This year International Museum Day in Israel is on May 3rd, 2018
Hebrew: חגיגות ל”ג בעומר
Traditionally Lag B’Omer celebrations include the making of bonfires, social gatherings, 3 year old little boys have their first haircuts and weddings and other celebrations generally forbidden between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Festival of Weeks) are permitted on this day. In Israel people visit Mt Meron, near Tzfat, and the graveside of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a disciple of Rabbi Akivah,
This year International Museum Day in Israel coincides with Lag BaOmer. Here is a list of museums that are offering free entrance to the public on May 3rd, 2018
Looking for cheaper accommodation? Try one of Israel’s many hostels accredited by the Israel Tourist Board.
Adventurous foreign travelers and backpackers are always looking for economical lodgings. Some of Israel’s hostels are quite special and offer good accommodation (not only bunk beds), panoramic views as well as being conveniently located near the major tourist sites. Hostels are not just for youth or backpackers. There are plenty of hostels that are family-friendly too. Local Israelis love to travel, they love new experiences, the outdoors, hiking with their families and discovering the unique character of Israel’s ancient past and present – all are looking for the best deal and affordable accommodation. Hostels offer an amazing and memorable experience.
The Hebrew word for ‘hostel’: אכסניה – Achsaniya
Each hostel operates independently and has it’s own minimum stay requirements. Anyone holding a ILH Card – Israel Hostel Card – is entitled to a minimum of a 5 percent discount on their hostel accommodation for a direct reservation (not online).
It’s best to book your stay ahead of time. Most hostels have private rooms, make sure to inquire at the time of booking. For travelers to Israel, consider volunteering and some hostels may offer your free accommodation in exchange.
Hostel prices for popular destinations – 2021
The average price for one night’s accommodation in an Israeli hostel is in the region of 100 NIS. Prices may vary from hostel to hostel according to location. Breakfast is usually included.
Israel’s national anthem ‘Hatikva’ (Eng: The Hope) was written in 1886 by Naphtali Herz Imber, an English poet originally from Bohemia. Imber wrote the first version of the poem in 1877. The anthem’s theme reflects the 2000-year-old hope of the Jews of returning to the Land of Israel and restoring it, and reclaiming it as a sovereign nation. The melody was written by Samuel Cohen, an immigrant from Moldavia.
When the State of Israel was established in 1948, Hatikvah was unofficially proclaimed the national anthem. However, it did not officially become the national anthem until November 2004 in an amendment to the Flag and Coat-of-Arms Law.
Tastes so good your guests will suggest you go to Masterchef! This marinade imparts a sweet taste to the meat. If you do not like sweet meat, reduce the ketchup and eliminate the honey or sugar.
Ingredients
1 cup of tomato sauce (ketchup)
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of soy sauce
50 ml of Worcestershire sauce (increase soy sauce if you do not have Worcestershire sauce)
60 ml vinegar
1/2 cup of oil
1/2 cup of chutney
2 ml of freshly ground black pepper
1 ml of ginger
10 ml of mustard (optional)
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp of dried parsley
1 heaped tbsp of brown sugar or honey
a few drops of Tabasco sauce
Combine all the ingredients and pour over meat.
Chef’s tips
Meat should be marinated for at least 24 hours
Apricot or peach jam can be substituted for the chutney – you can use orange marmalade too.
Japanese Chicken on Skewers
Ingredients
1 kg chicken breasts cut into cubes
4 leeks, white part only, cut into 2.5 cm lengths
1 large onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
3-4 sweet green peppers, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2.5 cm of fresh ginger, finely chopped
125 ml soy sauce
4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp sake
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Directions
Arrange two pieces of chicken, one piece each of leek, onion and sweet green pepper on oiled bamboo skewers, starting and ending with the chicken.
Put the chopped garlic, ginger into a small saucepan with the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and cayenne pepper. Bring to the boil and pour over the skewered chicken; allow the skewers to marinate for 30 minutes.
Place the skewers on a hot grill and cook them for 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Remove them from the grill, dip them into the marinade again and grill them again until the chicken is done – about another 5 minutes.
