’s sixth PrimeMinister, was the signing of the peace treaty with Egyptin 1979, for which he and Egyptian president, AnwarSadat shared the Nobel Prize for Peace.The award was of particular historical significance, inthat the previous peace agreement between Egypt andIsrael had transpired some 3,000 years previously -between King Solomon and the Egyptian Pharaoh.In his acceptance address, Begin expressed how “Theancient Jewish people gave the world the vision ofeternal peace,” and quoted from Isaiah how “they shallbeat their swords into ploughshares and their spears intopruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword againstnation; neither shall they learn war anymore.” From thebible to the present, Begin said that “Peace is the beautyof life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the loveof a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of afamily. It is the advancement of man, the victory of ajust cause, the triumph of truth. Peace is all of these andmore.”Partners in Peace. Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin & ForeignMinister Shimon Peres receiving the 1994 Nobel Peace Prizefollowing the Oslo Peace Accords.Yitzchak Rabin & Shimon Peres 1994Following in the footsteps of Prime Minister MenachemBegin, Israel’s leaders in the mid-1990s also endeavoredto pursue peace, with neighbors closer to home. Fortheir inspiring efforts, Shimon Peres, today Israel’s StatePresident, shared the 1994 Peace Prize with Prime MinisterYitzchak Rabin and Yasser Arafat. In his acceptance speech,Peres spoke of his early life on kibbutz Alumot where “Wehad no houses, no electricity, and no running water. But wehad magnificent views and a lofty dream - to build a new,egalitarian society that would ennoble each of its members.Not all of it came true, but not all of it went to waste. Thepart that came true created a new landscape. The part thatdid not come true resides in our hearts.” Regretting all thewars that “were forced upon us....we won them, but wedid not win the greatest victory that we aspired to - releasefrom the need to win victories.”In his acceptance speech, Prime Minister Rabin articulatedthe responsibility of leadership. “A child is born into anutterly undemocratic world. He cannot choose his fatherand mother. He cannot pick his sex or color, his religion,nationality, or homeland. Whether he is born in a manor ora manger, whether he lives under a despotic or democraticregime, it is not his choice. From the moment he comes,close-fisted into the world, his fate lies in the hands ofhis nation’s leaders. It is they who will decide whetherhe lives in comfort or despair, in security or in fear. Hisfate is given to us to resolve - to the Presidents and PrimeMinisters of countries, democratic or otherwise.”Spring-Summer 201317

HeritageBy Emanual WrightFrom Eyesoreto Eye-catchingCourtesy of Eyal Ziv ArchitectsBack to the Past. An artist’s impression of the 19th century Jerusalem station reopened as a museum and tourist center.Jerusalem’s 19th century railwaystation is back on tracks it a museum?” “Is it a mall?” “Is it a tourist center?”“I“It’s all this and much, much more,” says AviMordock, the man behind the 2013 Jerusalem RailwayMuseum, Mall and Tourist Center. The engineer andentrepreneur that spearheaded the project, Mordoch isas ‘fired up’ as the steam locomotive that once pliedthe 19th century track from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as hereveals to Inbal Magazinethe nature and scope of theproject. Describing “Theold-new railway station,”with such passion andfamiliar Zionist phraseologythat it resonated to thewriter of Hertzl‘s vision ofAltneuland (The Old NewLand). “This complex isdestined to shift the gravityof the city’s public sociallife in Jerusalem.”For Mordoch, the projectmade perfect sense as theabandoned railway station“had been staring me in theface - quite literally – as itDudi SaadVisionaries. Seen here during construction are JerusalemMayor, Nir Barkat (left) and the project’s prime mover andfinancer Avi MordochSpring-Summe 201318had the thousands of drivers passing it each day, andsaying to themselves – Chaval (Pity).” Well, not one tosay Chaval and not do something about it, Mordochbegan speaking to the municipality back in 2005about his vision and purchasing the land. His conceptencompassed an entire area of residential, commercial,cultural and historical components with the “train stationat the merkaz (center) –the axel in the wheel.”Keen to graphicallyconvey his point, he says,“Open a map of Jerusalemand point your fingerat the center of the city.It will be exactly wherethe station is. It is in thecenter. Think of it, afterthe station closed somethirteen years ago, thecomplex became derelict,covered in graffiti andovergrown with weeds,and vegetation – aneyesore and yet travelfrom the north to the

Dudi SaadRestored to Former Glory. The entrance ofthe Jerusalem Museum and Tourist Center.Spring-Summe 201319

Heritagesouth, west to the east of the city, where do you pass?The station – it is at the central crossroads of the city. Ifound the urge to develop it - irresistible.”It was also like closing a circle.End of the TrackMordoch had been involved conceptually withHaTachanah in Tel Aviv – the highly successfulrenovated and rejuvenated 19th century train station inJaffa that opened in 2010. Day and night, Tel Aviv’s ‘oldnew’ railway station is packed with people with the onlyride these passengers taking is a journey of fun, andentertainment as they revisit the past. Now Mordoch ischasing his dream at the Jerusalem end of that sametrack that opened in 1892.not want another that will attract 200 tourists a day butrather a cultural center that will bring together thousandsof people - not only the overseas and local tourists butJerusalemites from all over the city,” says Mordoch.“Residents in Gilo hardly connect with residents ofRechavia or French Hill. I want the railway station torestore that intimacy, that familiarity, that friendliness,that feeling that the citizens of this city all know eachother that was once so typical of the atmosphere of theJerusalem I remember of my youth.”What will make this happen, believes Modoch, “is thatthe center of gravity of the city is changing. The RailwayStation appears not only in the topographic center of thecity, but also as its cultural center.All within the area that the municipality calls the “CulturalMile,” is the Jerusalem Theater, the Hansen complex (theformer leper colony, where there are also preservationDudi SaadRailway Relic. An old train coach before restoration.The project will include restaurants, exhibits, a marketand shops along with the train museum. Says Mayor NirBarkat: "Four years ago I set a vision to restore Jerusalemto be Israel's cultural capital, and you can already seethe results. The restored old train station is an exampleof private sector initiative and enthusiasm in promotingand developing Jerusalem along this ‘track’.”Something DifferentWhile it was natural to think of restoring the railwaystation to only a museum, “I thought – not sufficient.Jerusalem has hundreds of excellent museums. I didand development works under way to establish a mediacenter), the Khan Theater, the Cinematheque and theSherover Cultural Center, currently under constructionin the Abu Tor neighborhood. In addition, the station isadjacent to both the Liberty Park (next to the Inbal Hotel)and the train-track park. This park is located along theroute of the train line between Malha and the old trainstation, serving as a promenade for pedestrians, runnersand cyclists. Also a close walk away is the MenachemBegin Heritage Center and the Montefiore WindmillMuseum in Yemin Moshe.“We are creating a unique leisure and culinaryexperience,” says Mordoch. “If you’ve been to a movieSpring-Summe 201320

