Independence Day Parade, 1950.
The Independence Day Parade outside the National Institutions Building at the corner of KKL Street and King George, 1950—Another Once Upon a time in Jerusalem
The young state is celebrating its second birthday, the young IDF in all its glory, and the Jewish Agency and KKL – JNF Buildings—the National Institutions Building—are filled with an enthusiastic crowd, experiencing the wings of history with pride and hope.
The National Institutions Building was constructed on land acquired in the 1920s as part of the Ginzariya land purchase. The deal was made by the leadership of the “Hachsharat HaYishuv” company and Dr. Arthur Ruppin, who purchased the land from the Greek Orthodox Church. Founded by the World Zionist Organization, “Hachsharat HaYishuv” intended the area for the expansion of the Jewish community in western Jerusalem.
The lot chosen for the National Institutions Building, at the corner of King George Street and Keren Kayemet LeYisrael Street, was originally designated by architect Richard Kaufmann—who was the architect for “Hachsharat HaYishuv” and one of the most influential architects of the Mandate era (1920–1932)—as the future site of the Rehavia Hebrew Gymnasium (Prep School), which was moving from the Bukharim neighborhood.
The land was then transferred to the Jewish Agency by KKL.
In the end, it was decided that the gymnasium would not be built at the main road intersection, and instead the school was relocated to the heart of KKL Street. For years it served as the high school for Rehavia’s elite children.
Later, it opened to students from across the city and continues to operate to this day.
Right near the gymnasium, on the corner of KKL and Ussishkin Streets, stands another important site that’s been here for over 30 years—our office.
So if you’re in the area on your way to the parade, building a state, or just passing by—come by for a coffee or a whiskey, to the health of our beloved country.
Wishing a peaceful Shabbat to those near and far from Jerusalem ❤.
A truly full and joyful Independence Day will only be when our kidnapped brothers return 🎗 and we merit to build a exemplar society in our land.
Photographer: Eliyahu (Elliot) Dov Eichler