Chef’s tips
Sherry can be substituted for mirin
Soak wooden kebab sticks in water for half an hour before using. This way the skewers will bot burn or catch alight on the BBQ
50 gr black olives (the crinkly ones that look like big raisins)
Salad Dressing
4 tbs olive oil
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
Pepper & salt to taste
Directions
Boil 4 cups of water then add salt.
Add white beans and chickpeas and boil till soft, about 7—10min.
Drain and put in to mix or salad bowl.
Add the olive oil and lemon juice while the beans are still hot and mix.
Add the red beans (drained) mix
Add the garlic, parsley, coriander, mint, basil and olives.
Mix together the ingredients for dressing.
Pour over the salad and mix.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Decorate with chopped parsley(optional).
Can be served warm, room temp or cold…Enjoy!
Coleslaw with a difference
This recipe has passed the ‘mother-in-law’ test.
Ingredients
Your usual basic coleslaw of cabbage and carrots and a few extra ingredients. Use a combination of white and red cabbage for a colorful twist
Dressing
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup vinegar
2T soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
A generous amount of sesame seeds – 1 tbsp.
Break some peanut brittle (sugar-glazed) into small bite sized pieces.
Directions
Mix all ingredient until well blended and stir into coleslaw shortly before serving. Remember red cabbage tends to ‘bleed’ so if you use it, use only a littl for a splash of colour and add just before serving otherwise you’ll end up with an unappetizing mess.
Watermelon Granita
This makes a delightful change from eating watermelon the traditional way and the watermelon juice won’t run down your chin either!
Ingredients
4 cups watermelon, cubed
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Directions
Heat the lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir the juice frequently until the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and set the juice aside.
Remove all seeds from the watermelon and puree in a blender until completely smooth.
Add the lime juice and blend until mixed.
Strain the mixture to remove any remaining pulp and pour into a large glass or metal baking dish.
Place the baking dish on a flat surface in your freezer.
After 30 minutes, use a fork to scrap any ice crystals off the side or bottom of the baking dish and stir them back into the liquid.
Repeat the process of scraping ice off the side every 20 to 30 minutes until it is completely frozen and has the texture of a slushy.
Give the granita one final stir with a fork, breaking up any large chunks of ice. You want the dessert to have a shaved ice texture when it is finished.
Leave it in the freezer, uncovered, for 30 minutes to an hour once it is frozen. This will help dry the surface of the ice and get the texture right.
Store in an air-tight plastic container or serve immediately with a little fresh whipped cream (leave out the cream for kosher cooking or substitute with a non dairy whip.
Co-parenting and child custody after divorce – a real revolution!
About two years ago I was consulted by a man who wished to raise his children on the basis of co-parenting with an equal division of the time and burden of bringing up the children. At the time of his separation from his wife, the father took upon himself a very large share of parenting duties and he functioned as the main provider of the needs of the children even though they were very young.
“I want to bring up my children. I want to be a father to them every day and not a father who visits them occasionally”.
He did not have any other issues regarding the divorce file. Not even financial. I well remember that he told me at the beginning of the divorce proceedings that even if he was required to pay his wife child support as if they lived full time with her, he would be prepared to do so, as the main thing for him was to be able to bring up his children.
At that time, about four years ago, a determination of co-parenting was very rare. Section 25 of the Legal Capacity and Guardianship Law in Israel provides that children up to the age of six will be in the custody of their mother unless there are special reasons to decide otherwise. Such a determination is called “the early childhood custody presumption”
The honorable intentions of the father impressed the experts who recommended co-parenting in this case, despite the fact that the law determines differently.
It is important to note that about two to three years ago an application for co-parenting was exceptional. Many of my colleagues rejected such a possibility; however many things have changed in recent years and what was exceptional has become the norm.
About two years ago the report of the Schnitt Commission was published. It cancelled the early childhood custody presumption by law and recommends shared parenting, that is an equal division of parenting time, and recommended that this be the default option at the time of the separation. Accordingly, upon the parents’ separation, the division of custody between them should be equal.
It must be emphasized that the Schnitt Commission report is a recommendation to amend the Law but the Law itself has not yet been amended. Thus Section 25 of the Law still determines the early childhood custody presumption.