Heritageat the Cinematheque or a play at the Jerusalem Theater,your next stop to get off - excuse my train parlance - ishere, for a beer, coffee or meal. All the surroundingestablishments and the station will mutually benefit.”Apart from the museum, where there will be onpermanent exhibit, historic photographs and an movieabout the station – its history and renovation - “we willbe promoting local art by having a gallery that youngaspiring artists from art schools across Israel can comeand exhibit their work. The space will be free and theywill pay a nominal amount to keep the area clean.way back in 1839, after the first public railway wasconstructed in England. Striving to develop modernindustry in the Land of Israel, a major hurdle at thetime was the lack of suitable transport for machineryand raw materials. A modern railway was the obvioussolution. However, negotiating with the Ottoman Turksfor a license proved a bureaucratic nightmare and tooka further 51 years for the first track to be laid on the 82km long route from Jaffa to Jerusalem. Montefiore, forwhom Israel is so indebted for his contribution to muchof its development in the 19th century, would not beLibrary of Congress, Prints & Photographs DivisionDudi SaadEarly Days. Steam locomotive been turned around at the Jerusalem station for thereturn trip to Tel Aviv.From Travelers to Revelers. Under construction,this 19th century platform is being transformedfor the 21st century tourist market.There will be an arts & crafts market on our 4000 squaremeter deck that will run for much of the week. “Ouraim is to be dynamic - to always be offering somethingnew and surprising, such as shows, music, parties andsport events. I am proud to announce at the upcoming19th Maccabiah, the Railway Station will be the centralmeeting place in Jerusalem for the participants. In factthis about sums it up – we want this complex to become‘The People’s Meeting Place’. There will always besomething creative happening and people will have towatch the press to learn of upcoming events.”A Long Time ComingThe idea to lay railway tracks in Palestine was initiallyproposed by an earlier ‘visionary’, Sir Moses Montefiorealive to see the fruits of his vision. The license to buildhad finally been awarded in 1888 by the Turkish Sultan,Abel el-Hamid, to another Jew, Yossef Navon who wasable to raise the necessary capital from Europe in orderto lay the tracks and build the stations. It was close toa four hour ride and when that first train rolled intoJerusalem to the welcoming applause of local residents,it heralded a new age of modern transportation.The single 82 km track passed over 176 bridges on itsway from Jaffa to Jerusalem. It is recorded that beforethe inaugural ride on September 26, 1882, sheep wereslaughtered on the track for good luck, and the coacheswere all adorned with Imperial Ottoman flags. All verycolorful but the bottom ‘line’ was that the journey bytrain took only four hours as against twelve hours byhorse-drawn coach. It was the dawn of a new era.Spring-Summe 201322

Rail transport in the ensuing years proved prosperousand served an ever increasing number of merchants,tourists and pilgrims, including the “visionary of theState” Theodor Hertzl and the German Kaiser, WilhelmII. In 1913, 180,000 passengers traveled on the linebetween the two cities.With all the current elation, let’s share a thought oninflation:A beer or ice-cream at a restaurant at the new JerusalemRailway will probably cost more today than a first classticket back then - 50 grush (cents) for a special cabincement from the Nesher quarry, and most appropriately- Torah scrolls. One wonders today what the esteemedreviver of Hebrew as a modern language, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda would say today of the ‘reopening’ of the railwaystation. During its initial construction, Ben-Yehuda, whosaw the laying of the track as a symbol of the victoryof enlightenment, and who coined the Hebrew wordfor train, “rakevet’, wrote in his newspaper Ha’or thefollowing:“The roar of the engine is the roar of the victory ofeducation over ignorance, work over sloth, wisdomCourtesy of Eyal Ziv ArchitectsBack in Business. The once busy platform is brought live again by this artists impression of visitors to the new Railway Museum,Mall and Tourist Center.and 30 grush for a second class ticket. Not all back thenwere impressed. Hemda Ben-Yehuda writing in the‘HaZvi’ newspaper in 1907 was one disgruntled traveleraccusing the developers of “scrimping”:“.... the really terrible thing is that the railway is lacking anumber of truly necessary things. Where, for example, isthe drinking water in the railcars… ashtrays for cigaretteash? And last but not least, where, I respectfully inquire,is the lavatory?”“Well there has been no ‘scrimping’ today,” assure thedevelopers.Under the British Mandate, the Jerusalem station sitewas enlarged, and warehouses were added alongsideit. Following the War of Independence in 1948, thefirst official Israeli train, which traveled to Jerusalemon August 7, 1949, hauled a symbolic freight of flour,over vanity, progress over backwardness, the mind overfoolishness, a victory of the pure and health-giving spiritover the spirit of polarization and bitterness, a victoryof the educated over the foolish. Let those who areenlightened rejoice, the educated of Jerusalem!”One can only assume he would be most impressed andwould happily and proudly sit down with his fellowliterati after seeing a play in Hebrew at any of the nearbytheaters. He would observe ‘the passing show’, hear theHebrew language and marvel how it has evolved sincehis day, and acknowledge that not only the railway butall Israel is “on track”.Toot, Toot!After reading this why not climb aboard for a fun ridedown memory lane, it is just a five minute walk away.Spring-Summe 201323

DesignBy David E. KaplanFlower PowerThe Art ofIsraeli Flower ArrangingAll Tied Up. A hand-tied bouquet made up of Easter lilies, Freesias, Trachelium, Kiwi branches, artificial cabbage, whitedecorative cabbage, Broom, Ofarim , Ruscus and Aspidistra leaves.Color, composition and style, flowerarrangements draw people likean alluring canvas. While one is eternal,and the other fleeting, both are worksof art inviting the viewer to stop,stare and marvel.n the third day G..d created the ‘green things’....“Oand He saw that it was good.... (Genesis ch.1).Enter the lobby of the Inbal, and one’s eyes arequickly drawn to the largemagnificent arrangementof flowers. One cannotescape it – one drawscloser not only to admire;one is curious to seewhat flowers grace thecomposition, how theyare placed in relation toother types of flowers, andhow the different colorscomplement each other.From private homes to theinteriors of hotels, “greenthings” bring harmony andthe blessings of our creatorinto our human abodesBeauty and the Feast. An arrangement of white orchid and redtulips at an event at the Inbal Hotel.Spring-Summer 201324that we may share and delight in all that is beautiful.Inbal Magazine spoke to Gina Eting who with an NDSF(National Diploma Society of Floristry) and Hon.FSF(Honorary Fellow Societyof Floristry) “so far theonly non-Brit to receivethis honor” is the mostqualified person in Israelin her field. She was overmany decades one ofthe leading teachers anddemonstrators of FlowerArranging and Floristry inIsrael. An author of bookspublished in Englishand Hebrew on FlowerArranging in Israel, acompetitor and judge atcompetitions both in Israeland abroad, and one of theInstruction in the art of Flower Arranging by Gina Eting

