coop, a laundry, as well as living quarters for the housekeeper, gatekeeper and gardener. Today the external structures are no more, except for a cottage occupied by a "protected tenant". The property on the north side was probably leased out for the building of apartment blocks, as was, later, the property on the south side. However, the "Turkish Tower" still exists, and is probably the oldest structure on the property. Refugees In May 1948, the monastery opened its gates to women and children evacuated from Gush Etzion before they were moved to Kibbutz Ma'ale HaHamisha. The children lived in the cellar, with the constant smell of wine coming in from the wine cellar. The yard had a tin shack for showering and laundry. Water was distributed from wells in the yard that were kept locked. The water was used sparingly and recycled as far as possible from bathing to laundry to washing the floor. Life was organized as in a kibbutz: girls worked in the kitchen and laundry, and in child care. A corner of the yard was fenced in for cows. Site of negotiations between the Vatican and Israel Both because of its location and because of the historical services rendered by the Monastery, it was chosen without hesitation by both parties as the site for the negotiations between the Holy See and the State of Israel, leading to the accord signed in 1993. The present Director's Office is the room where the negotiations actually took place, as a photo (dated 1994) preserved there bears witness. In the photo may be seen the then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Msgr. Michel Sabbah. Centre Chrétien d’Études Juives (CCEJ) After the creation of the State of Israel, the Ratisbonne Institute gradually became a centre of study for Christians interested in Jewish studies. In 1970, it was opened more specifically to the international and ecumenical dimensions. In order to ensure permanence and growth, in 1984 the Congregation of the Religious of Our Lady of Sion requested and obtained the intervention of the Holy See which became the holder of the property. The Catholic Institute of Paris assumed academic responsibility for the Institute, now called “Institut Saint-Pierre de Sion – Ratisbonne, Centre Chrétien d’Études Juives” (CCEJ). In June 1995, Msgr. Andre di Montezemolo, apostolic nuncio in Israel, was asked by the Holy See to supervise the elaboration of the definitive