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Arts- General Information

Israeli art had its beginnings in the early part of the 20th century when the idea of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel was beginning to take shape. 

Israel’s  school of the arts  - the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design -  was established in 1906 by sculptor Boris Schatz, and was originally called the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts. The establishment of Bezalel is considered to be the first major milestone in the history of Israeli art. The Jerusalem school bears the symbolic name of Bezalel Ben Uri - the first artist mentioned in the Bible. 

The first works of art to emerge from Bezalel were of a traditional Jewish and Biblical nature, and were created with the deep belief that art has a well-defined role in all matters connected with the spiritual existence of the Jewish nation. This belief predominated at the time despite the fact that no actual Jewish state had been established yet. 

Twenty years following its establishment the institution faced various difficulties and began to confront modern secular ideologies. A separate art movement emerged out of Bezalel, a movement that disassociated itself from the religious, Diaspora-oriented, tradition which was dictated by the Bezalel Academy.  This movement, known as the “Rebels of Bezalel”, sought to pay homage to the Middle East and the “New Jew”  by depicting the landscape and local people of the country, and its members sought to express their newfound identity as “Hebrew” rather than “Jewish” artists. This movement was established by Avraham Melnikov Yosef Zaritzky, and Reuven Rubin, and is considered to have made a major influence upon many aspects of Israeli life to this day.

Bezalel underwent numerous changes until it became the leading academy for art and design and moved to its present Jerusalem location on the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University.  Throughout the school’s existence Bezalel graduates have taught young artists, who have pursued many new directions and broadened the landscape of local creativity to encompass other institutions, museums, and galleries both in Israel and abroad.

Israeli art is displayed in museums and galleries in the three major cities in Israel and in other locations, and art lovers can enjoy numerous permanent and temporary exhibits. 

Information about current exhibits in the museums and galleries is available on the internet site: www.ilmuseums.com.

Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, has served as its cultural and economic center for centuries. The city has numerous art and archeological museums which relate its history.  Those who prefer the outdoors to indoor galleries and museums will a city generous in displaying its history in the streets in settings of unique beauty that led to the Talmudic proverb: “Ten measures of beauty descended to the world. Nine were taken by Jerusalem and one by the rest of the world.”

The following is a list of the main museums in Jerusalem. More information about the museums in the city is available at the Jerusalem Municipality website.

The Israel Museum
The Israel Museum is the largest and most important museum in the country, and is located in the Kiryat ha-Muzeonim (museum campus) at Givat Ram. The museum has numerous wings that exhibit archeological findings, historical artifacts, 20th century art, impressionist art, South American art, and a youth wing.  The sculpture gardens and galleries display exhibitions from Israel and abroad. 

A special, separate wing known as the Heikhal ha-Sefer (The Shrine of the Book) houses the Dead Sea Scrolls from the time of the Bar Kokhva rebellion in the year 70 and some of the scrolls discovered in the caves in Nakhal Kumran near the Dead Sea.  The white building has a dome-shaped roof that is shaped like the lids of the clay containers in which the scrolls were found.

The museum is so large that it is impossible to cover all the wings and to view all the exhibitions in a single visit.  It is therefore a good idea find out what is being exhibited on the day you plan to visit, and to plan your route in the museum to view the exhibits that are of the greatest interest to you.

Electronic recorded guides are available at the entrance to the museum in Hebrew, English, and Russian. The museum also offers scheduled daily guided tours free of charge in Hebrew and English, twice a week in French, and once a week in Spanish.

Details are available at the museum website.

The Bible Lands Museum
The museum is located in Kiryat Ha-Muzeonim (museum campus) near the Israel Museum. The museum exhibits a large collection of archeological artifacts that open a doorway to ancient Mid-Eastern cultures. The museum illustrates the ties between the various peoples of the region, and its clear and orderly exhibits create a multi-dimensional map of the region’s unique and ever-changing cultures.  The visitor is led along a time line beginning in Biblical times and ending in our modern era.