Pretty Baby. A bridal bouquet at awedding at the Inbal Hotel.Spring-Summer 201325

DesignInstruction in the art of Flower Arranging by Gina EtingIlluminating. A Shabbat arrangement of Oceana pink rosesand pink wax flower, ivy trails and Eleagnus leaves and fruitsaround the Shabbat candles.founders of the Israel Association of Flower Arrangers,South African-born Gina is all praise for the “outstandinglevel” of ‘Floral Art’ in Israel today. “Israelisare so individualistic andthis is evident in theirwork. They do nothave to follow atrend. Whilethey travelaboardto flower shows, they return even more inventive.”Having worked in many countries, Gina distinguishesIsraelis from other nationalities that she had workedwith over the years. While Europeans, particularly theGermans and Austrians “are strict in their style”, theEnglish, “classical,” and the Americans, “who prefer theircompositions tight,” Israelis are “open and unpredictable,their compositions reflective of their personalities ratherthan a national or ethnic background.”Gina avers that “you can actually see the character ofpeople in their flower arrangements. Israelis however,do not fit into a category – they effortlessly changestyles as the wind might change direction.”If it’s Friday its FlowersWhile in the past, Fridays in Israel conjured up visionsof men queuing for busses clutching their bunches of“Gladioli” to take home for Shabbat, “Today,” says Gina,“it’s more of cars parked next to the roadside flowervendors, crowded colorful florist shops,and delivery boys with theirfancy bouquets and giftbowls.” Nevertheless,what has notchanged is that“fromLe Magnifique. Gina’sexample of an allroundarrangement ofRanunculi and Leatherfern arranged in a vasefilled with chicken wire.Spring-Summer 201326

the common worker to the big boss, Shabbat would beincomplete without flowers in the home. This is vastlydifferent to the overseas market where 40% of the flowerbusiness is funeral work.” It was little wonder then thatthe famed American comedian George Burns used toremark that “At my age flowers scare me!”In Israel, the bud’ding flower market centers on gifts,chagim (Festivities), functions (Weddings, Bar-Mitzvoth)and Shabbat. Unlike the business abroad, the Israelifocus with flowers is to celebrate life.So how has flower arrangement transformed since(Lilium Longflorum Easter Lily), because it did notbloom in summer.”The flowers then, says Gina, “were your typicalgarden-variety, such as gladiola, roses, carnations andsunflowers. And the foliage was fern, nothing like thevariety today.”GenesisFlower arranging has a long history. After all, was notthe first attempt at ‘arranging’ by none other than EveStop & Stare, It’s expected“Magnifique!” “Yafa me’od!” “Bello!” “Beautiful! “In any language, it’s always the same reaction fromvisitors to the Inbal as they feast their eyes on the large,majestic floral arrangement in the lobby.The question manythen ask: “Who is theflower arranger?”Well, her name is IsabellaShuman or Bella as sheis fondly called, and hasbeen the flower arrangerat the Inbal for 20 yearsafter immigrating to Israelwith her family fromRussia.While her floral creationshave colored Barmitzvahs, weddings andspecial events at the Inbal,as well as livened up therooms of such visitingdignitaries as President Bill Clinton, US Secretary of StateMadeleine Albright and Queen Beatrice of Holland,Bella - who initially trained as a school teacher in hernative Russia - was hesitant to make the switch fromteaching to flowers. While encouraged by her motherto study flower arranging, Bella felt it “was a coursefor bored housewives.” That was before she excelled,studied even further and mastered her craft. Today, the“Oohs” and “Aahs” of her growing admirers, testify tothe old adage: “Always listen to your mother.”How does Bella decide on a composition, what flowersto use and what colorsdoes she prefer? “It’s ajourney that begins inthe market. I walk upand down the aisles, akaleidoscope of color andsee what particular floweror flowers look at me andsay, “Take me”. We haveto be mutually attracted toeach other. Once I havemade my choice or theychose me, I then lookfor other flowers that willcompliment them.”The next step in thecreative process, saysBella, “is as much in the hands - or stems - of the flowersthan me! I let them set the tone and guide me as wework in partnership to the final arrangement.”This could well serve as a ‘Guide for Romantics’. Nowonder Bella pines when she is on leave – “I miss myflowers.”Gina began in the early sixties and all from a friendasking her to do the flower arrangements for herdaughter’s wedding?“Firstly, we have a vast variety of flowers today whichwe did not have then. And in those days you couldnot import like we can today and so arrangementswere seasonal. You used only those flowers that werein season which meant that if there was a wedding insummer, a florist could not promise Shoshan Zachorutilizing a fig leaf? While primarily attempting a ‘coverup’, her efforts proved most decorative, and there isno evidence that Adam thought otherwise! Outside theword of the Bible, the earliest graphic evidence wehave of the use of plants for decoration can be tracedaccording to Gina, “to ancient Egypt. On freezes datingback to 2500 B.C., we see how grapes, date-fronds andlotus flowers were used for decorative and ceremonialpurposes. The ancient Egyptians also perfected a vaseSpring-Summer 201327

