90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University | Blue Signs of the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites

  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University
  • 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University

Mt. Scopus
Around The Campus (see map)

Curators: Michal Mor, Dr. Assaf Selser
Opening Date: April, 2015

A joint project by the Hebrew University and the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites commemorating 90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University.
A stroll around the Mount Scopus Campus reveals the past besides the present.
The Society's blue signs were placed upon ten historical buildings, informing about each building's history. In the map you can find the location of the signs and their relevant buildings, as is described below:

 

1. WHERE ARE THE CORNERSTONES?

On July 24, 1918 the cornerstones of the Hebrew University were laid on this plot of land, which was purchased for the University by the Zionist Congress. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Chaim Weizmann, officers of the British Army, soldiers of the Jewish Legion, and thousands of guests.

A memorial erected on the site has since disappeared.

 

2. HAMAALOT THEATER
The Theater was designed by architect Benjamin Chaikin and built in 1933 with funds donated by the Untermeyer family. The original wooden stage, built for the University's inauguration ceremony held on April 1, 1925, was replaced by a stone stage designed in the classical style.

 

3. THE EINSTEIN INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS

The cornerstone for the Institute was laid on April 2, 1925, during the opening festivities of the University. The building was designed by architect Benjamin Chaikin in a style that represents a dialogue with the local style of construction commonly used in the Old City of Jerusalem.

 

4. THE PERMANENT HOME FOR THE INSTITUTE OF JEWISH STUDIES
The cornerstone for the Institute of Jewish Studies was laid in 1938. The building was designed by architect Joseph Weiss and funded by a donation from the widow of the late Sol Rosenbloom. The construction was supervised by architect Richard Kauffmann. The central lecture hall was used for University conferences and national conferences.

 

5. THE ESTATE THAT BECAME INSTITUTES

This Grey Hill Estate was constructed on Mount Scopus at the end of the 19th century. The Estate house was adapted for use as the Institute of Chemistry, the first of the University's Institutes. In February 1923, Prof. Albert Einstein gave the first scientific lecture in the building’s main hall.

 

6. THE MUSEUMTHAT BECAME AN INSTITUTE
This building, designed as a museum by architects C arl Rubin and Itzhak Yavetz, was built in 1941. The upper floor contained exhibition rooms; the lower floor – a library, offices and rooms for the Department of Archaeology. Plans to open the Museum to the public were not implemented due to the War of Independence. The building was later designated for the Institute of Archaeology and its Collections.
A stone from the Third Wall excavations in Jerusalem was incorporated into the building's façade. The Third Wall, described by Flavius Josephus, is the latest of the city's three walls from the Second Temple period that encompassed the city from the north.

 

7. THE CLUB THAT BECAME PART OF AN INSTITUTE

This building, designed by architect Erich Mendelsohn, housed a club, which was inaugurated in 1936. It included a reading room, a smoking room, a teachers' room and a kitchen on the first floor. The upper floor was a large lecture hall, later a restaurant, with a balcony facing the Old City.

After the return to Mt. Scopus, the building became part of the Institute of Archaeology.

 

8. THE JEWISH NATIONAL AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
The building of the Jewish National and University Library was funded by the estate of David Wolffsohn, the President of the Zionist Congress. The cornerstone was laid in July 1926, and the opening ceremony was held in 1930. The impressive facade and dome are University landmarks.

 

9. MOUNT SCOPUS

The Grey Hill Estate was purchased by the Zionist Movement to be the site of the campus of the Hebrew University. The buildings erected from 1918-1948 represent various architectural styles. The University was forced to leave Mount Scopus during the War of Independence.

After 1967 the campus was constructed anew. Commemorative plaques were inaugurated in 2015, marking 90 years since the opening of the Hebrew University.

 

10. FOUNDATION FOR THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE
This building housed the Institute of Microbiology, one of the three Institutes established at the University before the opening ceremony in April 1925. The building was designed by architect Fritz Kornberg, who also supervised the construction. The Instui te was intended to be part of the planned Faculty of Medicine, which inaugurated only in 1949.

More like this

Room for thought

Room for thought

Mt. Scopus
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School For Advanced Studies in the Humanities

Read More

Opening Date: November, 2018

What did Youval Hai's camera len capture in the researchers rooms of The Buber Fellows Programme? If one can guess whether this is the room of a philosopher or the room of a historian.

Read Less
Evolution and Theory 1995-1998

Evolution and Theory 1995-1998

 

Givat Ram Edmond J. Safra
The Suzanne and Charles Goodman Brain Sciences Building

Read More

Zadok Ben David

Opening Date: 4 June, 2018

An exploration of human nature, and the human figure as part of the natural

environment, have been prevailing themes in Ben-David’s work. Animals, plants and

invisible natural forces, like gravity and light, are used as metaphors and tools to

examine and explore human behaviour.

Ben-David’s ability to communicate can be seen as an infinite string of unconscious

elements exploring our identity and testing our ideas and emotions.Scientific

discoveries and innovation, as well as illusion and magic, create a series of

propositions in Ben-David’s work concerning the absurd, as well as the hope,

inherent in the human condition.

Evolution and Theory is my first installation and is still the largest.

Most of the images were inspired by illustrations found in late nineteenth-century scientific

books. There are 250 sculptures, all hand cut from aluminium sheet and hand painted.

Individual pieces range in size from 20 cm to 2.8 metres high. Large and small pieces are

juxtaposed, seemingly at random, their bases concealed by a thin layer of fine sand. The

installation occupies a floor area of 400 square metres and took three years to complet.

 

What Makes Us Human

Read Less
Preserving the story of nature

Preserving the story of nature

Givat Ram Edmond J. Safra
Lubin building

Read More
Curators: Michal Mor, Dr. Efrat Gavish-Regev | Designers: Dan Hochberg, Sonja Olitsky

Opening Date: April, 2017

The Natural History Collections at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem enable us to study the animals, plants and minerals of the Land of Israel and the Mediterranean basin. The Natural History Collections are an integral part of the heritage of the society and the state. The natural treasures that document our environment from the geological era up to the present day are deposited in the national collections and represent variability through time and space for each species. The National Natural History Collections form a reliable and readily available repository for comparing and studying the changes that constantly occur in the flora and fauna of our surroundings. The information obtained here is unique and of great importance for the study of extinct species, for the development of nature conservation programs, and for the advancement of agriculture and medicine. Through the use of comparative collections, DNA tests deriving from specimens in the collections, and other modern methods, scientists can identify species and determine the variability (e.g. morphological, genetic) within species and among close species. Every description of a species new to science also designates a holotype, which represents the species’ characters and bears its name. Beyond this wall you can find out about the work of evolutionary biologists and naturalists, see selected specimens and experience the work of a taxonomist.

Academic Consultancy: The Israeli National Natural History
Collections staffThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Production: Orna Bar

National Natural History Collections

Read Less