So, you're in the army now - The Jewish Chronicle

Refugees from Nazi Germany, after their frightening sea trip on un-seaworthy, over-packed boats, arrive at the shores of Israel. Before they have a chance to mourn their massacred family, they are enlisted into the Palmach, the fighting force of the Hagganah underground army and start training to defend their new homeland.

This is the background to the Palmach experience designed by Orit Shacham Gover who, in her inimitable way, has created yet another powerful experiential museum which makes you, the visitor, part of the events you are watching.

Following a computerised path, you meet the seven young inexperienced recruits to the Palmach. You stand in a eucalyptus grove and listen to them discussing how to beat the enemy and watch them singing songs around a bonfire. Suddenly the heat hits you, as you follow them through the desert. At the same time you are watching real old news footage about events in which the real Palmach were involved.

You feel so involved with their life that when you sit around a radio listening to the UN vote on the Partition Plan for Palestine, it's almost as if you don't know the final result - the gathered crowd are all holding their breath together.