Museums And Culture, National Sites
Mikveh Israel was founded in 1870 to teach a new way of life to the future Jewish farmers of this land. A guided tour (reservation only) brings the original gateway to life; the synagogue, with its restored painted ceiling and marble floor; the house of the founder, Karl Netter and the wine-cellar where young people were sworn into the underground Haganah forces in pre-state days. The Council for the Restoration and Preservation of Historic Sites in Israel, which helped restore these buildings, has its headquarters here.