Current Exhibitions

The Uveeler Collection

The Uveeler Collection

Mt. Scopus
Central Library

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Curators: Ahuva Passow-Whitman | Designers: Talma Levin, Dadoline

Opening Date: 2006

The Luba and Mark Uveeler Collection was assembled through devoted efforts that spanned several decades and countries. This is the work of people who loved traditional Jewish art in all its facets: in the synagogue and in the home, for the Sabbath and for holidays. They wished to construct a collection that showed the creative richness of diverse styles and communities. In donating the collection to the Hebrew University, the Uveeers desired to have it placed on permanent display at the entrance to the central library on Mount Scopus. Their aim was to enrich all those entering the building with a source of visual and cultural inspiration.

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Commemoration Corner For Lea Goldberg

Commemoration Corner For Lea Goldberg | 1970-1911

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Outside the Central Library

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Curators: Michal Mor | Designers: Tal Gur, Omri Ben Artzi, Yael Gur

Opening Date: 2011

 

Prof. Lea Goldberg was a faculty member at The Hebrew University for twenty years, from the early 1950s until she passed away. She was behind the establishment of the Department of Comparative Literature and headed it for a decade. To commemorate her 100th birthday, the University has chosen to set up a memorial corner that is open to the public.
The memorial extends across three panels, each in the form of a book representing a major chapter in Prof. Goldberg’s life and arranged chronologically: her time in Europe, in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem. The display incorporates original books and copies of her manuscripts. Also featured are recordings of Lea Goldberg reading from her poetry and lecturing, along with recordings of well-known Israeli songs composed to her lyrics. Alongside the display panels are items from Lea Goldberg's office at the University: some chairs, a desk and a bookcase. Next to these is a sitting and study area for students and visitors.
The display and the sitting area were built with the help of the Zvia and Yerachmiel Berlinsky fund. Zvia was a pioneer nurse in Haifa and Jerusalem and her husband worked at The Hebrew University from the 1930s.
Writer and academic advisor: Dr. Gideon Tikotzky
We thank all our partners in this project for their donations:
Management of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Association for the Commemoration of Lea Goldberg and her works, Lawyer Yair Landau
Gnazim Archives, Tel Aviv
The Hebrew University Archives
Hakibbutz Hameuchad -Sifriat Poalim Publishing Group
Am Oved Publishers

חוברת התערוכה

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Innovators Way

Innovators Way

Givat Ram Edmond J. Safra
 Mt. Scopus
Between the Main Forum and Law Faculty. Safra: Front of Wise Auditorium

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Nati Shohat, Flash 90 | Muki Schwartz



Designers: Boaz Mendel & Ron Yosef - Four'n'Five, Design Group

Opening Date: March, 2012

 

Innovators Way presents the groundbreaking inventions and innovations of researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. These creative initiatives came about as the result of intensive and wide-ranging scientific research, followed by patent registration, commercialization and finally marketing by Israeli and international companies. The innovations have brought benefit to man and to his general quality of life in a variety of areas: health, agriculture, technology and environmental protection.
The Hebrew University is a vibrant center of pioneering research in all areas of human knowledge. The university is ranked among the leading institutions of higher learning in the world, and its scientists are to be found in the forefront of international research.


Yissum – the Technology Transfer Company of the Hebrew University is solely responsible for the commercialization of innovations and technologies originating at the university. The company was among the first of its kind in the world when it was established in 1964, and is today ranked among the world’s 15 leading companies in this field. Yissum has until now registered more than 7,000 patents on more than 2,000 inventions, and has established 72 spin-off companies.

The exhibition was initiated by the Department of Media Relations. Project director: Orit Sulitzeanu
Prof. N. Kedar Photo by Muki Schwartz.

חוברת התערוכה

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Humanities on the Move

Humanities on the Move | Excursions as an Integral Part of Studies and Research in the Faculty of Humanities

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Humanities, Blocs 2 & 5

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Opening Date: February, 2011

 

An important part of the studies and research in the Faculty of Humanities is rooted in direct contact with the world outside of the University, in Israel and abroad.  Such excursions outside the University improve the learning experience and widen the horizons of both students and teachers.  In this framework, delegations from various departments of the Faculty have toured in recent years in different countries around the world, such as Italy, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and other places.  They visited museums, walked around cities, went to the theater, moved about the countryside, investigated archeological sites and encountered local peoples and their cultures.  In the summer of 2010, two delegations set out from the Faculty, to Argentina and Mongolia, can be seen in this inspiring exhibition.  Again we learn that the text is not only the written word, but also material culture, along with the human and natural landscape.

