YMCA - Peniel by Galilee

YMCA - Peniel by Galilee is a guesthouse operated by the YMCA association, located about 3 km north of Tiberias city center on Road 90 (Derech Gdud Barak), on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The main building was constructed in 1930 from basalt stones as a private villa for Dr. Archibald S. Harte, then chairman of YMCA Jerusalem. According to accounts, Harte was an amateur architect who had participated in planning YMCA Jerusalem but fell out with his partners who did not accept all his ideas for the project; he left, moved to Tiberias, bought the plot of land and built his home there. When Harte died in 1946, he bequeathed the house and surrounding land to the YMCA organization, intending that it be converted into a guesthouse. After conversion, the site included a restaurant and guest rooms overlooking the lake, Mount Tabor, the Mount of Beatitudes and a palm tree garden. The interior of the reception lobby was covered with wood-and-Damascus shell mosaic work and furnished with antique furniture. A small church was also established there, built with a white parabolic dome and a bench facing the Sea of Galilee, along with a modern guest room building erected for pilgrims ahead of Pope John Paul II's visit to Israel in 2000. The YMCA organization rented the place to various entrepreneurs who operated the guesthouse. On 15 May 2016, the guesthouse burned down, and since then it has stood open and exposed next to the church. In 2019, as the Sea of Galilee water level rose so that water again reached the foot of the building, social activists began a struggle to open access to the beach and nearby springs located on land owned by the Russian Church (Einot Reket). The activists succeeded in removing fences that had been placed on the Sea of Galilee shore, but since then the historic building has suffered from vandalism, with only the external sign remaining. At the same time, the YMCA organization submitted a building plan to the authorities for rehabilitation and development of the compound. In October 2021, the Russian Church submitted a request to the Israeli government to close the shoreline in the area again.

The main building of YMCA - Peniel by Galilee was built in 1930 from basalt stones as a private villa for Dr. Archibald S. Harte, then chairman of YMCA Jerusalem. According to stories, Harte was an amateur architect who had participated in planning YMCA Jerusalem, but had disagreements with his partners who did not accept all his ideas for the project. He became angry and retired, moved to Tiberias, bought the plot of land and built his home there. In 1946 Harte died and bequeathed the house and the land around it to the YMCA organization, with the intention that the organization's people would convert it into a guesthouse. After it was converted for use as a guesthouse, a restaurant and guest rooms were established there, overlooking the lake, Mount Tabor, the Mount of Beatitudes and a palm tree garden. The interior space of the reception lobby was covered with wood-and-Damascus shell mosaic work, and antique furniture stood there. In addition, a small church was established there, built with a white parabolic dome and a bench facing the Sea of Galilee, and a modern guest room building was erected for pilgrims ahead of Pope John Paul II's visit to Israel in 2000. The YMCA organization rented the place to various entrepreneurs who operated the guesthouse. On 15 May 2016, the guesthouse burned down, and since then it has stood open and exposed next to the church. In 2019, as the Sea of Galilee water level rose so that water again reached the foot of the building, social activists began a struggle to open access to the beach and the nearby springs located on land owned by the Russian Church (Einot Reket). The activists succeeded in their struggle to remove fences that had been placed on the Sea of Galilee shore, but since then the historic building has suffered from vandalism, and only the external sign remains of it. At the same time, the YMCA organization submitted a building plan to the authorities for rehabilitation and development of the compound. In October 2021, the Russian Church submitted a request to the Israeli government to close the shoreline in the area again.

• 2021

  In October, the Russian Church requests the Israeli government to close the shoreline again.

• 2019

  Social activists struggle to open beach access as Sea of Galilee water level rises; fences removed but building suffers vandalism.

• 2016

  On 15 May, the guesthouse burns down and remains open and exposed.

• 2000

  Modern guest room building erected for pilgrims ahead of Pope John Paul II's visit to Israel.

• 1946

  Harte dies and bequeaths the house and land to YMCA, to be converted into a guesthouse.

• 1930

  Main building constructed from basalt stones as a private villa for Dr. Archibald S. Harte.

A historic YMCA guesthouse and pilgrimage site on the Sea of Galilee, offering lakeside accommodation and spiritual facilities.

• Guesthouse accommodation

• Restaurant

• Church with parabolic dome

• Pilgrim guest rooms

1. 1YMCA - Peniel by Galilee on Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2ימק"א פניאל on Hebrew Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org