American Israel PavilionThis spiral-shaped building, with boulders hewn from King Solomon's Mine set at its entrance, curled around itself like a chambered nautilus in red mahogany. Its winding walkway conducted the visitor through 4,000 years of Jewish history.The 15-20 minute walking tour began in a city of Biblical times. The visitor found himself strolling down a narrow stone street where he saw women milling grain, scribes at work and the Temple of Solomon in the background. A second scene called "Dispersion," showed Jews scattered around the world, making their contributions at different periods to the cultures of Europe, Asia and Africa. A display of the Ten Commandments in various languages indicated the special impact of their moral traditions. The tour ended in the streets of Haifa of 1964. Israel's scientific and social progress was also depicted. |