Reuven Amitai, Dean, 2010-2014

 

Impressions – Study Tour to Buenos Aires 2010

On the occasion of opening the summer programs abroad, the department launched a pioneer delegation of 17 students and 2 faculty members to Buenos Aires for three weeks. During the trip, the students studied Spanish according to their academic level, and in addition studied the history, culture and politics of Argentina and Latin America.
The participants of the summer program met with students from some of the universities in Argentina, visited a 13th century colonial city in Uruguay and participated in various educational tours important for understanding the Argentinean scene: the House of Governors, the president's residence, a dictatorship era torture camp, the building of the Jewish community (AMIA) that was destroyed in 1994 during a terrorist attack, as well as the notorious immigrants' neighborhood – "La Boca". The delegations met with the mayor of the city "La Plata" (Capital of the province of Buenos Aires) and received an honorary award. As part of the program, one day was devoted to volunteering with children in distress in Buenos Aires.
During the visit various cultural activities and events also took place that contributed to the understanding of the daily life in Buenos Aires including visits to: the waterfront neighborhood of Tigre, the famous art fair in Recoleta, and the neighborhood of Palermo. The group attended Tango classes, a Soccer match in the Argentinean premier league, Argentinean rock concerts, and a special day was devoted to a visit to the Argentinean country side that included the great culinary experience of the famous Argentinean "Asado" meat along with cultural and historical stories about the Argentinean cowboys also know as the Gauchos.
The Department of Romance and Latin American Studies in the Faculty of Humanities organizes summer programs for study aboard (Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Cuba etc.), whose main goal is to academically and culturally enrich the studying experience in the department. Students that are registered in the department in the major track are entitled to finish their Bachelor degree in Spain or in one of the countries in Latin America.

 

The Seminar in Mongolia, Summer 2010

Close to the end of the academic year 2010, we were informed to our delight that on behalf of the Faculty of Humanities of the Hebrew University, an educational mission to Mongolia is planned for the summer. A very surprising group of lecturers from different faculties and students was formed. Headed by Prof. Reuven Amitai and Prof. Michal Biran and organized by Mrs. Naama Arnon, Mr. Ohad Nevo and "Barak Afik" company, the group started for a challenging and fascinating journey.
The journey started from a visit and a series of lectures in Ulan Baatar University, after which a collaboration agreement between both universities was signed. After that, the group headed to the wild Mongolian steppes, in search of archeological remains, and combined with academic explanations tried to clarify, how on earth, Genghis Khan and his sons have conquered the biggest empire in the world.
During this journey, differences of age and rank disappeared and we became a consolidated group. We visited excavations of ancient Khitan and Mongolian cities, slept in Gers (Mongolian tents), drove long hours on unpaved roads, crossed rivers, rode horses, ate and danced in the nature, experienced sun, rain and hail and a lot of sky.
This exhibition represents a tiny bit of the very special experience which we all have gone through. We hope you will find it interesting, and that similar learning practices will happen in the future.
Members of The Mongolian Team 2010.

 

Kūḍiyāṭṭam —Sanskrit theater in Kerala 

Kūḍiyāṭṭam is the last representative of classical Sanskrit theater, surviving only in the state of Kerala  on the south-western coast of India- For centuries it was a temple art linked to the ritual cycle and the  presence of the god as a primary spectator. Today it continues to thrive despite the loss of its  traditional economic basis in temple patronage. 
Kūḍiyāṭṭam is a highly  intricate expressive genre that demands from the audience some knowledge  of the language of hand- and eye-gestures (abhinaya) and the patience and commitment to stay  engaged for very long performances (ranging from some ten to one hundred and fifty hours for a  single act of one of the major texts). Its repertoire is drawn from classical Sanskrit dramas as well as  from works composed for this art form in medieval Kerala. 
Each day the actor undergoes a long process of make-up, assuming the colorful external form of the  character as well as the internal transformation necessary to play the role. Performance includes  accompaniment by the ancient Miḷāvu drum with its great tonal and emotional range, Female  performers enact a variant of Kudiyattam known as Naṅṅyār kūttu.
Kūḍiyāṭṭam has been recognized by Unesco as a "masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of  humanity." With the support of the Hebrew University and the Humanities Fund of Yad Hanadiv and  Vatat, research teams of Hebrew University students and faculty, together with participants from  other universities, have visited Kerala to record and study performances in 2008, 2010, and 2011.

