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.