Designwith many necks which enabled them to ‘arrange’ theirblooms.” This believes Gina “was the forerunner of ourmodern techniques.”Until the fifteenth century, flowers in Europe wereused for mainly religious and ceremonial purposes.Thereafter, their popular use was more for decoratinghomes. “We see this,” says Gina “in the paintings bythe Italian, French, Dutch and Flemish masters, whichshow plants and flowers as home decoration. Theseflowers were arranged purely for aesthetic effect,with no religious connotation.” In recognition of artsrole in recording this history, Gina participated in afloral show where the participants arranged theircompositions based on actual works by the greatmasters of Renaissance art.While “individualistic”, Israeli floral-art has neverthelessbeen influenced by local mores, and Jewish themesas a vase and where the Four Species are integratedinto an exquisite floral arrangement combined withpomegranates, loquats, leaves and lilies.Inspired by ‘The Four Questions’ synonymous withPesach (Passover), Gina arranges four roses in a winedecanter with the Hagaddah (Passover prayer book)open behind as a backdrop to the composition.Capturing the fiery image of Lag B’Omer, Gina offers afloral impression of a ‘Bonfire’ with an assortment of redflowers, the dominant ones being red roses. Interspersedare a few onions on skewers as if roasting in the flames.The flower foam is concealed by coke-charcoal. Sheuses as a container a Turkish charcoal brazier used bythe Bedouin to warm their tents.And celebrating an Israeli but non-religious festivity, YomHaatzmaut (Independence Day), Gina offers her MagenDavid (Star of David) composition. She imaginativelyThen & Now. Gina with two Dutch designers at the 1966 annual Haifa Flower Show (left) and giving a floral demonstration onTu’ Bishvat (Festival of the ‘New Year of the Trees) last year at Beth Protea in Herzliya.blossom on the stems and branches at the hands oftalented flower arrangers.Flowers for FestivitiesHow better to express the spirit of a chag (Festival) thanwith flowers.“Gone are the days,” says Gina “when the typical Shabbatarrangement was five, long-stemmed blooms stuck in atall vase. An arrangement that combines candlesticks,candles and flowers is most suitable for Friday eveningsand for that matter, for all the other Holy days.”For Rosh Hashana (New Year), Gina suggests “an allwhite center-piece of Gladiola and Chrysanthemumsalongside apples that are used in place of candlesticks.”One of her suggestions for Succoth (The Festival ofTabernacles) - because of the significance of the fourspecies - Lulav (embryonic Date branch), Arava (willow),Hadas (myrtle) and Ethrog (citrus) - is a compositioncalled ‘The Four Species’, where she uses a watermelontranslates the two triangles of the national emblem byarranging blue irises and white calla lilies in a triangulardesign, poised proudly in a triangular white vase. Inanother Yom Haatzmaut composition, she makes astrong statement by arranging her yellow flowers withgreen foliage using a missile shell casing as a vase. Shecalls this composition ‘Blooms not Bullets’.What might have inspired this composition was whilegiving a demonstration on Kibbutz Sdot Yam, nearCaesarea many years ago, she noticed a commotionwhen someone in military uniform entered the hallto call a male member in the audience out. This wasrepeated again and again. “I had no idea what wasgoing on until one fellow in the middle of the audiencegot angry and bellowed, “Can’t you see she is doing aflower presentation in my vase and I am not leaving untilshe is finished.” Little did I know that the Six Day Warwas about to break out!” Egypt’s President Nasser alsodid not know than when he closed the Straights of Tiranit would have such major repercussions as disrupting anSpring-Summer 201328

DesignInstruction in the art of Flower Arranging by Gina EtingLess is More. An example of a modern sculptural line design created by Shlomi Aloni, incorporating dried branches, a few Tulips,Calla lilies and Asparagus fern arranged in a glass container covered with Zebra designed fabric.enthralling flower show!FlowerFrenzyFriday was a foolhardy dayto choose to interview aflorist but that was what thiswriter valiantly attemptedon Rothschild Street inKfar Saba. The shop wasbuzzing with waitingcustomers, and my attemptat an interview turned out atug-of-war - all competingfor the attention of the‘Mor’ the Merrier. Joyful Kfar Saba florist Ilana Moranimatedly describes how people express their feelingsthrough flowers.proprietor, Ilana Mor. It was a battle the customers won.Nevertheless, I managed to learn that Ilana had been inthe business for 25 years, had studied in Holland andItaly, and every year attends a class with a visiting lecturerfrom England, “who keeps us abreast of developmentsand trends in Europe.”What has changed over the years?“Less is more. The preference today is minimalistic;the narrative understated. But you never know whatSpring-Summer 201330tomorrow will bring.Flower arranging is nodifferent to designs ofclothing or cars. What’sin vogue today is passétomorrow.”Looking around at themass of customers inher shop, I remarked,“Clearly, Shabbat is yourbig day?“Yes, but people arealways buying giftsand that’s every day ofthe week. Israelis loveflowers and what betterway to express your feelings than with flowers.”On this score, the writer noticed a man looking around,puzzled as to what to buy or how much to spend. Itreminded the writer of the man who walks into a flowershop and asks:"I'd like some flowers please.""Certainly Sir. What did you have in mind?"He shrugs "Well I'm not sure, I uh, I uh, I uh...""Perhaps I could help. What exactly have you done?"

Complex Composition. An intriguing floral arrangement, incorporatingdifferent styles and themes in the lobby at the Inbal Hotel.Spring-Summer 201331

LegacyBy Tzvi TzfiraBack tothe FutureNational Photo CollectionA Case History. Witnesses testimony to Israel’s most famous trialof Adolph Eichmann - one of the prime architects of the “FinalSolution” - are all recorded on film and secured for generations tocome at the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archives in Jerusalem.In ‘Back to the Future’ (1985), a science fiction-comedyfilm, Marty McFly, a typical American teenager, issent back in time, where he discovers and explores hisparents’ way of life back in1955. Produced by StevenSpielberg, (the legendarydirector of numerousblockbuster movies andtwo times Oscar winnerfor Best Director), ‘Back tothe Future’ played on oneof man’s eternal longings -to be able to travel back intime.In today’s age ofmultichannel cable TV,24-hour news, and highspeedInternet, we allwish we could travel backin time to see first-handhow our ancestors lived,worked and played. WeSpring-Summer 201332Path to Freedom. Recorded on film are these youngsurvivors from the death camps in Europe at a YouthAliyah Village in the new state of Israel.Motion pictures that are worththousands of wordsReutersThe Great Director. Academy award winner and one of themost influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, StevenSpielberg is patron of the Jewish Film Archives at the HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem.yearn to explore the rhythm of the old days and tosense the feeling of pioneering and adventure whichcharacterized much of the old world.While Marty’s journey backto 1955 altered the courseof history for him andhis family, at the StevenSpielberg Jewish FilmArchives at the HebrewUniversity of Jerusalemand the World ZionistOrganization, one cansafely travel back and forthin time without interferingwith history.RevelationsI had previously visited thearchive but that was over20 years ago. Yet, I stillvividly feel the shiver that

As Time Goes By. Reels of filmsdocument Jewish life over the lastcentury.Spring-Summer 201333

