The Kennedy Memorial (In Hebrew: יד קנדי) is a striking monument set in the forrested outskirts of Jerusalem. It was established in 1966 as a poignant reminder of the assassination of J.F. Kennedy in 1963. The 60-foot-high memorial is shaped like a stump of a felled tree, symbolizing a life cut short. The inner sanctum bears an eternal flame next to a bronze relief of Kennedy. On the exterior, 51 white marks are spread like giant roots yet join into a row of slender columns circling the monument. Each column is embedded with an emblem of one of the 50 states of the United States, plus the District of Columbia.

Touring Yad Kennedy

The Kennedy Memorial nestles in the Jerusalem mountains, on the side of the road to Hadassah Hospital and Medical Center in Ein-Karem. The inner sanctum should be open from 8:00 to 15:00, Sunday to Thursday, but the memorial is worth visiting any time. A stroll around the monument provides also stunning views of Jerusalem’s forest and the coastal plain.

A tour of Yad Kennedy can be combined with a guided day tour of Jerusalem.