A history lesson in Jerusalem

May 18, 2009 - 8:53 AM by David · 1 Comment
Filed under: Art, General, Politics, Travel, coexistence 

david-towerThe Night Spectacular sound and light show at the Tower of David Museum in Jersualem’s Old City is indeed spectacular.

On a gorgeous Jerusalem Saturday night, the stands were full, as the 45-minute multi-media extravaganza was projected on the ancient walls of the Tower of David’s Citadel. Interspersed with trippy Fantasia-worthy interludes, the show covered the history of Jerusalem, from creation until modern times… almost.

From King David playing his harp on the rooftops of old buildings, to the Queen of Sheba visiting King Solomon’s Palace, the images are evocative, vivid and breathtaking. Particularly well done are the scenes depicting the destruction of the First and Second Temples and the exile of the Jews.

Since there isn’t any narration or subtitles -with only a striking musical accompaniment – you need to refer to the leaflet that’s handed out at the entrance to determine the various periods in which the city was ruled by the Crusaders, the Mameluks and the Turks.

All was mesmerizing until we arrived at modern times, which was depicted by in the British Mandate period with well-dressed British visitors strolling around Jaffa Gate. From there, it was a lightning jump to today with hundreds of school-aged kids filling up the screen and singing a song about peace. When they finished, the audience didn’t know whether to clap or not, until the lights in the courtyard came back on. There was nothing about 1948, 1967, or the relative coexistence that we enjoy todahy.

While filing out, audience members stopped to talk to our gracious host Caroline, who attempted to explain that the museum didn’t want to enter into the politics of latter day Jerusalem, and decided that depicting the history of 20th century Jerusalem would somehow end up offending somebody and not satisfy anyone.

Perhaps, but due to its omissions, The Night Spectacular ended a little less spectacularly than it began. It’s still a magical night out, one not to be missed.

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Playing with the king

August 18, 2008 - 9:01 AM by David · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Life, Travel 

 Forget about children’s museums and discovery zones. In Israel, when you want to take your kid out for some afternoon activities, go back 2,000 years or so and play in some history.

The Tower of David Museum inside Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem’s  Old City, just opened up their new kids exhibition – called Fortress and Fantasy –  and it’s a fun and educational way to get the young ones out of the house.

 davidThe museum is situated in the formidable restored Citadel, which looms over the Old City. Its origins go back to the Hasmonenan kings, a Jewish dynasty that reigned from the mid-2nd to the mid-1st centuries BCE, and fortified the area with an impressive wall and large watchtowers. Built on through successive periods of Roman, Christian and Muslim, Crusader,  Mamluk  and Turkish (am I leaving anyone out?) rule, the site eventually became known as the Tower of David, despite King David having nothing to do with it.

The museum opened in 1989, the chambers of the citadel were converted into exhibition rooms, and the Crusader hall became the venue for changing exhibits connected to Jerusalem and its history.

My seven-year-old  son got into the spirit of  exploring the tunnels, checking out the moats, turrets and climbing to the top of the tower for a the amazing view of the Old City and beyond. The new exhibition in the Crusader hall features a bunch of cool, interactive stations that are tangentially connected to  the virtual world of castles, myths and fantasies.

Technology developed by the Israeli startup EYECLICK, uses cameras and special sensors activated by both hands and feet, which allows interactive multimedia to coordinate video content with the movement of the kids. If anything, the group we were with was more into the games than the history aspect – a natural outcome for kids who spend most of their time at a keyboard.

A final station outside featured a hands-on Playmobil area for the kids to build their own  castles and knights. But my son – a Leggo snob -  turned his head away, saying  there were only cars and accessories available, and not the raw material to build a real castle.

An ‘ice choco’ quickly remedied his sour mood, and we ended the day walking through the swanky, outdoor Mamilla mall, also built out of a slice of history. Just another extraodinary afternoon in Jerusalem.

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