Weizmann House, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, one of the finest houses

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• published: 12 Jul 2012
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Zahi Shaked A tour guide in Israel and his camera +972 54 6905522 zahigo25@walla.com צחי שקד, מורה דרך ומדריך תיירים. מצלם אותם בכל הזדמנות 0546905522 The house built in 1936, the Weizmann House was the private residence of Dr. Chaim Weizmann (1874-1952) and his wife Dr. Vera Weizmann (1881-1966). Chaim Weizmann was scientist, President of the World Zionist Organization (1921-1931 and 1935-1946), first President of the State of Israel (1948-1952), and founder and first President of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Vera Weizmann was a pediatrician. The Weizmanns were born in Russia, studied in Germany and Switzerland, and lived for some 30 years in England. They chose to build their home in the Land of Israel, in Rehovot, next to the Daniel Sieff Research Institute, which later became the Weizmann Institute of Science. The house was designed by Erich Mendelsohn (1887-1953), an acclaimed Jewish architect who had fled Germany when the Nazis came to power. The Weizmann House was Mendelsohn's first project in the Land of Israel. It's a modern structure, sited on a hill overlooking the coastal plain to the west and the Judean Mountains to the east. Mendelsohn described it as a "model house for a person standing on the stage of history." A special effort was made to adapt the structure to its physical environment, culture, and climate. It was referred to as a modern, aristocratic house, in harmony with its surroundings, well suited to its purpose, fully expressing the soul of its owners, and, like them, a national treasure. In popular parlance the house was referred to as "the palace." Its dimensions were large and its style unique. In the center of the house is a stairwell, designed like a tower looking out into the distance. At its base are three rectangles: two, similar in structure and size, serve as the library and drawing room; the central rectangle is out of doors -- a columned courtyard containing a swimming pool. The rooms have numerous doors that open into the central courtyard. The walls of the house are particularly thick and consist of several insulating layers: bricks, cork, sawdust, and plaster. High on the walls are small round windows resembling portholes of a ship, which let in soft light while preventing overheating. With the election of Dr. Weizmann to the Presidency of Israel, the house became the official residence of the country's President. After Weizmann's death, the presidential residence moved to Jerusalem. The Weizmanns donated the estate, the house, and its contents to the State of Israel, in order to preserve the heritage of the first President. The house was first renovated in 1978, and opened to the public as a museum. In 1999, additional work was undertaken to preserve the property and restore its original character. This renovation was performed with the planning and supervision of architect Hillel Schocken and curator Merav Segal. The tour opens with a brief film, "King without a Kingdom," describing the life and work of Chaim Weizmann. It is screened in a hall built in 1978 as the offices of Yad Chaim Weizmann. The tour of the house includes the entrance floor (entrance hall, dining room, library, drawing room, and kitchen area) and the upper floors (bedrooms and washrooms). The cloakroom at the front entrance now contains an exhibit on members of the Weizmann family, Dr. Vera Weizmann's public activity, and the Weizmanns' son Michael, a pilot killed in World War II. It also displays some of Dr. Chaim Weizmann's personal belongings. The estate includes an expansive garden sprawling over 44 dunams (11 acres). The garden's physical structure was designed by house architect Erich Mendelsohn. In contrast to the house's straight lines, the garden's trails curve to evoke the experience of "losing one's way." An exception is the straight path leading to the graves of the Weizmanns, paved after the President's death. The garden's vegetation was planned by landscape architect Moshe Oren, a member of Kibbutz Yagur. The vegetation is varied and includes numerous kinds of plants common to the region (citrus, olives, figs, oaks) as well as tropical plants (such as mango and persimmon) from the climatized garden of Nobel Laureate and Zionist Prof. Otto Warburg. The garden was refurbished by Israel Drori as part of the renovation of the Weizmann Weizmann asked to be buried in the garden of the estate next to his house. At the request of Vera Weizmann, in memory of their son, his tombstone was fashioned after the tombstones of missing soldiers in Great Britain (where their son's name is engraved). The tombstone was designed by sculptor Moshe Ziffer. Chiseled in the center is the emblem of the Weizmann Institute of Science (the Tree of Life), designed by house architect Erich Mendelsohn at the request of Chaim Weizmann. In 1966, fourteen years after Chaim Weizmann's death, Vera Weizmann was buried by his side.House.