The exhibits are accompanied by maps, sketches and Biblical quotations which enable visitors to follow the life style of ancient societies and to become acquainted with ancient religious rituals, modes of communication, and art. The museum also has a spacious garden with trees and plants that are mentioned in the Bible. 

More information is available at the museum website.

Ticho House
A small museum located in the center of the city, Ticho House is a separate branch of the Israel Museum.  The house in which the museum is located was built by Amir Arabi in 1868 and was purchased in the 1920s by an ophthalmologist named Avraham Albert Ticho and his wife, Anna. The couple immigrated to Israel from Vienna and chose to live in what was then the heart of the cultural and intellectual center of Jerusalem. 

The first floor of the house served as an ophthalmology clinic, and the couple resided on the upper floor.  Anna Ticho, who had studied art in Vienna, began to paint while she was in Damascus, and continued her art activities in Jerusalem. She was awarded the Israel Prize for her artwork in 1980, and her work earned her  the love and respect of the art and intellectual community during her lifetime. 

After Anna Ticho’s death the house was converted to a museum, which is named after her.  The museum has a permanent exhibition of paintings, Hanukah menorahs from Dr. Ticho’s collection, an extensive library, gift shop, and coffeehouse. The house, an attractive building with much historical significance, also hosts concerts and performances.    

The Jerusalem Artists’ House
This museum, located in a 19th-century stone building, was the original site of the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts, and serves as an important center for culture and art. The museum displays temporary exhibits of Israeli artists, many of which depict subjects of current events and works by promising young artists who are eager to express themselves in a collective framework that enhances the creativity of the individual. The building also has a famous art supply shop.

Islamic Arts Museum
The Islamic Arts Museum is located near the Jerusalem Theater, and is an old and well-respected institution which has recently undergone massive renovation and upgrading. 

Today it is considered to be one of the best museums of its kind. The museum displays Islamic art from the 7th century to modern times, while giving expression to unique details and displaying rare collections that reflect a broad spectrum of styles and achievements.  Items that were purchased following extensive efforts and competition with similar institutions in Moslem countries have been added to the museum’s collection since it was opened to the public in 1974. The museum now displays artifacts from Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, India, Afghanistan, Spain and Iran. It also displays works Islamic-oriented art created by European artists.

The permanent and temporary exhibits include rich collections of pottery, glass, and metal work, ritual artifacts, jewelry, paintings, and tapestries that are evidence of the various traditions of Islamic culture. 

The museum also holds creativity workshops, plays and performances for children during school vacations. 

Visitors wishing to learn about the artifacts in the museum in greater detail can receive guided tours in Hebrew, English, or Arabic for additional charge.

Museum on the Seam
The Museum on the Seam was established in a private home at 4 Kheil ha-Handasa Street, directly on the former border between Israel and Jordan that divided the city of Jerusalem before its reunification in 1967. The building, formerly known as the Turgeman House, is covered with bullet holes that are evidence of the former conflict. The house was converted to a municipal museum in the year 2000. 

Visitors to the museum can sense the presence of the former border and the tension that prevailed between Israel and Jordan within the divided city. The museum presents the events of the past through multimedia, art exhibits, video movies, and guides, while placing emphasis on co-existence, tolerance and peace between the two nations who have learned to live together in Jerusalem.


The Rockefeller Museum
The Rockefeller Museum, one of the first buildings built outside the walls of the Old City, is a branch of the Israel Museum. Its exhibits include mainly archeological artifacts, but visitors to the museum also come to admire the beautiful building itself.  The original building, called Kerem a-Sheikh, was built in the 17th century and served as an olive press and private home. In 1906 the JNF sought to purchase the compound for use by the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts. The plan was never carried out, and in 1919 the British Mandate government declared that the site be converted to an archeological museum. Eleven years later the museum was built and got its current name.  Its history and location outside the walls of the city make the site resonate with yet another view of the cultural and historical complexity of Jerusalem.

