ANU - Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv

Overview of ANU - Museum of the Jewish People

The history of the museum

Initially, in 1978, the museum was opened under the name Beit Hatfutsot ("Beit Hatfutsot" - translated from Hebrew as "House of the Diaspora") as a tribute to the idea of Dr. Nahum Goldmann, founder and first president of the World Jewish Congress. In 2005, the Israeli Knesset passed the Beit Hatfutzot Law, which awarded the museum the status of "The National Center of Jewish Communities in Israel and around the World."

In 2016, a new wing of the Museum was opened, representing the Synagogue Hall. In March 2021, after ten years of construction and reconstruction, the largest Jewish museum in the world opened its doors.

The New Museum

The new part of the museum, opened after completion in 2021, represents three levels of an exciting and immersive journey into the history of Jewish society. The visit starts from the third level and moves to the first.

The third level is a mosaic

The exhibition tells about identity, culture, folklore, art, language and literature, various denominations in Judaism and the Jewish contribution to the development of mankind.

The second level is Travel

The exhibition tells about the history of the Jewish people from ancient times to the present day. It describes in detail both the periods of prosperity, prosperity and cultural dialogue, as well as the periods of pogroms and persecution. The journey, stretching over thousands of years, begins with a story about Jewish migrations, explores major centers of Jewish life, as well as Jewish culture and science, and ends with the rebirth of the Jewish people after the Holocaust, the creation of the State of Israel and a description of various Jewish communities in our time.

The first level is the Basics

The exhibition tells about the foundations of the ideology on which Jewish existence has been built for centuries.

Synagogue Hall

The Synagogue Hall, opened in May 2016, presents the famous collection of 21 synagogue models, each of which tells about Jewish life, prayers, studies, creativity, weddings, bar/bat mitzvah, fundraising, charity.

An original ritual artifact from the synagogue or the corresponding community is displayed next to each model, which gives a more complete understanding of the cultural and artistic identity of each particular community.

Artifacts include historical Judaism, prayer books, publications, as well as an impressive stained glass window created in Germany in 1919 by the artist Friedrich Adler.

The exhibition also features films, video art and interactive activities for adults and children.