The tour is an interactive experience and invites visitors to participate in a journey through generations. The center is divided into several rooms, each of which exposes the visitor to a different period in the history of the Jewish people, beginning with the forefathers and twelve tribes and ending with the establishment of the State of Israel. Each room contains layers of glass illuminated by rays of light made by artist Jeremy Langford. The light fits majestically with music and explanations of about these works of art.
The Chain of Generations Center took seven years to build and includes archaeological finds astonishingly discovered during its construction, and thereby integrated into an exhibit. The foundations of the ''Room of Yearning'' include a wall from the period of the First Temple, Crusader walls, a Mamluk ceiling, and a mikveh (ritual bath) from Second Temple times. A huge column ''sprouts'' from this floor, symbolizing the yearning for Zion.
A tour of the center culminates in the ''Hall of Light,'' which shares the moving story of Rabbi Yisrael Halevi, a Jew whose entire life was a song of yearning for Jerusalem, and who was taken to a concentration camp in Poland and never reached the Holy City. A paratrooper, Moshe Amirav, in the battle for Jerusalem in 1967 heard the tale from one of Rabbi Yisrael’s students who survived the Holocaust. This story encapsulates the central message of the Chain of Generations Center and its theme of hope despite pain.
The tour is suitable for groups of 12-25 participants, is wheelchair accessible and takes approximately an hour. The tour is recommended for anyone over the age of 13 and is suitable for individuals and groups. Visits to the center are by reservation only, and are available live in English and Hebrew, with headphone options for Spanish, French, Russian, and German.
Photo by: Max Richardson
