Day 2 - The Birth of a Nation

This is Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, where the 32 minute ceremony to declare the state of Israel took place on May 14, 1948.  A group of Grade Eight students from Chicago listened along with us to a guide who spoke very simply, but powerfuly, about events that took place nearly 67 years ago. How moving to hear the American students singing along with the Israeli national anthem as we all stood!  It was neat to think of Terry and I being born in this eventful year.
At the Hagana Museum another guide explained the history of the Hagana, a defense movement during the British mandate.  They would hold secret meetings in what looked most of the time like an ordinary-looking room.  This group evolved into the Israeli Defense Force, and one day after independence, Israel was attacked by Egypt, Iraq, Jorda, Syria and Lebanon.  Israel won the War of Independence and gained more territory.
The White Paper, published in Great Britain in 1939 made it illegal to immigrate to Israel, but many did.  Many were turned away, and some even returned to Germany. I thought it was time to reread the novel Exodus by Leon Uris. I would probably understand it a lot better now.
During the evaluation after our trip, many of us expressed our appreciation for the clear way this historical information was presented to us. It was a good idea to include this stop on our tour.