The New Herzl Museum Tour
March 17th 2013
Herzl Museum In a way that entertains as it informs, the Herzl Museum demonstrates how Theodor Herzl’s devoted political activities eventually led to the establishment of the modern State of Israel. Located on the grounds of Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl national cemetery, the Herzl Museum is an important destination on your trip to Israel. A single museum may cover centuries of history or millions of kilometers of land. By focusing on one particular historical figure, the Herzl Museum takes a radically different approach. Using advanced audio-visual effects coupled with historical theater, the Herzl Museum tells the story of how Theodor Herzl, sometimes called Binyamin Ze’ev Herzl, came to be known as the father of modern political Zionism.
The Herzl Museum shares its experiential, multimedia approach with the Begin Center Museum, also located in Jerusalem, which focuses on the story of Israel’s 6th Prime Minister, Menachem Begin. Theodor Herzl was an assimilated, German-speaking Jewish journalist at the very end of the 19th century in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The museum’s four rooms tell the story of his transformation into a central figure in the political Zionist movement.
As you go from room to room on your tour, you’ll watch segments of actor Lior Michaeli’s filmed portrayal of Herzl, which illustrate that Herzl was a powerful orator, determined to convince the world’s political leaders of the need for a Homeland for the Jewish people. Original documents and artifacts from the period are also on display. In his utopian novel Altneuland, it was Theodor Herzl who authored the now-famous line, “If you will, it is no dream.” As the story of Herzl’s transformation progresses, each group of visitors moves from room to room. In nearly every space through which visitors pass, comfortable seating is available. The museum is wheelchair accessible. Plan a full hour for the tour, which is available in Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Spanish and German.
The museum opens Sunday through Friday at 8:30 AM. Closing time is 6:00 PM Sunday through Wednesday, 7:00 PM on Thursdays and 1:00 PM on Fridays, year round. The last tour starts approximately one hour before closing time. The museum is closed on Shabbat.
