Israel Part 3

In this post, I'll review my time at Armor Corps Museum and my tour of Jerusalem. The Armored Corps Museum is located in Latrun (which is halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem). It is a memorial site and the main building is a British Mandate-era fortress. The fortress houses a synagogue and library and an observation lookout on the top of the building (this was closed during my visit). There is an impressive outdoor collection of Israeli armored vehicles as well as US, French, German, and Soviet equipment as well as equipment from other countries.

Armored Corps Museum: https://www.itraveljerusalem.com/ent/yad-lashiryon-armored-corps-museum/

Latrun:

Entering the fortress:

I booked my Jerusalem tour through my hotel that used Bein Harim Tours. I was picked up at my hotel. My guide Kobi, was fantastic. He was extremely knowledgeable and super friendly. My tour took me through the Old City and the new city of Jerusalem. We drove along the Kidron valley, saw the Garden of Gethsemane, the walls of of the old city and Mount of Olives. In the city of Jerusalem, there are four quarters: Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and the Armenian quarters. We entered Jaffa Gate and briefly walked into the Armenian Quarter before proceeding onto the Christian Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, and ended in the Jewish Quarter.

Bein Harim tours: https://www.beinharimtours.com

Our first stop was the Elvis Station just outside of Jerusalem. Definitely a one of a kind, American diner experience.

View from Mount Scopus looking at the Mount of Olives, Kidron Valley, and the City of David below the old city of Jerusalem:

Church of All Nations next to Gethsemane:

Entering Jerusalem through the Jaffa Gate, briefly into the Armenian quarter:

Church of the Holy Sepulchre:

Stone of Anointing:

Via Dolorosa:

Reported spot where Jesus laid his hand while carrying the cross:

Arab quarter:

Western Wall:

Jewish quarter:

Views of Jerusalem:

Knesset

The final part of the tour was the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in western Jerusalem. This is was a very moving and somber visit. I was told no photography was allowed in the Museum. The Museum did an amazing job of capturing everything. Some of the presentations were difficult to watch, but overall it was a wonderful experience. The Museum is still actively trying to find all of the Jewish people who were killed in the Holocaust. There is a round room with a spiral staircase at the end of the museum where all of this work is being saved. The walls are full of binders of those Jews that the Museum staff have traced to the various camps. It was one of the most moving rooms in the museum, in my opinion.
Holocaust Remembrance Center: https://www.yadvashem.org

Tree planted by Oliver Schindler.

The Museum and Jerusalem were both great. There was a lot to digest in both places.

Onto northern Israel...