Today, however, despite this legal situation, the default option of most of the judges of the Israel Family Court is co-parenting which involves the division of parenting equally between the two parents. If a father wishes to bring up his children on the basis of shared parenting with the mother he will succeed in gaining this, unless exceptional circumstances apply.
This matter also affects the issue of the child support which the father must provide to his children. In the past, irrespective of the periods during which the children were staying with him, he was obliged to pay in full for the essential needs of the young children without any regard to his financial ability and also without regard to the amount of time the children stayed with each of the parents.
Today considerable significance is given to the period of time the children are living with each parent. Although as a rule the father’s obligation to pay child support has not been completely cancelled, this time factor has a profound effect on the amount of child custody the father will be required to pay.
There is no doubt that in the case of co-parenting child support will be reduced to half, or sometimes a third, and there are judges who have gone so far as to reduce child support to zero.
These matters are dynamic and are undergoing many changes. Despite everything said above, I hope that, at least as regards the issue of custody, parents will succeed in obtaining judgments that are for the good both of the children and themselves and are unaffected by any other considerations.
Parents need to consult experts in this area out of court and not to allow themselves to rely on the legal system. In the court the parties can argue about property, maintenance and alimony, the ketuba (Jewish Marriage Contract) and everything else. Leave the children out of it.
Haifa has a selection of wonderful museums and while you are touring Israel and planning your visit to Haifa and the North, you should definitely visit these. Haifa museums are small, they give you a good insight without the exhausting legwork at large museums.
The Madatech – The Science and Technology Museum
Located on Bialik Street in the Hadar, in the old Technion Building. Leonardo Da Vinci, light, communication and flight are just some of the permanent exhibitions with wonderful hands-on activities for budding scientists and the entire family.
Top tips:
If you have young children, invest in a full family membership which will give you unlimited entrance to the museum, the Cinematrix and various other museums in Israel for one year.
Take your own snacks with you and picnic in the grounds afterward.
Visit their shop – they have wonderful educational games, toys and activities.
Get on their mailing list for regular updates and information
The schools generally have pre-arranged visits to the museum during the academic year, where the kids visit the laboratories and investigate specific topics.
The Tikotin Museum – Japanese Art Museum
The Tikotin Museum is dedicated to Japanese art and culture. It is located at 89 Hanassi Blvd. on the Central Carmel, close to the Nof, Dan Panorama and Dan Carmel hotels. It can be reached by any of the buses that stop in the Central Carmel – it is just a short walk from the central bus stop. The number 23 bus from the Hadar stops right outside. The Carmelit underground funicular is an ideal transport choice if you have access to it. If you are coming by car, there is pay parking on Hanassi Blvd. and on Yefe Nof, the parallel street.
Top tips:
The Carmelit underground railway sometimes offers a day ticket that includes the fare and entrance to this and other museums. You can purchase the ticket at the vending machine in the Carmelit. You can pay by credit card.
Take another half an hour to stroll along the Louis Promenade on Yefe Nof – wonderful air and magnificent views of Haifa.
At 26 Shabbtai Levi Street in the Hadar, the Haifa Museum of Art is dedicated to local and international contemporary art. The Museum’s collection includes over 7,000 works of art. There is an interactive children’s’ wing – Its purpose is to turn their visit into a multi-sensory experience.
Travel Tip
Combine the trip to the museum with a stroll to the top of Ben-Gurion Blvd. You can take in the view of the Bahai Temple – it is a 5 minute walk.
The National Maritime Museum
Located at 198 Allenby Rd is devoted to the maritime history of the Mediterranean basin, the Red Sea and the Nile, a collection spanning 5,000 years.
Your kids will love it!
Telephone number: 04-8536622 or 04-9115746
Disabled visitors get a 20% discount.
The Haifa City Museum
The Museum is located in the former Templar school and community center buildings in the German Colony. The Templar community center features exhibitions devoted to the history of Haifa including its architecture, urbanism, art and culture – as well as the links between past, present, and future: Haifa port, Christians in the Holy Land and in Haifa, the Hijaz railway and contemporary and historical photographs of Haifa.
