3/24/2011 - Tel Aviv / Independence Hall

We attempted to walk early this morning with Rabbi Susan, but the weather required some adjustments.  We started out toward the Port, but the rain became very heavy.  We turned back, but were soaked to the skin.

We had breakfast at the Carlton and were on the bus to start our busy day.

We stopped at the Shalom Tower to see the mosaic mural by Nachum Gutman depicting Tel Aviv over the years - beginning in 1909.

There was also a newer mural that depicted scenes from biblical stories and new Tel Aviv.

The State of Israel was declared erev Shabbt on the 5th of Iyar - May 14, 1948.  The declaration lasted 32 minutes and occurred at the house of Meir and Tzina Diezengoff, the first Mayor of Tel Aviv, as determined by a drawing of lots.  In 1978, the house was renamed Independence Hall.

Theodore Herzl was born in Budapest, Hungary and wrote a book "Alt Neuland" Old New Land about Tel Aviv - Tel Aviv represents the old and the new - a Tel is an artificial mound of one community on top of another; Aviv means Spring.

In 1909 lots were cast for parcels of land.  Each of the 66 inhabitants pulled two shells, one white and one dark - one with the name of each family and the other with the parcel number for the land they would inhabit.

Our guide, Tali, was very passionate about the formation of Israel.  Her presentation was informative and entertaining.