A Visit to the Independence Hall

Independence Hall

This past Wednesday I toured the Independence Hall located in Tel-Aviv- Jaffa. On May 14, 1948, members of the Provisional State Council gathered in the tight-spaced room and declared the founding of the State of Israel. The history of the location of the Independence Hall goes way back, specifically to the founding of the vibrant city of Tel-Aviv. In April 1909, 66 Jewish families assembled on an isolated beach filled with sand, to divide out the land by using shells. Tel-Aviv’s first mayor, Meir Dizengoff, drew the specific piece of land where the Independence Hall is currently located. In 1930, after Meir’s wife passed away, he founded an art museum in his home, in order to honor her memory. In 1932, the museum was opened up to public. Meir decided to expand the art in his household, and thus was the Tel-Aviv Museum established until 1971. On May 14^th, 1948, Ben Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel in the Tel-Aviv Museum, because it caught favor in his eyes.

The history of the hall amazes me for many reasons. Firstly, Dizengoff used the space in order to commemorate the memory of his beloved wife, and opened it up for the common people. Therefore, there it is as if his wife’s presence and essence is in the hall. The exhibition ultimately expanded, and became Tel-Aviv’s first art museum. This allowed culture to flourish, and inspired many people to find favor in art. Finally, Ben Gurion could have declared the establishment of Israel anywhere, though he chose the quiet, small space of the Tel-Aviv museum. This amazes me because it allows the hall to have a special sanctity and simplicity, and therefore makes the independence hall unique.

 --Ilana Stein