Travel tip:
Have lunch at one of the many outdoor restaurants and cafes on Ben-Gurion in the German Colony
The Mane Katz Museum
Mane Katz was a Jewish artist and friend of Pablo Picasso, who lived in Paris. His work – Jewish themes – is displayed in this museum. The building was donated by the city of Haifa.
The museum is on Yefe Nof St. opposite the Dan Panorama Hotel in Haifa.
Do you scratch your head every Pesach trying to remember the list of things you need to buy for the Chag? We’ve put together the ultimate, downloadable, master Pesach shopping list designed to make your Pesach preparation and shopping easier. Included are items for you Seder Table, special Kasher Le Pesach food items and typical ingredients you will need for your menu planning and cooking requirement for the entire week. Your individual list is bound to be slightly different to this one but we hope that the items we have listed give you some inspiration. Ashkenazim and Sephardim have different traditions (minhagim) – so shop accordingly.
Pesach shopping tips
Watch your spending and in order to save money this Pesach, shop with a list and stick to it.
Don’t do your shopping near mealtimes or on an empty stomach. You will buy more than you need.
If possible, avoid impulse buys by leaving the kids at home.
Choose your menus carefully. There are always more economical dishes to serve and ones that won’t take up all of your free time.
Making Aliyah and relocating to Israel you may need to start your job search while you are still abroad. Conducting a long distance job search is not impossible using digital communication.
In an attempt to asses the employment problems and the work related anxieties that new immigrants (olim) face after they have made Aliyah, we designed a poll and asked for the community to participate.
There were 12 options and respondents were asked to select one.
Summary of the Results
Salaries and social benefits top the list. A huge frustration for new immigrants when they discover that salaries in Israel are much lower and they will probably need to make significant changes to their lifestyle as a result.
In spite of Israel’s Equal Opportunity Employment Law, almost 10 per-cent of respondents are encountering discrimination in the job market in some form or another; age, gender, health and religious beliefs are most common.
Insufficient Hebrew skills are a big issue and we encourage you to make every effort to learn and improve your Hebrew. It is clear that most job applicants realize the need for a Hebrew resume – they are having their resumes translated and are coping with tailoring them to local requirements and job specific requirements.
Nearly 14 per-cent of respondents are disillusioned and worn down by their job search – they have applied for so many jobs without results and their job applications are never acknowledged. This is a cultural thing – if you want to make sure that your resume has been received or want to follow-up on an interview – just pick up the phone and call. In the small print, most jobopp ads state that only successful candidates will be contacted.
There is a shortage of employment in the smaller cities and towns and we are finding more and more people are forced to travel further and further in order to find jobs – a one hour commute is quite common these days. Tens of thousands of commute daily to Tel Aviv where they have managed to secure a job.
As expected, a combination of these issues are affecting us and nearly 23 per-cent of respondents confirmed this. A small percentage are experiencing other issues as well.
Actual Results
10 per-cent of us feel we are being discriminated against in-spite of Israel’s equal opportunity employment law
Overcoming Unemployment
6 Handy Tips
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking over in many fields. Jobs can become obsolete over time. Update your skills to keep up with changes in technology.
As hard as this may be from a financial point of view, volunteer in places where you can build up skills and contacts. Getting out of the house, even if it is only one day a week, will help boost your morale.
You are never too old to freelance. Websites like fiverr.com, elance.com, upwork.com and guru.com have thousands upon thousands of contractors who offer services that range anywhere from sending out mass emails, appointment setting, writing, editing, translations as well as highly technical services like web development, programming etc.
It almost goes without say today, build up your network on LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media. Most people will try to help if they can.
If there is a job fair, you need to be there. Zoom in if necessary.
This Pesach enjoy free entry into Israel’s Museums
Image credit: Israel Museum
Every year during Hol HaMoed, Pesach, Bank Hapoalim sponsors free entrance to selected museums across Israel. This is a very popular event and Israelis take full advantage of the opportunity to visit some of the really well known museums as some lesser known ones. If you are touring Israel this Pesach take advantage of this opportunity – cut your holiday expenses and don’t blow your travel budget. We suggest calling the museum before setting out to verify opening hours and other details.
