בית חנה סנש
Anna Szenes house

Hannah Senesh house

Anna Szenes

Tours and Activities

Caesarea Maritima Museum

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General background

The Anna Szenes House in Kibbutz Sdot Yam is dedicated to commemorating the image and story of poet and paratrooper Anna Szenes, a member of Kibbutz Sdot Yam.

In 1944, at the age of 22, Anna joined a delegation of Yishuv paratroopers and embarked on a daring mission in Hungary to save Jews, a mission from which she never returned. After her death, her diaries, poems, and letters were discovered, written with exceptional literary talent and bringing us her unique personality, her inner world, and serving as a fascinating document of the significant period in which she operated.

The visit to the Anna Szenes House invites visitors into Anna’s inner world, through the various stations of her life. The carefully crafted exhibition includes poems, sections of her diary, photographs, original items, and interactive displays. Quotes from Anna’s diary in her own handwriting, are displayed on the walls of the exhibition, as well as songs, authentic objects, pictures, and interactive displays. The exhibition also gives a place of honor to the Paratroopers Delegation, which included the seven paratroopers who did not return – Anna Szenes, Haviva Reich, Abba Berdiczew, Zvi Ben-Yaakov, Enzo Sireni, Rafi Ries, and Peretz Goldstien.

The museum is open for private visits, and also offers guided tours for groups. Guided tours for groups may include an explanation of the exhibition or may also include the Yaffe Nof observation point and a stroll on the beach.

We also recommend combining a visit to the Caesarea Antiquity Museum near the Anna Szenes House, in which unique archaeological finds from Caesarea and its surroundings are displayed.

General Information

Fee:

The Anna Szenes House: Adult 30 NIS, child / senior citizen / soldier 20 NIS.

 The Caesarea Antiquity Museum: Adult 30 NIS, child / senior citizen / soldier 20 NIS.

Combined visit at the Anna Szenes House and the Caesarea Antiquity Museum

 Fees: Adult 40 NIS, child / senior citizen / soldier 30 NIS.

Note:

Screening of the movie is every half hour.

Guided tours for groups take place throughout the entire visit,

Opening hours

Additional products for groups for an added fee and prior to a prearranged appointment

  • Tour “Following Anna Szenes” – for groups only, over 10 visitors
  • The Bird Mosaic
  • Ancient Caesarea
  • The Eastern Hippodrome and the Obelisk

 

Opening Hours

The Anna Szenes House and Caesarea Antiquity Museum 

The Anna Szenes House 

Sunday – Thursday, from 10:00 to 16:00

Fridays from 9:00 to 13:00

The museum is closed on Saturday and holidays

 

Caesarea Antiquity Museum

Sunday – Thursday, from 10:00 to 16:00

Fridays from 9:00 to 13:00

The museum is closed on Saturday and holidays

Information

Translation

  • The texts in Anna Szenes House are presented in Hebrew. Soon it will be possible to see the exhibition in English with the help of an app.
  • Guided tours are in Hebrew and English.

Accessibility

  • The museum’s pathway is accessible to wheelchairs, as well as the entire complex, including the auditorium and exhibition.
  • Handicapped parking is nearby
  • On-site accessible toilets
  • Amplification system for hard of hearing 
  • Guidance signs
  • The museum can be entered with a guide dog
  • Chairs for the comfort of visitors throughout the exhibition

Rules and regulations

  • The place is suitable for children from the age of +10 years and adults of all ages.
  • Animals are forbidden (other than a guide dog for the visually impaired)
  • Bonfires in the complex surrounding the museum are forbidden.
  • Smoking is allowed only in the seating areas outside the museum

Food and Beverages

  • Sale of popsicles on the premises
  • We offer a cold water dispenser for the use of our visitors
Museum Store

Location and Directions

Instructions

Enter the main gate of Kibbutz Sdot Yam, pass the factory, turn right, and park in the parking lot of the outdoor venue “Al –Hayam”. From there, walk southward along the road parallel to the sea (about three hundred meters) until reaching the Anna Szenes House.

Directions for Individuals Who Have Difficulty Walking

It is also possible to enter the kibbutz through the south gate of the Merkaz Hayami  Caesarea. Please call us to open the gate (04-6364548), then continue a little further,   turn left and after passing the football stadium on your left, turn right and park in the driveway adjacent to Anna Szenes House and the Caesarea Antiquity Museum.

בית חנה סנש
Anna Szenes house

Telephone

04-6364548

E-mail

h.senesh@sdot-yam.org.il

Museum location

Sdot-Yam

Facebook page

Anna Szenes house

בית חנה סנש
Anna Szenes house

Sunday – Thursday, from 10:00 to 16:00

Fridays from 9:00 to 13:00

The museum is closed on Saturday and holidays

בית חנה סנש
Anna Szenes house

Sunday – Thursday, from 10:00 to 16:00

Fridays from 9:00 to 13:00

The museum is closed on Saturday and holidays

Anna szenes

Conferences, Events, and Seminars

The Anna Szenes House complex in Kibbutz Sdot Yam, apart from being a museum, is also a cultural center and a fitting place for holding conferences, seminars, and a variety of social or family events. The place includes a large auditorium in which it is possible to hold lectures, and screen films and presentations with a sound amplification system, a huge screen, and approximately 100 seats. We also have a sprawling lawn with abundant plants that can accommodate up to 300 people, and a large stage for ceremonies and music and dance performances (which also includes a sound amplification system, lighting, and a large screen). The Caesarea Antiquity Museum complex contains an impressive garden, a lovely lawn, and ancient marble items, such as columns, sculptures, and Corinthian capitals.
Optional activities and events at our complex:

  • Conferences and seminars for teachers, tour guides, academics, and cultural organizations.