Tel Aviv Museums

Tel Aviv is the second capital city of Israel. Devoid of any historical or religious significance, it is a new, modern city on the Mediterranean coast that serves as the center of a large metropolitan region called Gush Dan.  Tel Aviv was established in 1909, and was originally named “Akhuzat Bayit” or “Homestead.”  The city continued to expand and develop next to Jaffa (Yafo), the neighboring Arab city to the south. 

The concentration of business, art and public institutions has made Tel Aviv a cultural center well-known both in Israel and abroad. Israel’s two large theaters, Ha-Bima and  the Kameri are located in Tel Aviv together with the Tel Aviv Art Museum, the Opera House, the Conservatory, and the Cinemateque.  The city has numerous art galleries that exhibit works by Israeli artists, and there are numerous sculptures in public areas throughout the city. Parks and public centers host street shows, and the city has a wide variety of night clubs that music for every taste. Tel Aviv’s stature as an art center has grown over the years and many artists of caliber from abroad chose to exhibit or perform in the city. More information about cultural events in Tel Aviv appears on the municipality website.

If your time in Tel Aviv is limited, there are several sites of special interest that are worth visiting, such as the Old City of Jaffa (Yafo) with its picturesque port and artists’ colony, Neve Tsedek, the oldest and most colorful  neighborhood in Tel Aviv and home of numerous artists, and Gordon Street with its many art galleries.  There are also interesting works of architecture and cultural centers embedded in the heart of the city.

The Tel Aviv Art Museum
The Tel Aviv Art Museum - the largest museum in Tel Aviv - is located on Shaul ha-Melekh Boulevard and has both permanent and temporary exhibits.

The museum collection includes over 20,000 prints and drawings. The permanent exhibits include various works of multi-faceted Israeli art that were created and collected during the past century, European art from the Renaissance and modern era, an interesting Impressionist art exhibit, and modern American art. Temporary exhibits of international and local artists include important collections and traveling exhibitions. 

The large square in front of the museum has an exhibition of sculpture and large installations. The museum also has a concert hall and movie theater. 

The large library in Beit Ariela, the Kameri Theater, Opera House and courthouse are located nearby. 

The Helena Rubenstein Pavilion is another branch of the museum and is located in the city center next to the Mann Auditorium (Hekhal ha-Tarbut) and Ha-Bima Theater. The Helena Rubenstein Pavilion has temporary exhibitions of modern art and a permanent exhibit of figurines from the Helena Rubenstein collection.

The Land of Israel Museum
The Land of Israel Museum contains an entire world of visual, cultural, and historical treasures. This expansive museum offers a wide scope of attractions in a large area. For this reason it has become a tourist attraction that draws visitors to enjoy what the museum has to offer again and again. 

The museum collections are displayed in different pavilions, each of which is designated to a different media or topic, including glass, ceramics, coins, postal and philately, Judaica, ethnography and folklore. 

Permanent attractions on the museum grounds include the archeological site of Tel Kasila - a Philistine port city dating back to 1200 B.C., a planetarium where visitors can experience simulated space flight, a fire engine that was donated to the first Israeli fire brigade by the city of New York in 1947, a square with ancient mosaics, an old olive press, sundial square, and garden. 

The Diaspora Museum
The Diaspora Museum is dedicated to the history of the Jewish people in the Diaspora. The museum is located within the compound of Tel Aviv University. The permanent exhibits include ethnic artifacts from Jewish communities throughout the world. There are also temporary exhibits from specific countries. 

Jewish life in various geographic regions is illustrated by means of sound and light shows, drawings from the Diaspora, video movies, documentary films, and photographs. The museum also has computer terminals that provide information about Jewish communities, Jewish family names, and genealogy, a computerized photograph archive, and a center for Jewish music. 

Haifa Museums

Haifa, the third largest city in Israel, is the northern center of culture and art. The city has museums that relate the history of the Jewish settlement in Israel as well as the cultural and historical sources of its residents.  Haifa also has special museums such as the Nautical Museum and the Japanese museum,  that are dedicated to a specific topic. 

