After standing still for over 100 years, the sails of Jerusalem's iconic Montefiore Windmill turned once again on Tuesday. The historic windmill, built in the neighborhood of Mishkenot Sha'ananim in 1857, was the first work place for Jews outside the Old City of Jerusalem. The structure has now been restored to working order and will serve as an educational and tourism site, and can even produce bread. The windmill has had new systems installed and its sails were imported from Britain. The inside of the renovated 19th century mill will feature a movie screening of the site's history. The windmill was restored with the assistance of the Jerusalem Foundation, donations from the Netherlands and the Prime Minister's Office Heritage Program. The windmill's facade was restored and machinery was installed to enable the arms to turn in the wind. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the inauguration event on Tuesday. Netanyahu thanked the representatives from the Netherlands present at the event: "I dont believe that the Jewish State and Modern Zionism would have been possible without Christian Zionism ... We value our friends, and we never forget them, and we think that you have helped establish here a powerful memorial to our friendship and our common ideals." Netanyahu spoke of the site's importance both to Israel and to him on a personal level. "Moses Montefiore made a great and significant contribution to Jews' leaving the walls. He contributed to their economic base during a very difficult time, even as Baron Rothschild supported the early communities. Beyond the economic support, he also assisted Jews with know-how on managing enterprises and developing the economy of the future Israel. This double contribution was expressed here in this neighborhood and this windmill. "My childhood memories are of this place. First of all, I studied not far from here, on the other side of the street. We would play soccer in the field and, from time to time, we would come here and this, of course, was Jerusalem then, which was still divided by walls and we would look from here, it was not simple. There were all kinds of security questions here; as a boy and a youth, I remember these restrictions. But this was the scenery of my youth and it is said that a man is always defined by the scenery of his youth. We grew up with the windmill, this windmill which always served as a symbol for us. Today, I know that couples about to be married come here to be photographed, and people celebrate bar and bat mitzvahs here. "For us, this was a constant celebration but today it is a special celebration, because we are marking the restoration of this asset which will serve all residents of Jerusalem and Israel, as well as the tourists who come here, and this is a symbol of the spirit of Jerusalem." The windmill will at first open Sunday through Thursday but is expected to soon open all days of the week after guides have been fully trained.
Jerusalem's historic Montefiore Mill restored after 136 years
The Montefiore Windmill was the first work place for Jews outside the Old City of Jerusalem • Prime Minister Netanyahu: "My childhood memories are of this place. We would play soccer in the field and, from time to time ... Jerusalem then."
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