Category: History & Heritage

Beit Hatfutsot – The Museum of the Jewish People

Beit Hatfutsot, the Museum of the Jewish People, is more than a museum. This unique global institution tells the ongoing and extraordinary story of the Jewish people.

Beit Hatfutsot connects Jewish people to their roots and strengthens their personal and collective Jewish identity. Beit Hatfutsot conveys to the world the fascinating narrative of the Jewish people and the essence of the Jewish culture, faith, purpose and deed while presenting the contribution of world Jewry to humanity.

Beit Hatfutsot opened in 1978 thanks to the vision of Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress 1954-1977. In 2005, the Israeli Knesset passed the Beit Hatfutsot Law that defines Beit Hatfutsot as “the National Center for Jewish communities in Israel and around the world”.

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Dor Guez

Artist

Dor Guez (born in Baka, Jerusalem) is an artist and a scholar who lives in Jaffa. His work interrogates personal and official accounts of the past while revealing histories that were previously absent. His practice raises questions about contemporary art’s role in narrating unwritten histories, and re-contextualizing visual and written documents. The artist’s cultural heritage, Christian Palestinian and Jewish Tunisian, is reflected in his artistic interest.

Guez’s work has been the subject of over 25 solo exhibitions worldwide, with his most recent at the ICA in London, and Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit. Past solo exhibitions have been held at The Rose Art Museum in Boston, Artpace, San Antonio, the Mosaic Rooms, Centre for Contemporary Arab Culture, London, The KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin,Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and Petach Tikva Museum of Art. Guez’s work has been included in numerous international exhibitions and biennials including the 12th Istanbul Biennial; 8th Berlin Biennial; 17th, 18th and 19th International Contemporary Art Festival, Videobrasil, São Paulo; 3rd Moscow International Biennale, Moscow; Biennale Benin, Cotonou; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography; MAXXI Museum, Rome; Cleveland Institute of Art; Triennale Museum, Milan; Villa Stuck Museum, Munich; Weatherspoon Art Museum, North Carolina, among others.

In 2014 Guez was nominated as head of the Photography Department at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem.

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The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo

The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens, also known as the Biblical Zoo, opened in Jerusalem’s Malha neighborhood in 1993, having been located in various locations in Jerusalem since 1941. The establishment of the zoo in its present form was made possible thanks to the generosity of Tisch family of New York, under the auspices of the Jerusalem Foundation. The dedication ceremony took place in the presence of the President of the State of Israel at the time, the late Chaim Herzog.

The Zoo was designed by Miller-Blum & Associates Landscape Architects, and was constructed by the Moriah-Jerusalem Development Corporation. Stretching across almost 100 acres, the Zoo is ranked year after year as one of the top tourist sites in Israel, attracting over 750,000 visitors annually. The Zoo’s scenic location in the Judean hills with its varied animal exhibits, draws people from all threads of Jerusalem’s vibrant social fabric – Jewish, Christian and Muslim; secular and religious: young and old; and tourists and locals. Thus the Zoo has become a bridge between communities. It is one of the few sites in Israel where everyone comes together and feels welcome.

The Zoo is a non-profit organization created by a partnership consisting of the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jerusalem Development Authority and the Jerusalem Foundation. The Zoo’s Board of Directors has distinguished individuals from local government, business and academia; and our Professional International Advisory Committee is comprised of leading nature conservationists from Israel and abroad. The Biblical Zoo receives no governmental or municipal operations subsidies. It is dependent on visitors for operational expenses and on friends in Israel and abroad for special capital projects, wildlife conservation and education programs.

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The Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum

The walls of the Citadel serve as a stage for a nightime show which is a celebration of sight and sound. Amidst the archaeological remains in the Citadel’s courtyard and to the sound of original music, the story of Jerusalem unfolds through giant breathtaking, virtual reality images. The Night Spectacular uses trompe l’oeil technology – the stones of the walls and structures fade into the scenes and the screened images envelop the viewers and whisk them off to a one-of-a-kind multi-sensory experience.
Innovative techniques and a sophisticated computer system operate 20 projectors, 10 video players, 14 computers and 14 loudspeakers. All this in addition to some 10 kilometers of cable and two projection rooms. The Night Spectacular, the first of its kind in the world, is for everyone – tourists from Israel and abroad, families, speakers of all languages and all Jerusalem lovers.

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Tower of David Museum of History of Jerusalem

The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem is located in the medieval citadel known as the Tower of David, near the Jaffa Gate, the historic entrance to the Old City. The Museum presents Jerusalem’s story. It details the major events in its history beginning with the first evidence of a city in Jerusalem in the second millennium BCE, until the city became the capital of the State of Israel, as well as its significance to three religions. The permanent exhibition illustrates the city’s history along the axis of time using myriad methods and includes explanations in Hebrew, Arabic and English. The Citadel itself is a fascinating archaeological site. The finds uncovered within are a testimony to Jerusalem’s eventful past and produce a representation of Jerusalem and its various historical periods in microcosm. The Citadel’s towers offer a 360-degree view of the Old City of Jerusalem as well as the city’s modern areas.

In addition to being a museum of history, the Tower of David relates to both the past and the future. The museum stages temporary exhibitions which integrate the unique location and majesty of the ancient Citadel and its history with a contemporary presentation of artistic and historical issues. The museum also hosts lectures and special events in music, dance and drama as well as dozens of educational activities and programs. The museum also stages a unique sound and light show – The Night Spectacular – the only one of its kind in the world. The Night Spectacular tells the story of Jerusalem. It is a celebration of sounds, music and breathtaking images the envelop the viewer into a multi-sensory experience. Cultures, religions, rukers and legeds are projected on the ancient walls and magically appear among the archaeological remains of Jerusalem’s citadel. In order to better tell the story of Jerusalem, the Tower of David Museum has pioneered the use of new and interactive digital technologies, games and apps for children, families and adults that, along with our traditional activities, enrich the visitor experience.

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