  • Meetings on the topic of poetry with poets and young artists.

  • Meetings and lectures for women as part of Women's Day.

  • Meetings on the subject of the environment with "Zalul" organization.

  • Storytelling events.

  • Public sing-along events (inside or outside).

  • ODT workshops, cupping glasses, and other workshops on various topics.

  • End-of-the-year events for schools.

  • On Holocaust Day - "Remembrance in the Living Room" (Anna Szenes House invites the narrator/moderator).

  • Events for companies and workers' committees.

  • Family events such as weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, birthdays (with quiet music, and up to 60 people).

In addition, we cooperate with Kef Yam, which organizes, among other things, beach events for companies and workers' organizations, allowing for a very wide range of possibilities.

Anna szenes

For Soldiers and the Security Forces

For Soldiers and the Security Forces

At Anna Szenes House, special importance is given to imparting to soldiers and members of the security forces Anna's story, the story of the paratroopers' delegation, and the values that arise from them.
The activities we offer:

  • Sunday culture for regular soldiers.

  • Visits of groups of soldiers as part of an arrangement with the Council for the Conservation of Heritage Sites and the Ministry of Defense.

  • Tours for police units and various security bodies.

  • Tours and activities for women serving in the security forces as part of Women's Day.

  • Social gatherings – rotation of commanders, company meetings, graduation of military courses, etc.

  • Tours for students of the pre-military preparatory schools.

Anna szenes house

Educational Activities

 At the Anna Szenes House, we place a central emphasis on passing down Anna’s story to future generations.

Anna was an inspirational figure, from whom many values can be drawn, such as perseverance, her ability to give, her volunteering spirit, her assertiveness, leadership, and more. In addition, Anna’s story and letters teach us not only about her private world, but also about the period in which she was active, a formative period in the history of the State of Israel, the Jewish people, and the world.

Anna Szenes House offers activities and tours designed for schools and various frameworks of the educational system.

Tours for schoolchildren

Tours at the Anna Szenes House are suitable for students from 6th to 12th grade. The tours include a film in the auditorium, a guided tour of the museum's exhibition (adapted to the age group), and discussion circles in which questions, topics, and values rise from Anna's story and character.

A view from the sculpture garden overlooking the sea and the "Walk to Caesarea" coastal route

It is also possible to combine a visit to the observation point from the sculpture garden overlooking the sea and the "Walk to Caesarea" coastal route, which follows the footsteps of Anna Szenes, the Palyam (the sea force of the Palmach), and the illegal immigration to Israel toward the end of the British Mandate period.
Other educational activities:

  • The Anna Szenes House is also a significant stop along the "Beacon of Revival" journey of high school students.

  • Activities for bat mitzvahs.

  • Tours for "Taglit" groups and youth from abroad.

  • ODT workshops.

  • Tours, conferences, and seminars for teaching staff (history, Land of Israel studies, literature, etc.).

  • Tours for youth movement members.

Anna szenes house

Tours for groups

Tours for groups at Anna Szenes House include a variety of options, from the standard tour of the Anna Szenes House, to an extended tour that includes a scenic view from the observation point, a walk on the beach, a visit to the Anna Szenes House, and a visit to the Caesarea Antiquity Museum. The tours are tailored to various types of groups: Senior citizens, schools, families, organizations, companies, and tourists from abroad.

It is also possible to personally adapt the tour to the visit you’re interested in and choose from the options offered:

A geographical view from the sculpture garden located on a cliff overlooking the sea

A geographical view from the sculpture garden located on a cliff overlooking the sea, which can also include an explanation of the kibbutz and the elements seen in the landscape, such as the Sdot-Yam pier, Herod's Palace, and the rock reefs. The sculpture garden is located about fifty meters from the parking lot and near the dining room. From the observation point, you can continue on foot to the Anna Szenes House, which is a walking distance of about two hundred meters.

The coastal route

"A Walk to Caesarea" follows Anna Szenes - this route starts at the observation point at the sculpture garden and continues down the path leading to the beach. From there, there's a leisurely walk along the beach (300 meters) up until the path leading to Anna Szenes House. The walk includes a brief explanation of the affiliation between marine nature and man, the story of the illegal immigration to Israel toward the end of the British Mandate period, and the story behind the song "A Walk to Caesarea", which was inspired by Anna's walks along that same beach.

Movie/ the light-and-sound show

that tells Anna's story, from her childhood in Budapest, her immigration to the Land of Israel, and to her tragic demise in the Hungarian prison. The film includes touching testimonies told by Anna's acquaintances, with authentic photographs, diary sections, and poems. The film concludes with a brief reenactment of Anna and her comrades parachuting into Slovenia, as performed by IDF soldiers in July 2021.

Exhibition tour

A guided (or independent) tour of a new exhibition that tells the story of Anna through a journey between her life's stations. The exhibition combines poems, quotes from her diary, photographs, original objects, and interactive representations. The exhibition also tells the story of the other paratroopers, among them the six paratroopers who never returned, to who we've dedicate a special commemorative corner.

A guided tour of the Caesarea Antiquity Museum

the Caesarea Antiquity Museum in Sdot Yam is an archaeological museum that contains exquisite finds discovered in Caesarea and the region, of all its many and varied periods. The tour includes three different themed exhibition rooms and a large courtyard with sculptures and architectural items, allowing a glimpse of the city's fascinating past and the daily life of its inhabitants. The museum is adjacent to the Anna Szenes House.