Independence Hall (Dizengoff House) — Attraction in Tel-Aviv

Definitely a great start to learning about Tel Aviv! The name Tel Aviv in Hebrew means "Hill ( tel) of Spring (aviv)". This is the title given by Nahum Sokolow to his Hebrew translation of Theodor Herzl's book Altneuland (German: " The Old New Land"). Fascinating to learn about how the first settlers of 64 family started by buying sand dunes and from there building this city that we are in today! What a momentous place to hear how Israel was declared as a state from this very place - located on the historic Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv, Israel. From 1932 to 1971 housing the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, it is currently a museum dedicated to the signing of the Israeli Declaration of Independence and the history of Tel Aviv.

The Tel Aviv Museum was established in 1932, at the instigation of the city’s first mayor, Meir Dizengoff. He envisioned the growth of Tel Aviv into a vibrant modern metropolis with all its cultural institutions, including a museum of art. As part of his vigorous efforts to make this vision a reality, Dizengoff appealed to members of the arts and culture community in the city, enlisted his personal connections around the world, and ultimately even donated his own private residence as the new museum’s first abode.

On Friday, May 14, 1948, the state of Israel’s Declaration of Independence was proclaimed at the Museum building at 16 Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv. This historic event also marked the start of a new chapter in the...

Growing up in the 70's/80's, I wasn' aware of the specifics of how Israel came into being. The attack by 5 Arab nations on the very day of Israel's founding was amazing to learn about. Even more astounding was the world's silence and inaction in response. Visiting the Independence Hall Museum and the Palmach Museum was a remarkable way to put the pieces together and understand the personalities involved, their motivations and urgency.

Learning how the scrappy, disparate remnants of the world's Jews that washed up on these shores, were able, finally, to take their destiny into their own hands. Learning about how this democracy was born, how need birthed dedication to the ideal, and that dedication birthed the reality, is fascinating. This experience is super-cool for a patriotic American interested in history, the democratic process, and what makes democracy and the rule of law special. Visiting the Independence Hall Museum is comparable to visiting Philadelphia in 1775 when the Declaration of Indepedence was drafted, except it was only 60 years ago so the events seem more palpable.

Visited...

Great and important place! The museum remembers the events that took place in the very same place in 1948. To stand in the place where HaTikva was played for the first time as the national anthem is very moving. The tour begins with an introduction about the history of the building and its part in Tel Aviv, followed by a movie. After the movie, you go into the main hall where Israel was declared Independent. From the professional tour guide perspective, this is a...