Museums in Northern Israel
The Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum
The Ghetto Fighters’ House – Itzhak Katzenelson Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Heritage Museum was founded in 1949 by Holocaust survivors and members of the Jewish underground in the ghettos of Poland, and veterans of partisan units. It would be a place that would tell the story of the Jews during the 20th century and during the Second World War. The Ghetto Fighters’ House was the first museum in the world to commemorate the memory of the Holocaust and Jewish resistance.
The Galilee Sculpture Festival in Maalot
Tel: 04-9578871
The International Sculpture Festival, “Stone in the Galilee” in Lake Monfort-Ma’alot-Tarshiha, will take place during Hol Hamoed Pesach and will offer to it’s visitors sculpture exhibitions of local and international artists.
The Deer Forest
Tel: 050 872 3920
Ya’ar HaAyalim is a deer forest in Odem in the Golan. Visitors can wander among the different species of deer and feed them too. Visitors can also learn how a shofar (ram’s horn) is made. Pony rides and picnic areas, a petting zoo for small animals and other fun activities for children.
The Golan Antiquities Museum
Tel: 04-6961350
Situated in Katzrin this museum displays artifacts from the Golan Heights including Hebrew inscriptions from ancient synagogues in the area. A special audiovisual presentation and exhibition shows the heroic history of Gamla.
Park Katzrin
Tel: 04-6962412
Located near Katzrin, it features a reconstructed synagogue and village from Talmudic times including a house furnished with domestic artifacts of the period.
The Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery
Tel: 04-6315257
The Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery was established in 1996 as a venue for contemporary art exhibitions and a home for original Arab and Palestinian art. The gallery operates under the auspices of the El-Sabar Association. Yoko Ono, widow of the legendary John Lennon from the Beatles, held an exhibition there in 1999.
The Treasure of the Walls
04-9911004
The museum is located inside the north-eastern walls of old Acre. The walls were initially built by the Ottoman ruler of the area Ahmed Al-Jazzar Pasha after Napoleon´s attempt to conquer the city in-1779. The commander´s tower “Burge-el-commandar” is divided into arched halls which were used to hold the Ottomans garri and now hold a beautiful and rare collection which gives an insight into the fabric of life in the Galilee during the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries.
The Robotic Dairy
Tel: 054-4962656
Located at Kfar Yehezkel in the Jezreel Valley. This fascinating tour in the dairy barns (Heb: refet) combined with an audio visual show will take visitors into a time warp back to the old days when the first settlers in the village used old methods of farming and agriculture until today with the modern technologies used which are combined with the old.
The Haifa Museum of Art
04-9115997
The Haifa Museum of Art owns a variety of over 7,500 artworks by Israeli and international artists, from different movements and phases in art. Leading names such as Marc Chagall, Joseph Zaritsky, Mordechai Ardon, Lea Nikel, Raffi Lavie, Moshe Gershuni, Michael Neeman, Pinchas Cohen Gan, Tzipi Geva, Yechiel Shemi, Yitzhak Danzinger and more.
The Wilfrid Museum of Israeli Art
Tel: 04-9899566
On Kibbutz Hazorea, this museum was the first museum in Israel to exhibit East Asian art from the collection of Wilfrid Israel accumulated during the 1920′s, when he was traveling to Asia.
The Janco-Dada Museum (Ein Hod)
Tel: 04-9842350
The Janco Dada Museum is located in Ein Hod, Israel (Highway no. 4) . It is a museum that exhibits the work of Marcel Janco as well as art from the Dada movement and contemporary art too.
The Haifa Zoological Gardens
The Haifa Zoo at 124 HaTishbi Street is built on the slopes of Mt. Carmel. It is a small zoo and is very compact. It is home to a variety of animals and indigenous fauna and flora.
The Haifa City Museum
The Haifa City Museum is located in the former Templar school and community center buildings in the German Colony. The Templar community center features exhibitions devoted to the history of Haifa including its architecture, urbanism, art and culture…
The Mane Katz Museum
Tel: 04-9119372
Mane Katz was a member of the Ecole de paris – a group of young artists, many of the Jews, who arrived in Paris from Eastern and Central Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. The museum building was in fact, Mane Katz’s home. The displays are aimed at comparing his works with other contemporary artists in Israel.
