We recently visited the Palmach History Museum for the second time. Designed by architects Zvi Hecker and Rafi Segal and completed in 1998, the museum, located on the Tel Aviv University campus, aims to give a sense of the period that led to the founding of the state. The journey through time takes the visitor back to the 1940s, a stormy decade around the world, and a turning point in the history of the Jewish people. Without the Palmach, the Israel Defense Forces, better known as the IDF, might not have existed. The IDF has a worldwide reputation for excellence. Though relatively small in size, the IDF has done an immense job in protecting the State of Israel from its enemies. Its reputation has played a part in raising Israel’s prestige and its needs for materiel have spawned one of the world’s best and most innovative defense industries. The IDF’s genesis was long before its inauguration in 1948, when Israel declared itself as the Jewish State. Its development was the result of a long process, starting with the Ha-Shomer, the Haganah, and the Palmach.

 

The Ha-Shomer (The Watchman) force was formed early in the 20th century when the need to protect the fledgling Jewish settlements and towns from Arab raiders became imperative. Numbering approximately forty, the watchmen tried to blend into the general population, wearing a mixture of Arab and Circassian clothing, speaking Arabic, excelling at horsemanship, and carrying modern weapons. A larger auxiliary force of several hundred was available at harvest time, when raids were more prevalent. The Ha-Shomer was active primarily in the Galilee. By 1920, a larger, more wide ranging defense force was needed. The newly-formed Histradrut labor federation organized a special defense organization called Haganah (Defense) in early 1921. In reponse to the 1929 Arab riots and the lack of protection by the British Mandate forces, the Haganah grew into a large organization encompassing nearly all the youth and adults in the settlements, as well as several thousand members from each of the cities. It initiated a comprehensive training program for its members, ran officers' training courses; established central arms depots into which a continuous stream of light arms flowed from Europe; and laid the basis for the underground production of arms.

 

During the 1936-1939 Arab Revolt, the Haganah developed from a militia into a military body. The Palmach (Striking Force) was established as part of the Haganah in 1941, when Palestine was threatened by German forces in North Africa. The Palmach promoted the values of mutual responsibility, assistance, sacrifice and contribution to the greater good, the same values propagated in the kibbutz movement. Palmach bases were located on kibbutzim (pl) where they performed agricultural tasks along with their military training exercises. This social framework created by the Palmach was considered to be the core of the Sabra, or native born Israeli. In the early 1940s, the British trained and employed the Palmach forces to help defeat an Axis invasion. But when Rommell retreated from Egypt in 1942, the British, with no more need of extra forces, especially Jewish ones, insisted the Palmach and the Haganah return their uniforms and weapons and disband. Instead, they went underground. From 1942 to 1945, the Palmach trained men and women and brought over refugees from Europe in whatever boats could be obtained, in defiance of the British Mandate restrictions on Jewish immigration. Most of the “illegal immigrants” ended up in British prison camps in Cyprus and elsewhere, but some got through and made it to the new settlements created for them.

 

Military skirmishes were fought against the Mandate troops, leading to some spectacular results, such as the 1946 “Night of the Bridges,” when the Palmach destroyed eleven bridges linking Palestine to its Arab neighbors, hampering the movement of British forces. In 1947 the historic vote in the United Nations accepted the Partition Plan, which envisioned a Jewish state side by side with a Palestinian state. The Partition Plan was accepted by the Jews but not by the neighboring Arab countries. Arab irregulars immediately began attacks against the Jews.

 

The 7000-member Palmach was the spearhead of the Haganah in the battles, cooperating at times with the more militant Irgun (Etzel) fighters and the most zealous Lehi fighters (Stern Gang). In 1948 the newly independent Jewish state was attacked by five Arab armies. David Ben Gurion immediately inaugurated the IDF and the several fighting organizations were combined, not without travail. Approximately 30% of Palmach men and women were killed by the time of the ceasefire in 1949. In all, one per cent of all the Jewish residents of Israel perished, a huge loss.

 

The audio-visual, virtual tour in the bunker-like Palmach Museum allows visitors to see history through the eyes of the young and idealistic citizen-soldiers. Appropriately, the main exhibit takes place underground, in a series of chambers. Groups of about 25 visitors, led by a guide, begin the tour at a memorial to the fallen. The room that follows, is a Tel Aviv street scene of 1941. Here, the multi-media experience begins, with a newsreel of the war in Europe projected onto the scene. Next comes a eucalyptus grove at night, where a fictional unit of seven new Palmach recruits are introduced to each other and meet with their commander for training orientation.

 

The story of these characters carries the visitors throughout the rest of the program in numerous locales, lasting more than an hour. Over time, the unit gains training and experience, and personalities emerge. Some are assigned to blow up bridges, others to lead supply convoys to Jerusalem or to help bring in immigrants by ship. You see them expectantly listen to the UN vote on the fate of the country, battle through the War of Independence, and express their grief at the gravesides of those who did not make it. Remarkably realistic sets, sounds, lighting, special effects and even moving rooms make the visitor feel part of this extraordinary experience.

 

The Palmach Museum is an amazing audio-visual journey, located in a unique structure whose design has sparked much emulation. In little more than an hour, visitors gain an understanding of the events and the people which shaped the Jewish state. It’s a very emotional experience, one from which it’s difficult to depart without a lump in one’s throat ... even after several visits. Reservations are a must! Address: 10, Haim Levanon Street, Tel Aviv. Tel: 03-6436393 (or 972-3-643-6393 from outside of Israel)

 

Steve Kramer is an expert in touring Israel and he also blogs for Travelujah. Order his new book at http://www.comteqpublishing.com/book_detail.php?19  People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah.

Tags: idf palmach israel defense forces haganah tel aviv 

According to those in the know, Tel Aviv is the home of one of the world’s premier art glass galleries. The 9,000-square-foot gallery in Museum Tower, a prestigious office building adjacent to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, is home to fabulous shows which display incredible pieces to best advantage. Owner Muly Litvak’s gallery, which opened last year, has 20-foot-tall ceilings and state-of-the-art systems to control every aspect of the display of artwork. It includes niches and rooms especially designed to showcase art glass, as well as an outdoor display area where Tel Aviv’s architecture almost becomes part of the show. The 2010-11 winter show features world renowned artist Dale Chihuly, who is recognized internationally for his use of color, fluid glass forms and large-scale installations, some of which were designed specifically for the Litvak Gallery. Building on the centuries-old approach to glass blowing by working in teams, Chihuly has created the most groundbreaking glass sculptures of modern times. I was given an excellent tour of the show by Roxanne Present Cohen, who informed me about the various pieces and put Chihuly’s work into its historical context. Chihuly has been the recipient of many awards, including ten honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. He is a co-founder of the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington, which is an international center for glass art education. Chihuly has played a major role in bringing glass into the realm of contemporary art. He has created many well-known series of works, among them the Baskets, Persians, and Seaforms (see photo), but he is also celebrated for large architectural installations. In 1999, Chihuly mounted his most challenging exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem. The show was held over due to the huge demand and more than one million visitors attended the Tower of David Museum to view his installations. Many people returned a second time to see the show both during daylight and in the evening. A decade later, Israelis and visitors again have the pleasure of encountering Chihuly’s work in a memorable setting. It was so interesting that I returned for another look in the evening, which was a great idea. Everything in the show is for sale and there is a small admission charge, which is well worth the price. See http://litvak.com for more information. Steve Kramer is an expert in touring Israel and he also blogs for Travelujah. See his new book at www.encounteringisrael.com. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah.

Tags: tel aviv art glass chihuly litvak gallery glassblowing