LegacyA Tale of a FilmRobin Zalben, Librarian and Systems Manager of theJewish Film Archives, relates a fascinating story, not onlyabout the theme of a movie, but about the history of themovie itself. Titled ‘Five cities’, “it was filmed in 1939,right before Germany invaded Poland. It is a remarkableproduction – a cultural gem. Filmed entirely in Yiddish,it tells the story of Jewish life in five cities in Poland.”The film on completion was sent to the United Statesto be shown, but as it coincided with the outbreak ofWorld War II, it was not picked up from the post officeuntil very much later. But by then, the Jewish worldso poignantly portrayed in the movie was no more,and the people in the movie no longer alive – victimsof the Shoah (Holocaust). Eventually ending up in theArchive, where it was ‘healed’ and reproduced, the‘revitalized’ film is now available in English and providesa contemporaneous window into Jewish life in pre-warPoland.An inspiring film about the rich cultural life of Jews inpre-war Poland, it has a dark cloud hanging over it. Whiley o uwatch,you knowthat all thepeople you see– men, womanand children hadno knowledge of theimminent horrors thatawaited them. Little couldthey have known that by thetime the first people saw them inthe movie, they would no longer bewith us.ran down my spine while watching “Married with a Star”- a film about a Jewish wedding in Amsterdam duringthe Nazi occupation. The film’s title alludes to the ‘Starof David’ yellow badge that the bride and bridegroom -as well as all their Jewish guests - had to wear during thewedding ceremony and reception. The film had beenlost for close to 50 years, before it was rediscovered andthe characters ‘brought back to life’.Like Married with a Star, there have been many filmsby Jews or with Jewish themes that have lain for years- sometimes for decades - under the bed of an amateurfilm producer, in the attic of a professional photographeror in the dusted and crumblingprivate archive of an agingfilm collector. Robin Zalben,Librarian and Systems Managerof the Jewish Film Archivessays that “here in the StevenSpielberg Jewish Film Archive,we preserve, document,study and reproduce Jewishdocumentary films from allover the world.”The archive was establishedduring the late 1960s by agroup of prominent historiansof the Hebrew University ofJerusalem. It is named in honorof one of its donators – thedirector and producer Steven Spielberg. The archivecurrently holds a remarkable and unique treasure ofover 18,000 titles, recorded on various formats whichinclude 16mm and 35mm film, VHS, beta, U-Matic andDVD, making it one of the largest collections, of Jewishdocumentary films in the world. Much of the materialgathered in the archive have been filmed prior to theestablishment of the State of Israel and some of the rarefootage stored at the archive unveils the life of Jewsduring the Holocaust and during the early years ofJewish settlements in the land of Israel.“We receive our films from organizations, private peoplewho find them possibly whilecleaning up their closets orattics and from film makers- those ageing or who havepassed on. Usually theirsurviving-spouses contactus after finding these cansof films underneath theirbeds,” laughs Robin. Whilethe archive possesses a largecollection of historicallyimportant films, such asDeborah Steinmetz, Director andClient Services Librarian andRobin Zalben, Librarian, SystemsManager, at the archive’s mainfilm vault.Spring-Summer 201334

Design CenterComing up the hills to Jerusalem, the Yvel Design Center welcomes travelers to a sprawling and impressiveprofessional complex, a modern adaptation of a vintage facility which once served as an inn for visitors makingtheir way to the beautiful Israeli capital city.The charming new Yvel Design Center offers visitors a unique opportunityto explore the Yvel legacy and to experience an authentic Zionist social enterprise.To arrange a visit please call +972-2-6735-811 ext 104 or email yvel@yvel.comWWW.YVEL.COMMulti color Fresh Water pearls combined with 18k yellow gold from the Yvel Pastel Collection

LegacyLost & Found. The original of the movie Adamah (Land) which deals with the lives of war-torn Jewish refugee children wasthought to be lost forever until it was discovered amongst all the reels of movies they had in storage.the video recording of Eichmann’s trial in Jerusalem, italso thrives as a reservoir holding practically everythingthat is Jewish. Thus, while the archive is the officialdepository for all the old movies produced by Hadassah(The Women’s Zionist Organization of America), KerenKayemeth LeIsrael (Jewish National Fund), Keren Hayesod(United Israel Appeal) and many other Zionist and Jewishorganizations, the archive embraces other, less “official”,type of films.“You will be surprisedto learn what moviespeople saved,” saysRobin. “The ones thatI found most amusingwere the old electioncampaign commercials.They are fun to watch…and so very differentfrom the electioncommercials of today.”These commercialssucceed in capturing themood and atmosphere ofthose early days of thePinn Hans, National Photo CollectionWriting on the Wall. Political ads of Israel’s first election oncity walls captured on film.Spring-Summer 201336State – the people, the ideas, the dress, the issues – itall comes across, so alive, so captivating.Invited to view some of the more ‘sacred’ sections of thearchive, I was a little surprised how small the premiseswere for such an important and rich cultural treasure.Apart from the few tables where films are carefullymounted, analyzed, preserved and copied by ChaimGreen – a UK-trained specialist in film-preservation,there is the main ‘vault’,where the films are storedat a controlled temperatureand finally, the projectionroom.Sittingwith GoldInterestingly, the archivemaintains the films in theiroriginal 16 and 35 mmformat, because “it is morereliable and lasts longer.We are unsure about the

durability of DVDs, while films have been around forover a hundred years,” says Robin. However the archivedoes copy the films onto DVD which are then availablefor purchase. After all, even film projectors are ananachronism today – nobody uses them anymore.Looking at the rows of reels and piles of videos, Iwondered how many films are still out there - hidden,out of sight, waiting to be rediscovered. Robin drew ourattention to the film called ‘Adamah’ (Land) which dealswith the lives of war-torn Jewish refugee children at KfarNoar Ben Sheman (Youth Aliyah Village in Ben Sheman).“The original film,” revealed Robin, “received awardsand Hadassah edited and shortened it and used it as apromotional film to raise funds for their organization.”For many years, the original film was thought to havebeen destroyed in a fire. The archive even released anofficial statement about the loss of the original film,little knowing that copies of the full film were lyingunder their very noses in the vault. “For many yearswe thought these films were only copies of the editedversion, and so we didn’t look at them. Then one daywe took out one of the reels, started watching and wereshocked – happily shocked!! What we saw was not anedited version but the original. We all felt that we hadstruck gold.”We left the archives thinking how many other Jewishfilms remain hidden, somewhere - snug in its metalcasings, under a bed or in an attic, waiting patiently tobe brought back to the future.Reel Revival. Chaim Green, the archive’s film specialist,revives another recently discovered film.Should you have any old films connected to the historyand culture of Israel or the Jewish people and you wishfor it to be preserved, the archive will be happy to hearfrom you. www.spielbergfilmarchive.org.il