The Herman Struk Museum
Tel: 04-6359962
Hermann Struck (1876-1944) is considered to be one of the most important print artists of Germany and Eretz Israel in the first half of the 20th century. He created innumerable works on paper – portraits and landscapes. In his series of famous portraits, Struck depicted the great scientists and thinkers of his time, including a portrait of Theodor Herzl.
The Tikotin Museum
04-8383554
Porcelains, items for tea ceremonies, calligraphies, modern graphics and a selection of other art pieces, by important Japanese artists. Collections from the past and present. If you are fascinated by Japanese culture, you will enjoy the Tikotin museum
The National Maritime Museum
04-8536622
The collection of the National Maritime Museum is comprised of several sub-collections that express mankind’s connections with the sea: marine art, mythology, ancient anchors and coins, scientific instruments, antique storage vessels, maps and graphic works, models of old and new ships.
Museums in Central Israel
The Rabin Center Israeli Museum
Tel:*4585
The Israeli Museum at the Yitzhak Rabin Center is the first and only museum in Israel to explore the development of the State of Israel as a young democracy. The Museum presents two parallel stories: the history of the State and Israeli society, and the biography of Yitzhak Rabin.
The Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Tel: 03-6077000
The works of both Israeli and international artists including impressionist and post-impressionists are permanently on display and include the works of Cezanne, Chagall, Dali, Monet, Henri Moore, Rodin, Archipenko, Picasso, Klimt and Kadinsky. Put this at the top of your list of ‘must see’ art museums.
The Design Museum Holon
073-2151500
The Design Museum Holon Collection is a young, evolving, and dynamic collection that extends over four main continuum’s:
Historical Design
Contemporary Design
Commissioned Works
Academic Projects
Petach Tikva Museum of Art
03-9286300
Petach Tikva Museum of Art is a museum of contemporary art, featuring works by Israeli and international artists in diverse media: painting, sculpture, photography, video, film, architecture, installation, and performance.
The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art
Tel: 03-5161970
The work of artist Nahum Gutman in oil, gouache and watercolor are on display here, as well as several thousand drawings and illustrations.
The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center
Tel: 03-5339278
The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Or Yehuda is both a Research Institute and a Museum, with an impressive collection of ethnographic material, Judaica, archival documents, books and manuscripts.
Museums in Jerusalem & Environs
Yad LaShiryon at Latrun
Tel: 08-9784302
The Yad Lashiryon Memorial at Latrun is the Armored Corps’ Memorial Site. Here, the Armored Corps remembers its fallen comrades, every hour of every day, all four thousand nine hundred and sixty-five together and each individual – their personalities as individuals and as fighters, how they lived and how they died. Close by is the Latrun Monastery of the Trappist order.
Museum for Islamic Art
02-5661291/2
The L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem strives to give expression to the impressive artistic achievements of Israel’s Muslim neighbors.
The Bible Lands Museum
Tel: 02-5611066
The Bible Lands Museum is an archaeological museum in Jerusalem, Israel, that explores the culture of the peoples mentioned in the Bible, among them the ancient Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, Arameans, Hittites, Elamites, Phoenicians and Persians.
Hasmonean Aqueduct Tour
Tel: *6033
Part of the City of David here you will enjoy incredible views of Ancient Jerusalem from various key vantage points along the Armon Hanatziv Promenade and discover the importance of the water system that Herod built south of Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
Tel: 02-6794012
Aloes from Africa, roses from Kurdistan, medicinal plants from the Mediterranean or even Giant Taro from the tropics, there is something for everyone within the Gardens’ varied exhibits. The Gardens provide an ever-changing canvas of colors, textures and fragrances all year round. Lovely restaurant too!
The Menachem Begin Heritage Center
Tel: 02-5652018
The Menachem Begin Heritage Center is the official state memorial commemorating Menachem Begin, Israel’s sixth Prime Minister. The Center is located on the Hinnom Ridge, overlooking Mount Zion and walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Overlooking the Ashdod marina the Ashdod Art Museum exhibits Israeli and international modern and contemporary art. The museum’s special architecture and internal design challenges the curator and the visitor, offering unusual displays.
Arad Doll Museum
052-2398918
A unique museum in the country, the result of the dream of a pair of sculptures, international artists, Leibowitz and Edward Brewster. Inside the museum original Dolls, and bronze sculptures, temporary exhibitions, master classes and guided tours.
