Museum of Underground Prisoners
The building was erected as a hostel for Christian pilgrims towards the end of the Ottoman period, when the European powers sought to strengthen their hold on Palestine.
[1] The Russian Compound, built outside the Old City, included a church, a hospital, and pilgrim hostels for men and women.
While the facility housed many death-row inmates, members of the Jewish underground sentenced to death were executed in Acre.
The British, fearful of the Jewish reaction to executions in the holy city, never used the gallows for Jews, although it was once scheduled for such use.
[citation needed] Between 1946 and 1948, the Jewish Jerusalemites nicknamed the highly secured area "Bevingrad".
The wire fence, bars and inscription "Central Prison Jerusalem" on the door are from the British Mandatory period, which ended in May 1948.
During the 1947–1949 Palestine war on May 15, 1948, the compound was captured by the Haganah with the assistance of the Irgun and Lehi in a campaign known as Operation Kilshon, Pitchfork.
2009 Joshua Sobols polydrama "Alma", a site specific simultan play about Alma Mahler-Werfel, wife of Gustav Mahler, Walter Gropius and Franz Werfel was performed in the entire museum, directed by Paulus Manker, in co-production with the Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv, starring Doron Tavori, Golan Azulai and Adi Gilat.
They were charged with offenses that ranged from putting up posters, training in and possession of weapons to physical assault.
[citation needed] At the beginning of the Mandatory period, the population of the Central Prison in Jerusalem was 250 inmates.
For 25 years, the rabbi came to the prison every Shabbat and holiday, in every kind of weather, without any reward or salary.
A newspaper scrap, found in the bottom of one of the food supply boxes in the kitchen, provided Johnny with the reason – Bracha was killed by the British during an operation to land illegal immigrants from the Orde Wingate ship on the Tel Aviv shore (March 1946).
[4] After his release from prison, Johnny fought in the 1947–1949 Palestine war and was killed in one of the battles for the Kastel (March 1948).
On the wall can be seen a drawing of the crescent of the "Machrav", which indicates the direction of Mecca where Moslems turn when praying.
In December 1946, Benjamin Kimhi, a 16-year-old member of Etzel, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment and 18 lashings for his participation in the robbery of the Ottoman Bank in Jaffa.
When the Etzel became aware of the sentence, they published a proclamation warning the British not to subject Benjamin to the lashings.
One of the teams was caught by the British in a routine check post and three members of the group, Mordechai Alkachi, Yechiel Dresner, and Eliezer Kashani, were hanged in the Acre Prison.
The dispensary was separated from the prison cells and also included an office for a doctor who came once a week, and an isolation room.
The warden inflicted this punishment and the time spent here ranged from several hours to two weeks.
The British, fearing that the vehicle taking them to Acre would be ambushed, decided to execute them in Jerusalem.
At the initiative of the two underground groups and with the agreement of the two condemned men, it was decided to thwart the plans of the executioners.
On the previous evening they were visited by Rabbi Yaakov Goldman who was so impressed by their courage and spirit that he decided to accompany them to their execution.
Menachem Begin, commander of Etzel and Israel's sixth prime minister, requested in his will that he be buried beside them on the Mount of Olives.