The Haifa Art Museum
The Haifa Art Museum is located in the Templar town hall in the German Colony that was built in 1869.  The museum has both permanent and temporary exhibits of modern Israeli and international art.  Emphasis is placed on the unique quality of Haifa as an integrated Jewish-Arab city.  The museum also sponsors cultural activities, dance performances, concerts, and lectures. 

The National Maritime Museum
This museum relates the history of Israel as a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Exhibitions include artifacts and documents about the ports, beaches, the movements of ships to and from Israel, and the history of seafaring. The exhibits express the connection between man and the sea and the history of seafaring people through works of art pertaining to the sea.

The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art
The Tikotin Museum, located on the summit of Mount Carmel, exposes the Israeli public to Japanese art and culture in an effort to promote mutual relations between Israel and Japan. 

Exhibits of the thousands of items in the museum collection are changed every three months to preserve the minimalist spirit of the Japanese culture. The museum, which is the only one of its kind in the Middle East, hosts Japanese music concerts, lectures by experts on the Far East, and evenings dedicated to events, ceremonies and festivals of Eastern Asian origin. 

In addition to permanent exhibits of Janco’s works, a unique underground gallery exhibits video art and presents an additional facet of this important and revolutionary art form.

The museum has become a place of expression for the local protest movement and hosts exhibits of young avant-garde artists. The museum is visited by Arab and Jewish school students, who convene to discuss the Arab-Israeli conflict. The museum also features a youth wing and Dadalab - a unique laboratory that enables young people to create in the avant-garde style. 

 
Ralli Museum
The Ralli Museum in Caesarea is one of four museums in the world founded by the art collector Harry Recanati. Recanati is particularly interested in fostering contemporary artists whose work has not yet been brought to Israel by well-known institutions. 

The museum is built in the form of a Spanish villa and exhibits European and Latin American art as well as the works of promising artists, many of whom Recanati is personally acquainted with.
 

The Tefen Industrial Garden
Tefen is one of four industrial parks established by the industrialist Stef Wertheimer in an effort to create a place that links industry with art and promotes creativity in all its forms.The three other parks are located in Lavon near Karmiel, Tel Khai and Omer. The industrial park contains an open museum that exhibits temporary exhibitions of Israeli artists, a permanent exhibit depicting the history of the German immigration, a sculpture garden containing sculptures of numerous styles, and an exhibit dedicated to the development of Israeli industry.

More information is available at The Tefen Industrial Garden Inernet Site.

The Museum of Art Ein Harod
This museum is located in Kibbutz Ein Harod and is the largest museum in the north of the country. The natural, rural surroundings make a visit to this museum an inspiring experience. The museum overlooks the Yizra’el Valley and Mount Gilboa, and the galleries are lit by the sunlight that penetrates the windows overlooking the view. Numerous Israeli artists have exhibited their works in the museum and have contributed their works to the museum’s permanent collection. The Judaica collection, photographs, and graphics are rich and attractive. 

Culture

Music

The Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has been Israel’s national orchestra since its establishment in 1936.  Its musical director Zubin Mehta, is considered to be one of the greatest conductors and musicians in the world. The orchestra hosts renowned guest conductors and musicians, and appears in concerts throughout Israel and abroad. Most concerts are held in the Mann Auditorium (Heikhal ha-Tarbut) in Tel Aviv. 

The concert schedule of the Israel Philharmonic is available here.

The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra 
The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra was established in the 1940s and was originally called “Tizmoret Kol Yisrael” (The Voice of Israel Orchestra).  Its musical director is Leon Botstein. The orchestra belongs to the Israel Broadcasting Authority and performs in the Henry Crown auditorium in the Jerusalem Theater. All concerts are recorded and broadcast on Israel’s classical music station. 

The concert schedule of the Jerusalem Philharmonic is available here.

Other orchestras in Israel include the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, the Ramat Gan Orchestra, the Be’er Sheva Simfonetta, and the Israeli Chamber Orchestra.

Theater

Israeli theater is the product of from many cultural origins, and consists of numerous small and large theater groups of various styles and genres. 

