Jerusalem Monopoly
Photo: Amit Shabi
Pass GO, collect NIS 200: Monopoly comes to Jerusalem
Players of the new board game could buy the Biblical Zoo, the Western Wall and the Knesset, and donate NIS 150 on their way to the Kotel; game draws criticism as it doesn't feature non-Jewish sites.
Want to buy the Western Wall, board a train at Ammunition Hill and wait a turn because the street is closed after a zebra escaped the Biblical Zoo? Now you can with a new version of Hasbro's famous game Monopoly dedicated entirely to Jerusalem.
Big cities like London, New York and Rome have already gotten their own special versions of game, while Tel Aviv managed to make its way last year onto the Monopoly Here & Now World Edition board.
Now, ahead of the 50 year anniversary of the unification of Jerusalem, the Israeli capital is getting its own version.
Photo: Amit Shabi
"This is the first time there's going to be a monopoly game dedicated entirely to one city in Israel, and we want it to reflect the spirit of Jerusalem," said Eli Dagani, the CEO of Kodkod, which produces Monopoly games in Israel.
The game celebrated its 70th birthday last year, with its official Israeli version being produced since the 1960s.
Over the years, the streets in the game were changed and updated, while popular sites were added to the board.
Photo: Amit Shabi
Dagani says there's a great demand for the Jerusalem Monopoly, particularly from tourists arriving in Israel and Jewish communities abroad.
With the help of the Jerusalem municipality in choosing the sites, the board features national institutions like the Knesset, the President's Residence, and the Mount Herzl cemetery, where the nation's leaders are buried. Players will also find the Mea Shearim neighborhood, Mahane Yehuda Market and a lot of tourist spots on the board including the Israel Museum, the Biblical Zoo, and the City of David.
The game's Chance Cards also expresses the Jerusalemite spirit, with instructions like "Donate NIS 150 on your way to the Western Wall," or "Street is closed due to the Jerusalem Marathon, wait a turn."
Photo: Amit Shabi
But the game also drew criticism because it does not feature any non-Jewish sites. While the Dome of the Rock does appear at the center of the board, neither the mosque nor the Church of the Holy Sepulchre can be bought as part of the game.
Meanwhile, there is an emphasis on Jewish sites in east Jerusalem like the Tower of David, David's Tomb, and the Western Wall Tunnels.
Photo: Amit Shabi
Dagani explained that the game was designed with the Jewish-Israeli buyer in mind and rejected claims of exclusion of other populations in the capital.
"The goal was to find sites that would not cause controversy," he explained. "The most important thing about the game is bringing people together. Every now and again we update the game, and it's possible that in the future the board will be different."