TourismBy David E. KaplanDon’t Beat AboutThe GushYoram shpirerGershon ElinsonHeaven’s Harvest. The vineyards of Gush Etzion Winery.Small in geography, huge in history,explore this fascinating region.‘The Gush’ has something for everyone. Cooloff in natural pools, bike along excitingtrails, wade through the water of ancientaqueducts, and explore the history in thisancient heartland of the Jewish People.Gush Etzion, referred to locally as “the Gush” issituated along the famous Derech Avot (PatriarchWay) in the rollingpastoral hills of Judea, amodest mountain rangethat lines the highwayfrom Jerusalem to Hebronand serves as “protector”for the Holy City. It wasperforming this servicein 1948 that enshrinedits importance in Israel’shistory.How so?Many visitors to Israel overYom HaAtzma’ut – Israel’sDay of Independence –are puzzled why on theprevious day, IsraelisKluger zoltan, the national photo collectionEarly Days. A kibbutz member watering young vines on thehillside below Kfar Etzion in 1947.Spring-Summer 201338Trailblazers. Cyclists enjoying the scenic bike tracks in GushEtzion.chose to commemorate Yom HaZicharon (Day ofRemembrance for its fallen soldiers). “One day thereare sirens for the fallen,the next day, firecrackersto celebrate the joys oflife. How do people soquickly adjust from amood of sadness to one ofbountiful happiness?”It’s a fair question and theexplanation lies in GushEtzion.The back-to-back positioningof these two publiccommemorative days wasat the insistence of Israel’sfirst Prime Minister DavidBen Gurion who said: “Ican think of no battle in

Yoram shpirerIn the Footsteps of our Forefathers. Path of thePatriarchs (Derech Ha’avot) where Abraham andhis son Isaac walked over 3000 years ago.Spring-Summer 201339

TourismYoram shpirerCool It. “Ein Yitzhak” is a popular natural spring in Gush Etzion attracting hikers who are welcome to swim in it.the annals of the Israel Defense Forces which was moremagnificent, more tragic or more heroic than the strugglefor Gush Etzion. If a Jerusalem exists today, Israel owes itsgratitude first and foremost to the defenders of the EtzionBloc.” And therefore, before Israelis joyfully celebratetheir independence, they remember the supreme sacrificeof those who made it all possible, including paying specialhomage to the defenders of Gush Etzion, who throughtheir bravery, bought valuable time to reinforce Jerusalemagainst the advance of the well-organized, British trainedArab Legion.All this is related in a Sound and Light Show on KibbutzEtzion, which is the best place to start a tour of GushEtzion. The heartbreaking audio-visual presentationreveals how embedded Jewish life is in the Gush, noless than its rocks and ancient pathways. The routethrough the Gush from Hebron to Jerusalem is calledthe ‘Patriarch’s Way’ for it is believed that this was thepath that Abraham took with his son Isaac as theywalked toward Mount Moriah for the sacrifice that G..dcalled off:“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do notdo anything to him. Now I know that you fear G..d,because you have not withheld from me your son, youronly son.” (Genesis)We Shall ReturnFollowing the show, our tour visited the most iconicspot in the entire Gush – the ‘Lone Oak Tree’ at AlonShvut. Our guide, David Paz, a South African immigrantand pediatrician from Efrat, the second largest town inthe Gush, related the heroic story of the defense and fallof Gush Etzion.With the emblematic tree in the background (the ‘loneoak’ has been incorporated in the logo of the Gush EtzionRegional Council) the saga of Gush Etzion unfolded. “In1947, the Etzion Block was home to some 450 residentsincluding 211 woman and children,” continued Paz.“Although under constant Arab attack, holding it wasbelieved critical for the defense of Jerusalem. Theprecarious situation prompted the evacuation of thewoman and children who were escorted by the Britishtroops to Jerusalem in January of 1948. Despite a valiantdefense, the day before the declaration of the state ofIsrael on May 14th, Kfar Etzion, the oldest and largest ofthe four settlements in the Bloc, was overrun and 240 ofits defenders lost their lives.”Which brought Paz back to the story of the Lone OakTree and how Alon Shvut - Hebrew for ‘The Oak Treeof Return’ - acquired its name. “After the destructionSpring-Summer 201340

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Tourismof Gush Etzion, the Arabs looted and destroyed thebuildings and uprooted the trees. Inexplicably, one oaktree survived, which became known as the ‘lone oak’.”What also survived was the will to return.“During the intervening years between the fall of theEtzion Bloc and the Six Day War in 1967, the survivorsand their children would hike to a vantage point on theIsraeli border, where at a distance, they could view thegiant oak tree. The Six DayWar brought their dreamto fruition and today thesettlement of Alon Shvut ishome to over 700 families.”As of 2011, Gush Etzionconsists of 22 communities,some much larger thanothers, with a totalpopulation of 70,000.The ‘lone tree’ is today nolonger alone.Right TrackBack on the road betweenHebron and Jerusalem, ourguide reminded us, “yestoday you see cars andtrucks but think back. Ifthis was the route Abrahamtook, it also would havebeen the path Davidtravelled when he and hishousehold left Hebron tomake Jerusalem the capitalof Israel. Later, pilgrimswould have headed thissame way en route to theFirst and Second Temples,and the Maccabees foughthere the Greeks, along thisvery road.”A few centuries later, the Romans widened it, erectingmilestones that noted the distances and the name of thereigning emperor.Another attraction here is a fine 2000 year-old mikve(ritual bath), similar to those described in the Mishnah.It has separate steps for descending into the water andreturning to the road.“For those of you familiar with ritual baths inJerusalem and elsewhere, in Israel, what strikes youas unusual about this mikve?” asked the tour guide.A tourist from the UK was quick off the mark:“It looks quite big and up-market for being located inthe middle of no-where; there is no evidence here of atown, so what it’s doing here?”Yotam yakobsonSpring-Summer 201342“Absolutely. You’re on the right track - literally!” replied thetour guide. “As this was the track to Jerusalem; travelers- especially on the busy holidays of Pesach, Shavuot andSuccoth – would stop here to immerse themselves toavoid the crowds at the Holy City’s ritual baths.”“Something like a pit-stop,” cracked another touristIt must have been a very busy road at times, as nearby,hidden by brush, was the remains of a second mikva.To Crownit AllTravelling a few kilometersbut more than 2000 yearsback in history, our tourstopped at Herodium. Thisis the palace-fortress builtby King Herod the Great,and offers breathtakingviews overlooking theJudean Desert and themountains of Moab to theeast, and the Judean Hillsto the west. The only sitenamed after King Herod,it was known by theCrusaders as the Mountainof the Franks, while theArabs call it Jabal al-Fourdis (Mountain ofParadise”)“Why build a palacehere?” asked a propertydeveloper from L.A.California. “Location iseverything, why here, sofar out of town?”It was a question oneveryone’s mind, andHistory can be Cool. Enjoying a wet hike through one of GushEtzion’s Roman aqueducts.when seeking answersto so many historicalquestions of the region, where better to seek the answerthan in the writings of the Roman-Jewish historian,Josephus. He writes following Herod’s victory over theParthians in 40 BCE, he “built a town on that spot incommemoration of his victory, and enhanced it withwonderful palaces... and he called it Herodion afterhimself." (The Wars of the Jews I, Chapter 13).”Of all the colorful characters, albeit controversial, whoover the millennia traipsed this neck of the woods,Herod - like his building projects - stands out as acolossus. As Barry Davis, in The Jerusalem Post recentlywrote, “Besides displaying nerves of steel, a tendencyto dispense with anyone who got too close for comfort– that includes killing off one of his wives and three

