Menachem Begin Heritage Center Bulletin Vol. 6, No. 24 | April 8, 2010
TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS SINCE OCTOBER 2004: 567,280
During the intermediate days, Chol Ha'Moed, of Pesach the Begin Center was the scene of a lot of action and excitement. As in years past, the museum's extended hours allowed tourists and Israelis to visit the museum, some for the first time and others for return visits. Over the two days of extended hours and two half-days before the holidays, 1,185 people visited the museum. This is an especially high number. 58 tours were available and, on average, 21 people were in every single tour. The maximum number of people allowed in any tour is 25.
This year, the Begin Center initiated a special program: "A Living Museum Tour". This is a walking tour that began at the Old Train Station which the Irgun demolished in an explosion in October 1946. An actor portraying Meir Feinstein, an Irgun member who was arrested after this action, told the story of the bombing of the Train Station. The tour will then passed through Yemin Moshe on the way to the King David Hotel. There the group met an actor portraying Chief Secretary, Sir John Shaw, who was in charge of the British Headquarters in the King David Hotel. The group then heard from Yoske Nachmias, a former member of the Irgun. 433 people went on these tours and again, this is a significant number. 18 tours were available and each one, on average, had 24 people in it.
In the evening of March 31, three screenings were shown of "The Earth Cries Out", a 1949 Italian movie based in part on the life of Dov Gruner.
UPCOMING EVENTS
This evening, April 8, Dr. Micha Goodman will be the speaker for the Parashat HaShavua lecture which is also Rosh Hodesh Iyar.
For Yom Ha Shoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day – on 12 April the Begin Center will hold a special ceremony at 4:30pm. Speakers will be Mrs. Jutta Hartman who will talk about her experience in the Warsaw Ghetto and Prof. Moshe Arens who will talk about Jewish defiance during the Holocaust. A musical interlude will be provided by The Chazanut Institute of Tel Aviv. Herzl Makov, Chairman of the Begin Center, will be the emcee.
DANIEL PIPES RECALLS BEGIN
Prof. Daniel Pipes recalls Prime Minister Menachem Begin this week in an article comparing the apologetic Prime Minister Netanyahu to the decidedly unapologetic Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Pipes recalled some of Begin's most famous phrases such as:
"What kind of expression is this – "punishing Israel"? Are we a vassal state of yours? Are we a banana republic? Are we youths of fourteen who, if they don't behave properly, are slapped across the fingers?"
"The people of Israel has lived 3,700 years without a memorandum of understanding with America – and it will continue to live for another 3,700."
"We have enough strength to defend our independence and to defend our rights. … please be kind enough to inform the secretary of state that the Golan Heights Law will remain valid. There is no force on earth that can bring about its rescission."
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