| No other site in Jerusalem is as laden with symbols as | | | | At the end of World War I the Greek Orthodox |
| the Jerusalem Young Men's Christian Association. | | | | Patriarchate began selling some of its Jerusalem |
| Reflected on its walls, ceilings, stones and pillars are | | | | property. Land was sold to the Jews - who built in |
| manifestations of the world's three greatest faiths, a | | | | Rehavia; land was sold to the Arabs, who built in |
| statement of unity that remains stable in a city too | | | | Talbieh; and land was sold to the YMCA, so that the |
| often shattered by war. The international YMCA | | | | organization could build a monument to peace. So |
| theme in which a triangle represents the body, the | | | | impressed with the idea were the Jews of |
| mind and the soul is repeated throughout the building. | | | | Manchester, England, that they contributed to its |
| In front of the building stand 12 cypress trees, a | | | | construction! |
| symbolic number representing Jesus' disciples, the | | | | Dr. Archibald C. Harte, General Secretary of the |
| Israelite tribes and the followers of Mohammed. Forty | | | | International YMCA, had the vision. He wanted to |
| pillars in its courtyard and portico symbolize the Jews' | | | | serve people of all faiths and nationalities in the Holy |
| 40 years in the desert and Jesus' 40 days of | | | | Land, and impressed millionaire James Jarvie of New |
| temptation. Each column is topped by an ornamental | | | | Jersey with his ideas. On Christmas Eve of 1924, |
| capital sculpted to illustrate biblical fauna and flora. | | | | Harte found $400,000 in his Christmas stocking - a gift |
| On the floor of the outer entrance is a copy of the | | | | from Jarvie. Jarvie was eventually to add another |
| mosaic Madeba Map (another is on display at the | | | | $600,000 to this sum, dying before he saw the end |
| Roman Cardo in the Jewish Quarter). Over the door | | | | result of this largess. The architect was Arthur Louis |
| which leads into the building is a glass window | | | | Harmon, whose firm designed New York's |
| decorated with an olive branch. In order to keep this | | | | world-famous Empire State Building. |
| symbol of peace from shattering during the War of | | | | Far more modern than other contemporary Jerusalem |
| Independence, the window was removed each time | | | | buildings, the YMCA had the city's first heated |
| there was violence in the city. One day, in 1948, a shell | | | | swimming pool and its first real gymnasium - complete |
| flew through the hole where the window had been | | | | with a wooden floor. The first concerts broadcast |
| and hit the ceiling. Fortunately it didn't explode and the | | | | from the Jewish radio station (the Voice of Israel) |
| ceiling was later repaired. | | | | were transmitted from its stunning auditorium. |