Doron nisimFit for a King. Herodium, KingHerod’s palace, a short chariotride outside Jerusalem.Spring-Summer 201343

Tourismof her children - Herod spent much of his 69 longyears on earth putting up some of the most magnificentedifices ever seen in these parts.” While most of Herod’sengineering marvels notably in Caesarea, Jerusalem andJericho are well documented by Josephus, the king’sfinal resting place remained a mystery until 2007, whenacclaimed Hebrew University Prof. Ehud Netzer foundHerod’s tomb “at the very spot we all are standing now,”revealed the guide, “here at Herodion.”David Mevorah, the co-curator of an exhibition on Herodcurrently on at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, remarkedin a recent interview, that Herod was more “expansiveand ostentatious at Herodion.” Only a short chariot rideout of town, he used Herodion like “a country club.That’s why he built his palaces at Herodion, and didclothing and be prepared to literally wade ‘deep’ intothe past with a visit to the Biyar Aqueduct.Also known as the "Shaft Riverbed”, it is a collection of24 underground shafts hewed into the hard chalky stoneof the Judean Hills.During the second temple period there was a needfor more water for the city of Jerusalem and so it wasdecided to take water from springs in the Hebron hills,and channel the water to Jerusalem via aqueducts andtunnels using only the force of gravity. Two aqueducts- the Biyar and Arrub - were constructed bringing waterfrom the Hebron Hills to the Solomon’s Pools near BetLechem, where after, another two aqueducts were builtbringing water to the Jaffa Gate area, and the other oneto the Temple Mount. These aqueducts were an amazingYoram shpirerDave KaplanDown to the Wire. The longest Omega in the Middle East, this thrillingride zooms over one of the most scenic and forested areas of GushEtzion.most of his partying there.” It is believed that Herodliked to host visiting Roman dignitaries at Herodion,“and always ensured that the storerooms were kept wellstocked with the finest wines, grain and fruit he couldlay his hands on.”For those too looking for cuisine in the Gush there are anumber of places to eat from Gavna Restaurant locatedin the Massuot Yizhak Forest on the slope of a mountainoverlooking a beautiful riverbed, to fast food eateries inEfrat at its shopping centers.Tree of Life. Tour Guide Dr. David Paz explainingin front of the ‘Lone Oak Tree’ its history andsymbolism.feat of engineering - the slope of the 39 kilometer longArrub aqueduct averaged one meter per kilometer.In the Biyar Aqueduct in the Gush, the water level isregulated - its deepest point should not be more thatwaist high. After 15-20 minutes - depending on peopletraffic - you will climb up a ladder and return to the 21stcentury. It’s an experience ideal for families - althoughnot for the too young or senior - and is perfect duringthe hot summer, when one is always looking for waysto “cool off”.Go with the FlowA concern in this region from the beginning of timehas been the quest to provide fresh water to a growingpopulation. While still a problem today, it was more so2000 years ago, and to discover how they did it, takea flashlight, water shoes, a small towel and a change ofFor the Fun of ItThere is much more to the Gush than the past - especiallyfor the kids. There is Eretz Ayalim, a beautiful park withextreme sports that features a ropes park, a climbingwall, and for the thrill seekers, the longest Omega in theMiddle East. As one participant - a student from the USASpring-Summer 201344

- posted on her Facebook:“WOW! I went on the second longest zip line in theentire world. We zoomed over a street, many trees andlots of land. What a thrill. I felt like how James Bondprefers his drink – “shaken but not stirred”. I’m readyto try again.”In June, and suitable for the entire family, is the ‘Annualand the wine-loving public (including children) toparticipate in the grape harvest that begins at dawn andincludes a tour and breakfast at the winery.Other fun experiences in the Gush include a petting zooat the Elazar Experience Center, a large wildlife parkat Deer Land, pony rides at Moshe’s farm in Efrat andhorseback riding tours at Gush Etzion Farm. For furtherYoram shpirerRooted to the Land. The most iconic spot in the entire Gush, the ‘Lone Oak Tree’ has been incorporated in the logo of the GushEtzion Regional Council as it articulates Jewish determination to return to the land of their forefathers.Cherry Picking Festival’ on Kibbutz Rosh Tzurim. Theevent attracts people from all over Israel to pick theirown cherries in the orchards.It is well worth visiting the Gush Etzion Winery, locatedat the Gush Etzion Junction. It is surrounded by vineyardsand at the Visitors’ Center one can listen to explanationsabout the wine production process, as well as taste andpurchase wines. The winery includes a restaurant thatoverlooks the vineyards.At the time of the grape harvest, the winery and the grapegrowers invite all those looking to share an experienceinformation call the Gush Etzion Tourist Bureau at: (02)9309134. Another option is to participate on tone of therenowned Kfar Etzion Field School field trips, whichapart from visiting the places already mentioned in thisarticle, include rivers, caves, natural springs and perfectspots for watching sunsets in its tours.From sunrise to sunsets, it’s all happening in the Gush,and if you haven’t visited or ‘experienced’ this small, butmuch ‘to see and do’ region, why not - in the spirit ofMonty Python – be adventurous:“And now for something completely different”.Spring-Summer 201345

Warm EIn at the InbalOver 110 American Jewish leaders joined theirIsraeli counterparts at Jerusalem’s Inbal Hotelfor the 39th annual mission of the Conference ofPresidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.The annual mission - whose primary aim is to strengthenties between the US Jewish community and Israelileaders and policy makers - emphasized the close tiesbetween American Jewish leaders and Israel.All Smiles. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu beingwarmly welcomed by Inbal GM, Bruno de Schuyter.Meeting of Minds. Israeli President Shimon Peres(second left) with Prof. Richard B. Stone (left),Chairman of the Conference of Presidents, MortB. Zuckerman former Conference chairman, andExecutive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein.Close Encounters. Sharansky with influential USA lawyer, MelSalberg.An Earful. Conference Executive Vice Chairman, MalcolmHoenlein (left) appears amused on possibly hearing sometidbit from Yair Lapid, newly elected to the Knesset as leaderof his new party Yesh Atid.Spring-Summer 201346

mbraceHeartwarming. Former software entrepreneur Naftali Bennet,now leader of The Jewish Home Party, spoke on issues close tohis heart.Looking to the Future. Tzipi Livni, head of the new centristparty, Hatnuah, addresses the Conference.In the Footsteps of his Father. Yair Shamir, the son of formerIsraeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, presents his vision to theconference.Persuasive at the Podium. Esteemed lawyer and Member ofKnesset Isaac Herzog, making his case to the Conference.Spring-Summer 201347Talking Torah. Former member of the Knesset, Rabbi MeirPorush reaching out to the Conference’s participants.

