Mount Herzl the Mount of Remembrance
Mount Herzl or also know as the Mount of Remembrance is very close to the western side of Jerusalem and is situated on a hill which is 834 meters rising above sea level. It was built in 1964 and was originally called Mount Herzel but it was later renamed Mount Herzl after being dedicated in memory of Theodor Herzl, a founder of the Zionist movement.
Theodor Herlz Tomb (photo credits to Djampa)
Each property on Mount Herzl features its own enormous plaza ideal for memorial rituals. The Police Cemetery as well as the National Military hosts the majority of the state memorial services for soldiers slain in conflict.
Aside from Theodor Herzl, Mount Herzl is the final resting place of five modern-era Israeli prime ministers such as Levi Eshkol, Yitzhak Shamir, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, and many other prominent individuals.
Former Israeli presidents are also buried atop Mount Herzl, and this is not an Israeli phenomenon. It can also be recognized in the graves of other notable Zionist as well as Jewish leaders.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people visit Mount Herzl for commemorative ceremonies and national festivities. It is home to Israel’s only national cemetery and has special facilities for the elderly and those who have disabilities.
New Mount Herzl Museum
One of the sites that you can include in your tour when visiting Jerusalem is the New Herzl Museum. It was built to provide insight about the life story and journey of Herzl and the Jews.
The new museum, which is designed to explore the life and legacy of the founding father of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl, features several audiovisual exhibits. One explores Herzl’s journey to Zionism and his endeavors in Zionist political organization, while the second showcases his research and studies.
The third exhibit presents one of his central ideas for Israel—moving from traditional cultural nationalism to a nation descending from all the world’s cultures. And finally the fourth exhibit features the comparison of Herzl’s vision for Israel.
The Museum complex, which is comprised of two different educational institutes, one of them being named after the late Aryeh Tzimuki who devoted his life to memorializing the Holocaust. The other museum complex of Herlz was honored after Stella and Alexander Margolis. This complex is also a part of the Association of Swiss Museums.
There will always be underlying stories beneath the mountains, museums, chapels, and even tombs in the city of Jerusalem. If you’re fond of digging the past and curious of what had happened in Jerusalem and its people–explore museums and mountains like Herzl.