The first theater professionals in Israel were immigrants who came to the country from Europe and Russia and found a Middle-Eastern culture. These people created a legacy that maintains an intense dialogue with innovative modern theatrical thinking.

Ha-Bima
Ha-Bima Theater originated in Russia, and is now considered to be Israel’s national theater company.  The group moved from Vilna to Moscow and its actors and producers eventually immigrated to Tel Aviv. 

The Ha-Bima Theater group presents both classical and contemporary plays. It was the only theater group in the country until 1945 when the Kameri Theater was established in Tel Aviv. 

Ha-Kameri
The Kameri, which was the first municipal theater company, offered a local, Israeli alternative to Ha-Bima. Its actors were younger, their Hebrew was more fluent, and the plays they presented differed from Ha-Bima, which was influenced by Eastern European theater. To this day the two theater groups  differ in style. Ha-Kameri attempts to deal with social and political issues and to place emphasis upon the contemporary, daring aspects of the theater, while Ha-Bima continues to combine classical plays with original Israeli material and contemporary plays from Europe and the United States.

Other theater companies in Israel include:

Tsavta in Tel Aviv presents mainly fringe theater. 

Gesher caters to the Russian-speaking and Eastern European theater audience. 

The Haifa Theater is a large, contemporary theater group which organizes an annual theater festival of children’s plays, and also presents plays in Arabic. 

The Yaffo Arab-Jewish Theater presents local material of an alternative nature.   

The Be’er Sheva Theater 

The Khan is a unique theater company that performs in the Khan - a building in Jerusalem that was formerly Turkish Bath. The building provides an intimate atmosphere to the Khan Company’s performances. 

Dance

Israeli dance has won much recognition in the past few decades, but unlike Israeli theater, it is not identified with well-known institutions and is not closely tied with the Israeli essence or life style. 

The Israeli Ballet
The Israeli Ballet performs a rich repertoire of classical ballet. 

A list of performances is available at the Israeli Ballet Internet site.

Bat Sheva

Bat Sheva is an internationally renowned modern dance company. Its artistic director, Ohad Naharin, is considered to be one of the most renowned choreographers in the world. 

The Kibbutz Dance Company
A popular dance company that originated in the northern kibbutz Ga’aton, the company stages performances for adults and children that are choreographed by Rami Be’er. Its performances of modern dance have been acclaimed throughout the world. 

Performance details are available here.

Other well-known dance companies include Bat Dor, Inbal, the Noa Dar Company, and Miyumana.

The Suzanne Dellal Center in Nave Tsedek in Tel Aviv hosts dance performances and festivals. Details are available here.

Opera

The Israeli Opera
The Israeli Opera Company performs in the new Israeli opera house located in the Merkaz le-Omanuyot ha-Bama in Tel Aviv near the Tel Aviv Museum. Its repertoire includes classical compositions and modern operas as well as contemporary versions of operas written for the European opera. 

Performances are listed here.

Festivals

Traveling festivals and local productions take place in Israel throughout the year. They include art-oriented festivals such as stringed-instrument festivals, children’s theater, festivals for promoting citizens’ rights through visual arts, numerous film festivals, and street festivals featuring food and drinks. Visitors should find out which festivals are taking place during their visit. 

The Israel Festival
The Israeli festival is held in Jerusalem each year during May and June. The festival features performances of music, dance, and theater from around the world. 

Details about the festival appear here.

The Karmiel Dance Festival
The Karmiel Dance Festival is held in the northern city of Karmiel each July. The festival includes dance performances and public folk dancing sessions.

The Acre (Ako) Alternative Theater Festival
The city of Acre hosts a festival of alternative theater each year during the holiday of Sukkot. Alternative theater productions are staged indoors and on the street.

Details about the festival appear here.

The Eilat International Jazz Festival
The Eilat International Jazz Festival takes place during the last week in August in the southern city of Eilat. Front-line jazz musicians gather at the event, which is of interest to jazz lovers and musicians from Israel and abroad.