 

Islam, Buddhism and Jainism in North India

Islam is the second largest religion in India, with over 130 million adherents — about 13.4 percent of the republic's population. Arab traders first brought Islam to the southern Malabar Coast, in today's state of Kerala, in the seventh-eighth century. Sindh, in the northwest of the subcontinent, was conquered by the Arabs in the early eighth century, and from the eleventh century onward Muslim conquerors from Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran established themselves in the north.
Throughout north India and large parts of the south, a rich cultural symbiosis of Islam, Hinduism, and other religions and sects came into being. Indian Muslims have produced an astonishing legacy in art, architecture, music, and intellectual life. In 1947, as the British left, the subcontinent was partitioned into two states: the secular Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Alongside Islam and Hinduism we find in north India large communities of Jains, particularly in Gujarat, and Buddhists in the regions bordering on Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. Both Jainism and Buddhism are historic Indian religions, first appearing in the mid-first millennium B.C.E. and flourishing without interruption until today.

 

Tyāgarājasvārni temple

The paintings at the top of the column are taken from the Tyāgarājasvārni temple in Tiruvārūr. This temple, located in the Kāveri Delta Of Tamil Nadu, is one of the most ancient and most important Śiva temples in south India. Here Lord Tyāgarājasvāmi, "Master of Giving", dances the "Ajapā (Soundless)" Dance that reflects the rhythm of Viṣṇu's breathing. Tyāgaraja was brought to Tiruvārūr by the monkey-faced Coḷa king Mucukunda, whose story was painted on the ceiling of the Devasiriya Maṇḍapa in the mid-seventeenth century. These paintings are among the best preserved and most beautiful from medieval south India.

 

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Bina Gvirtz Stekelis

Center for Jewish Art

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Humanities, Bloc 6

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Zoya Arshavsky | Vladimir Levin | Mirko Przystawik | Katrin Kessler | Sergey Kravtsov | Zev Radovan

Opening Date: June, 2013

The Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem was established in 1979 by the late Prof. Bezalel Narkiss, an Israel Prize Laureate, to preserve for perpetuity the precious Jewish visual heritage through documentation, research and education. Each year, the Center sends expeditions throughout the world to document the visual culture of Jewish communities and has documented synagogues, cemeteries, ritual objects and Hebrew illuminated manuscripts in 41 countries. Priority has been given to the many Jewish communities whose rich Jewish heritage is endangered due to neglect and lack of awareness. Thanks to the Center's documentation and research, these national treasures of the Jewish people are virtually preserved for generations to come. The documentation and research are accessible in the Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art at http://cja.huji.ac.il

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Bina Gvirtz Stekelis

Bina Gvirtz Stekelis | Illustrator of Zionist children's literature in Israel

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In the hallway outside The School of Education

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Bina Gvirtz Stekelis

Curators: Michal Mor | Designers: Roni and Yedidya Blonder

Opening Date: 2014

This corner is dedicated to the groundbreaking illustrations of Bina Gvirtz Stekelis.

Stekelis was born in 1913 in Gorlice, Poland and raised in Dusseldorf, Germany, where she studied classical-style charcoal drawing. In 1935 she immigrated to Israel with her ​​parents and sister and lived in Jerusalem. Initially, she illustrated fairy tales and translated literature in a restrained European style. After her marriage in 1939 to Prof. Moshe Stekelis, researcher and director of the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University, she delved more into local content and her works molded into the life and culture of Israeli society.

Technological advancements in printing and computing have led to a shift in her creative style. From simplicity to sophistication, from social consensus to breaking of conventions and criticism, from visual modesty to visual richness through a variety of techniques.

The artist illustrated more than 300 books, among the most famous her illustrations for the textbook series Alfoni and Al Ha’arnevet by Israel’s National Poet Hayim Nahman Bialik. She was also a permanent illustrator of Jewish holidays featured in a series of calendars for children. Her illustrations were her children.

The exhibition presents a collection of her illustrations on Zionism and settlement, the Holocaust and immigration to Israel, Israel’s wars and heroes of the Bible, capturing reality alongside a world of fantasy. These visual illustrations have charmed young viewers and adults, and are an integral part of the collective memory of Israeli childhood.

Stekelis passed away in 2008, at the age of 95, in Jerusalem.

