Our first stop of the day was Machon Ayalon, an underground ammunitions factory from the War of Independence. It is located in Rehovot, was established in 1946 and was in use as a factory until 1948. Today the factory is used as a tribute to the brave men who worked there in the most extreme of conditions. To mask the activity and noise, the factory was disguised as the launderette of the kibbutz. We were shown the laundry room and the secret entrance to the factory, under the washing machine. In total they manufactured more than two million 9mm bullets which were inventively transferred around Palestine in milk cartons, and later in fuel trucks.
From there we travelled on to the spiritual centre of Israel – Jerusalem. To introduce us to this ancient and significant city we visited the Ha’as Promenade where we were treated to, without a doubt, the best spot to enjoy magnificent views of Jerusalem in all its glory.
From there, we went to hear about Jerusalem’s history at the City of David experience, where we walked through Hezekiah’s ancient water tunnels. The tunnels were designed as an aqueduct to provide Jerusalem with water during an impending siege by the Assyrians. Walking through the water in complete darkness caused quite a stir among the group who had fun splashing around!
A tour of the Jewish quarter came next. Jerusalem is split into four quarters; Jewish, Arab, Christian and Armenian, all built with beautiful Jerusalem stone and a special place for all. The Jewish quarter is inhabited by around 2,000 residents and is home to numerous yeshivas and synagogues, most notably the Hurva Synagogue, as well as great restaurants, markets and shops and, of course, the Kotel.
Having toured much of Jerusalem, it was time to rest our feet back at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where we will be staying for the next four nights. This evening those who had friends or relatives in Israel enjoyed their visits, giving them the opportunity to get very excited telling them all about everything we’ve been getting up to!
Sam Barnet said, “Today has been a wonderful experience. Seeing some amazing sites in Jerusalem the holy city was great. I’m so excited to see the rest of Israel”
Nathalie Freedman said, “Visiting the bullet factory showed an interesting way that people lived their life at one point, before the state of Israel was born, when things were much more dangerous. The lookout was beautiful and going into that blindfolded made me appreciate that beauty a little more. It was fun to walk the water tunnels and sing our hearts out. Visiting the kotel was an amazing and emotional end to a brilliant outing. When we arrived at our new hotel the food was incredible and meeting friends and family from Israel was also a good experience.”
The Tribe Team
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