In at the InbalVisiting VIPsFull of Energy. A Cypriot delegation led by the country’s Minister of Energy, Solon Kassinis, enjoyed the warmhospitality of the Inbal during their official visit to Israel.Men from Mongolia. Ready to start the day following a breakfast are the Mongolian head of National Security CouncilTsagaandari Enkhtuvishim and his entourage who were in Israel to meet with their Israeli counterparts in National Security.Seen here with the group is the Inbal’s Guest Relations Manager, Sandra Aziza.Spring-Summer 201348

Money Matters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosteda delegation from Ecuador that included the Minister ofFinance, Santiago Leon, seen here at dinner with Hotel’s guestrelations manager, Sandra Haziza. They were accompaniedby Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, Israeli economist and chairmanof the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council forHigher Education in Israel, the Ecuadorian Ambassador toIsrael, Guillermo Besmante, and the Israeli Ambassador toEcuador, Eli Yerushalmi.Blowing in from the Baltic. Welcoming the Foreign Minister ofLatvia, Edgars Rinkevics (right) on the Minister’s first visitto Israel, and the Latvian Ambassador to the USA PildegovicsAndrejs was the Inbal’s Guest Relations Manager, SandraHaziza.““Hello,”Meet Sami Abu-HawaThey say man is best satisfied when best fed, to whichSami Abu-Hawa would add “and the best start is withthe most important meal of the day – breakfast.” Samiis the Inbal’s Dining Room Manager, predominantlyin charge of the breakfast. “The Israeli breakfast isfamous throughout the world as varied, healthy andwholesome and we at the Inbal pride ourselves inoffering nothing but the best,” says Sami, who hasworked for 22 of his 39 years of age at the Inbal.Seven of those years he has been in charge of thedining room and while making sure there is enoughstaff on duty, he takes pride in personally makingthe rounds to each table, introducing himself to theguests, ensuring they are happy, and enquiring ifthere is anything they further require.Over the years, it has become frequently less of anintroduction and more of an exchange of friendlygreetings. “I have come to know the families of ourfrequent quests and their preferences – which fruitjuices they prefer and what coffee or tea they bestenjoy with their breakfast.”Working over two decades at the Inbal, what doesSami, who is married with three children, enjoyabout working at the hotel?“It has a very unique and caring atmosphere. Wemake our guests feel special – but just as important,the ethic here is that the staff also feel special.”Furthermore, says Sami, “I’m a people’s person and Ienjoy meeting new guests and making new friends.”And amongst the interesting and diverse personalitiesthat Sami has enjoyed meeting, have been Israelipoliticians and statesmen as well as the many starsfrom movies and TV. “The stars always add suchcolor to the ambience, and I can see how the otherguests all seem to enjoy their jovial presence.”Sami is the friendly, smiling face you see when youenter the breakfast room.He has a lot to smile about.“I love my job.”Spring-Summer 201349

In at the InbalCelebrating TwinsA three-day Twin City Conferencewas held at the Inbal Hotel, of seniorofficials from both Germany and Israel.Some of the 100 cities twinned, includeHolon and Berlin, Tel Aviv and Cologne,Netanya and Dortmund, and manyothers.Energetic as Ever. A vibrant State President, Shimon Peres opens the twin cityconference at a special gala event.Men from the Ministry. The conference’s concludingsession was hosted by Information and DiasporaMinister Yuli Edelstein (left) and Interior Minister EliYishai (top), who presented a joint flagship project inthe field of young leadership.Spring-Summer 201350

Election FeverThe Easy Part. Israel’sPrime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu (below) beingwelcomed by the Inbal’sV.P. Sales and MarketingManager Alex Hermanbefore the merger talksbegan.Election Run-up. Seen here at the party leadershipmeeting between Israel Beiteinu and Likud at theInbal Hotel are (l-r), Yuli Edelstein, Zeev Elkin, PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu, Avigdor Liberman, FainaKirschenbaum and Sofa Landver.Done Deal. The press conference following the merger of Likud and Israel Beiteinu ready to contest the January 2013 election.Spring-Summer 201351

In at the InbalIn theLighthearted. Finding theinterview on the balconyof the Inbal’s ExecutiveLounge amusing is PastorPeter Sumral(right), whoserves as president andCEO of LeSEA which ownsthe Christian-based satelliteTV network, METV.A Tremor from this Tenor. Theworld renowned tenor BryanHymel who was in Israel toperform with the JerusalemSymphony Orchestra and wasaccompanied to the Inbal by theOrchestra’s Director Yair Stern,is being welcomed here by GuestRelations Manager, SandraHaziza.Stirring Stuff. (far right) TenorBryan Hymel in the MetropolitanOpera production “of the Berliozepic “Les TroyensA Grand Time. Enjoying their stay atthe Inbal on their visit to Israel toconduct a special Gala Concert with theJerusalem Symphony Orchestra on its 75thanniversary, were the legendary Frenchcomposer, arranger, conductor andpianist, Michel Legrand (center), and hisrenowned harpist wife Catherine Michelle(left). They are seen here in the hotel lobbywith Assistant Manager Rooms DivisionMaurits Van Den Berg.Spring-Summer 201352

SpotlightOn Cloud Nine. Welcomingthe CEO of El Al EliezerShkedi to the internationalmarketing and salesconference at the Inbalwas Hotel’s GM, Bruno deSchuyter.Political Pundits. Addressing the Jerusalem Center for PublicAffairs and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung conference on the‘Changes in Israeli Public Opinion on Critical Regional Issues’were the renowned American diplomat Dennis Ross (below)and Dori Gold President of the Jerusalem Center for PublicAffairs (right).Spring-Summer 201353

In at the InbalGiving BackWheels of Love. Incelebration of the13 anniversary ofAnnual InternationalAlyn hospital CharityBike Ride, Inbaldonated a large cakeseen here with itsesteemed baker, Inbal’sExecutive Chef MotiBuchbut.Time Out. Following the recentmilitary operation in Gaza,Pillars of Defense, Inbal Hotelinvited soldiers from theIsraeli Defense Force to enjoya full fun day at the hotelwhich included a sumptuouslunch (above) and therapy inthe massage parlor (right).Spring-Summer 201354