Academic advisor: Ofra Zucker Baharav

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The Awards Wall

The Awards Wall

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Entrance to the Main Forum

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Designers: Sonja Olitsky, Dan Hochberg

Opening Date: June, 2014

 

The Hebrew University, a prestigious and world renown academic institution, honors its founders, alumni and it’s researchers, winners of the Nobel Prize, the Fields Medal, and the Turing Prize for their breakthrough research.
Some took their first steps in science and in acquisition of their research tools in this University as students and some chose to advance their knowledge and promote their research at the Hebrew University, as researchers and teachers.
Their creative thinking and their innovative breakthrough research began with their unlimited curiosity and led to concepts that influence our lives, and earned them worldwide publicity and the prestigious prize.
The Hebrew university is honored.

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90 years to the Inauguration of the Hebrew University

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

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Around The Campus (see map)

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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.

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Chapters

Chapters | Chapters in the History of the Hebrew University Law Faculty

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The Faculty of Law

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Curators: Dr. Rotem Giladi, Michal Mor | Designers: Sonja Olitsky, Dan Hochberg

Opening Date: March, 2016

The Faculty of Law of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was established in 1949. This  exhibition presents the history of the Faculty through its transitions over the years: Initial  discussion about the establishment of the Faculty took place while the Hebrew University was still in its campus on Mt. Scoops; the Faculty’s first home was established in the Ratisbonne building in the Rehavia neighbourhood; in 1969, the Faculty moved to a new building in the Givat Ram campus; and following the Six Day War the University returned to Mt. Scopus, which became the Faculty’s home to this day.

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Go And Learn

Go And Learn | Milestones in the History of Medicine

Ein Karem
Medical Library

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Curators: Michal Mor | Designers: Sonja Olitsky, Dan Hochberg

Opening Date: May, 2015

Experience the world of medical examination, diagnosis, prognosis and education, via the collections of various physicians which form the basis for the museum.
In ancient Greek medicine, since Hippocratic times, 5th century BCE, human physiology was based on the theory of the “Four Humors”. Modern surgery followed a better understanding of the human body when Vesalius became Professor at the University of Padua in the 16th century and published his masterpiece, the Fabrica. The advancement of physiology, the invention of the microscope and discovering the germ theory of disease led to cures for many infectious diseases. 18th century military doctors improved trauma treatment, first aid and surgery. Modern medicine developed with the introduction of new biological treatments, developments in chemistry, genetics and laboratory technology Professionalization, resulted in better trained nurses from the late 19th century and specialized physicians in the 20th century.
Recent advances in medical sciences are built on the foundations of past generations and an understanding of the medical past can still teach us much of what remains important to the physicians of today and tomorrow.

About the exhibition, from the Jerusalem Post

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Scripture as Sculpture

Scripture as Sculpture | Personal interpretation of Jewish sources

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Rabin building

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Moshe Zabari
Opening Date: May, 2016

Judaica artist Moshe Zabari expresses the essence of visual art in modern Judaism in novel ways. His work is influenced by his family's cultural heritage, his father's stone carving works, his grandfather's calligraphy work as a Jewish scribe (a Sofer), and by filigree and granulation techniques. By combining diverse styles and cultures, Zabari's works are innovational and unique.
"Scripture as Sculpture" is a series of five marble sculptures illustrating the books of the Torah. The biblical world, the archeology of the land of Israel, the Jewish texts and the Hebrew language are all expressed neatly – on the verge of abstraction, lacking symmetry, as in the international style. Yet Zabari states, "We must recognize the importance of the historical and cultural past as the foundation for contemporary artistic vision and as a source of inspiration for the continuation of Jewish creativity. Looking back is an integral part of the creative process. I try to link my contemporary art with that of the past, in order to develop continuity of past generations."
We cherish the artist for donating his sculptures to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

For additional information about the works see: GenesisExodusLevitictusNumbers & Deuteronomy
---------
1935  Born in Jerusalem
1955-1958 Studied at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem
1961-1988 Worked as an artist-in-residence and later on as director of the Tobe Pascher Workshop in The Jewish Museum, New York
1988  Returned to Israel and settled in his childhood house in Jerusalem
2003-2004 Crafted the marble series "Scripture as Sculpture" in Carrara, Italy

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Preserving the story of nature

Preserving the story of nature

Givat Ram Edmond J. Safra
Lubin building

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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

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Evolution and Theory 1995-1998

Evolution and Theory 1995-1998

 

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

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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

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Room for thought

Room for thought

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

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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.

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