Beth Hatefutsoth

Diaspora Museum, Tel Aviv University

Beth Hatefutsoth or Diaspora Museum (Hebrew: בית התפוצות, "The Diaspora House") — the Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, is located on the Tel Aviv University campus in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. Its president is Natan Sharansky.

When it opened in May 1978, Beth Hatefutsoth was regarded by many museum experts as one of the most innovative museums in the world.

The museum uses modern techniques and audio-visual displays to trace the history of communities of the Jewish diaspora through the ages and throughout the world and to convey the story of the Jewish people from the time of their expulsion from the Land of Israel 2,600 years ago to the present. Exhibitions are arranged thematically, with a study area on each floor.

Beginning of the exposition, with a copy from the Roman Triumphal arch

The idea to establish Beth Hatefutsoth was proposed by Nahum Goldmann, founder and President of the World Jewish Congress. The idea was to create a monument to the Jewish diaspora, past and present. The layout of the Museum was based on the proposal of the poet Abba Kovner to divide the permanent exhibition into six thematic parts.

According to Jesaja Weinberg, the first director of the museum, "Beth Hatefutsoth was born, I believe, out of a strong though unarticulated need to recover or recapture and preserve something that was in danger of being lost: Jewish historical identity. Its purpose was primarily educational. It was conceived as a channel of communication for future generations too, but primarily for that generation."

References

External links

• Beth Hatefutsoth
• Museum of Jewish Diaspora - Beit Hatefusoth at ilMuseums.com
• Tracing History in Israel - slideshow by The New York Times

Coordinates: 32°06′49.72″N 34°48′18.94″E / 32.1138111°N 34.8052611°E / 32.1138111; 34.8052611