Places on The Way to Jerusalem
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Be’er Ya‘akov Municipality
DAILY
Distance from Jaffa Gate
110.5 KM
5pm-8pm
The Ramle Museum
DAILY
Distance from Jaffa Gate
5pm-8pm
110.5 KM
Ramle Municipality
DAILY
Distance from Jaffa Gate
110.5 KM
5pm-8pm
The Benedictine Monastery, Abu Gosh
DAILY
Distance from Jaffa Gate
110.5 KM
5pm-8pm
The Benedictine Monastery, Abu Gosh
DAILY
Distance from Jaffa Gate
110.5 KM
5pm-8pm
Places on The Way to Jerusalem
The Libyan synagogue of Jaffa
Distance from Jaffa Gate:
110.5 KM
About the
Synagogue
The building was originally built as a khan (a roadside hostel) in 1740 near the Port of Jaffa by Ottoman authorities in Constantinople. It was the only Jewish khan in the city, available for Jewish pilgrims going to Jerusalem and other holy cities in the area.In addition to reception rooms for pilgrims, the khan also had a synagogue and a mikvah (Jewish ritual bath).
According to legend, the Libyan Jewish community was looking for a building to serve as a synagogue, when they ran into a Franciscan priest from St. Peter's Church in Jaffa, who gave them the keys to the building and told them that the building used to be a synagogue.
Connection to the Way to Jerusalem Jerusalem
The Libyan Synagogue in Old Jaffa is closely connected to the Pilgrimage Way to Jerusalem through its historic role as a khan and lodging place for pilgrims at the very beginning of their journey. For centuries, it served as a place of arrival, rest, prayer, and preparation for pilgrims setting out from the Port of Jaffa toward Jerusalem. As such, it represents the threshold between departure and journey, where the physical road and the inner pilgrimage begin. Today, as the site where pilgrims receive the first stamp on the Way to Jerusalem, the synagogue continues this tradition, marking the symbolic starting point of the pilgrimage and linking past practice with the contemporary route.
STAMP
Rishon LeZion Museum
Distance from Jaffa Gate:
98 KM
About the
Museum
Rishon LeZion Museum is located in the historic heart of the town founded in 1882 and operates within original buildings from the early days of the settlement, including the clinic, post office, stable, and the historic well. The museum presents the story of early Zionist settlement and the everyday life of the first pioneers through authentic objects, permanent exhibitions, and historical interpretation, highlighting Rishon LeZion’s unique contribution to the shaping of Israeli culture and national identity, including Hebrew education, the revival of the Hebrew language, and national symbols. Visitors experience a tangible and educational journey through the preserved buildings and displays, gaining insight into the social, cultural, and communal processes that shaped the land in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Connection to the Way to Jerusalem Jerusalem
The Pilgrimage Way to Jerusalem does not belong to a single era; it crosses layers of time, cultures, and stories, from antiquity to the modern age. Rishon LeZion Museum represents a significant chapter of the modern period in the Land of Israel, a time in which the journey to Jerusalem also took on new national, communal, and cultural meanings. The story of Rishon LeZion, as presented in the museum, reflects the transition from a traditional religious pilgrimage to a journey of renewal, settlement, and reconnection with the land. In this sense, the museum becomes part of the broader narrative of the way to Jerusalem as a living path that links past, present, and an evolving identity.
STAMP
Ramle Museum
Distance from Jaffa Gate:
79 KM
About the
Museum
Ramla Museum is housed in a historic building from 1922 that previously served as Ramla’s municipal building during the British Mandate period, and it presents the story of the city from its founding in the eighth century to the present day. The permanent exhibition features archaeological finds, everyday objects, items related to local trade and industry, coin collections, and models and documentation of key landmarks such as the Pool of Arches and the White Mosque. The museum also documents later periods, including the years following the establishment of the State of Israel, the era of transit camps, and waves of immigration. After an extensive renovation, the museum reopened in 2024 with modern exhibitions and advanced technologies, and today it serves as an important cultural and educational center for understanding the history, diversity, and development of Ramla across the centuries.
Connection to the Way to Jerusalem Jerusalem
Ramla has served throughout history as a key resting point for pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem, due to its location along the historic route between Jaffa and Jerusalem. Today’s Herzl Street, where Ramla Museum is located, once formed part of the main walking axis used by pilgrims as they entered the city for rest, supplies, and human encounter. Situated along this historic route, the museum reflects the continuity of periods and stories that have shaped Ramla over time. Ramla also stands as a living example of multiculturalism, a city where different communities, religions, and cultures have coexisted for centuries, adding a deep social, cultural, and human dimension to the Pilgrimage Way to Jerusalem.
STAMP
Latrun Monastery
Distance from Jaffa Gate:
51 KM
About the
Monastery
Latrun Monastery is a Catholic monastery belonging to the Trappist Order (the Cistercians of the Strict Observance), one of the most austere and ancient monastic orders in Western Christianity. It is located in the Ayalon Valley, in an area of biblical and classical historical significance traditionally identified with Emmaus.
The monastery was founded in 1890 by French monks who sought to establish a monastic community in the Holy Land based on a life of prayer, work, and silence. In its early years, the site was poor, isolated, and exposed, and the monks devoted themselves to developing the land through agriculture and the planting of vineyards—an activity that would later become one of the monastery’s distinguishing features.
Today, Latrun Monastery is considered one of the most important Trappist centers in the Middle East. It remains an active monastic community, while also standing as a site of significant historical, architectural, and spiritual value.
Connection to the Way to Jerusalem Jerusalem
Latrun Monastery is a significant landmark along the historic route by which pilgrims traveled from the coastal plain up to Jerusalem. Its location in the Ayalon Valley, on the natural ascent toward the Judean hills, made it over the centuries a place of passage, gathering, and pause—a space where physical walking meets inner stillness and spiritual depth.
The monastery’s continuous monastic presence, its way of life rooted in prayer and work, and its traditional agricultural activity—most notably the vineyards and wine production—reinforce its role as a place of meaning on the way to Jerusalem: a place where the journey is not merely movement through space, but an experience shaped by time, effort, and purpose.
STAMP
Saxum Visitor Center
Distance from Jaffa Gate:
29 KM
About the
Visitor Center
Saxum Visitor Center is an educational and spiritual visitor center located in the Emmaus–Nicopolis area, near Latrun. It was established by the Saxum Foundation with the aim of offering visitors a meaningful introduction to the Holy Land through a connection between the Bible, history, archaeology, and contemporary experience.
The center features interactive exhibitions, multimedia installations, and educational content designed for an international audience, including groups, pilgrims, and families. Its focus is on creating an accessible yet in-depth learning experience that invites reflection on the spiritual, cultural, and historical significance of the place and the surrounding landscape
Connection to the Way to Jerusalem Jerusalem
Saxum Visitor Center plays a meaningful role along The Way to Jerusalem pilgrimage initiative, both because of its geographical location and the depth of experience it offers. Situated on a central section of the route in the Emmaus–Latrun area, the center serves as a place of pause, reflection, and contextualization for pilgrims on their journey toward Jerusalem.
Within the framework of the route, Saxum allows pilgrims to step out of the rhythm of walking, reflect on the journey they are undertaking, and deepen their understanding of the historical and spiritual significance of the path they are following. In this way, it is naturally integrated into the initiative as a significant station that connects physical movement with narrative, meaning, and spiritual experience
STAMP