Jerusalem International YMCA

The Jerusalem International YMCA features a central bell tower rising one hundred and fifty-two feet above King David Street. Arthur Loomis Harmon, who designed the Waldorf Astoria in New York, modeled the tower’s stone carvings after Byzantine, Islamic, and Romanesque styles to mirror the city’s diverse history. During the nineteen forty-eight war, the building served as a neutral site for negotiations, and today, its basement houses a swimming pool that remains one of the few places where residents of all backgrounds gather.