Arad Glass Museum
08-9953388
The museum was established in order to fulfill one man’s dream. Gideon Fridman wanted to build an Israeli home and the right stage for glass art in Israel.
The Corinne Mamane Museum of Philistine Culture
The Corinne Mamane Museum of Philistine Culture is the only archaeology museum in the world that is dedicated completely to Philistine culture.
The Museum of Water and Security at Kibbutz Nir Am
Tel: 050-9672874
This museum provides visitors with a unique perspective for understanding the issues of settlement, water, agriculture and Israel’s wars since the 1930’s to Israel’s War of Independence.
The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture
Tel: 08-9913322
A rich and varied display of Bedouin ethnic items and artifacts can be found at The Museum of Bedouin Culture as well as contemporary Israeli art.
Other Museums
While these museums are NOT PART of Bank Hapoalim’s free museum entrance, they are interesting and enjoyable for the whole family. Please call first for entrance fees and other information.
The Ariel Center – Historic Jerusalem (First Temple Period)
Tel: 02-6286288
The Ariel center is unique in that it focuses on the study of Jerusalem during the First Temple period. A new model showing Jerusalem towards the end of the First Temple period has been installed at the center.
Outlook, the Park Hayarkon Visitor’s Center
03-642-3111
Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art
09-9551011
The Chanan Rozen Museum of Israeli Art Ramat Gan
03-7521876/7
This museum was established in 1987 and ever since exhibits Israeli Art at different disciplines including painting, sculpting, photography, and two and three dimension design. Five exhibitions are on display at the same time each in a different exhibition hall.
The Rishon L’Tzion Museum
Tel: 03-9598862
The Rishon Le-Zion Open-Air Museum is dedicated to preserving the unique historical and cultural contributions of this town – a fast-growing metropolis only 20 minutes from Tel-Aviv.
The Igudan Visitors Center
Tel: 03-9555222
With limited water supplies in Israel, water conservation is important. We do not often think about the waste-water treatment process. Here you can follow the process of how waste-water is treated from the moment you turn off the tap or flush the toilet. See our water saving tips
Beit Hatfutsot (Diaspora Museum)
03-7457808
The Diaspora Museum chronicles 2,500 years of the history of Jewish people across the globe. Be prepared to spend at least 4 to 5 hours exploring the exhibits.
The Museum of Art at Ein Harod
Tel: 04-6485701
The Museum of Art Ein Harod was established in the 1930’s by kibbutz members, in a wooden hut in Kibbutz Ein Harod and was one of the first art museums founded in the country.
The Museum of the First Aliyah in Zichron Yaakov
Tel: 04-6294777
Also known as the Zichron Yaacov museum, this museum is dedicated to the activities of immigrants who came to Israel with the first aliya. Works of sculptor Ora Rozenzweig is one of many exhibits at the museum.
The Communications Museum at IDC Herzliya
Tel: 09-9522795
On the IDC University campus, this museum focuses on the media’s important, historic contribution to human culture and to the ties between people that go beyond borders.
The Herzilya Museum of Contemporary Art
Tel: 09-9551011
Currently on view are one-person shows by Tal Frank and Uriel Miron; a project by French artist Julien Salaud, one of the most interesting voices on the contemporary international art scene.
The Khan Museum in Hadera
Tel: 04-6324562
The remains of an ottoman farmstead dating from the late 19-th Century.
The Temple Mount Sifting Project
Tel: *6033
Dr. Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira under the auspices of Bar-Ilan University have established a project for sifting the earth debris that has been removed from the Temple Mount. Just last week a fragment of a finger was found – according to its material and style it seems to be from an Egyptian statue from the Late Bronze period (or earlier), the time of the Exodus.
The Old Yishuv Court Museum
Tel: 02-6281266
Situated in Or Ha-Haim Street, a narrow passageway winds its way from the Jewish Quarter to the Armenian Quarter. This museum, housed in an enchanting, ancient building, offers a glimpse at the daily life of the Jewish community in Jerusalem living between the walls of the Old City in the 19th and 20th centuries, until their expulsion in 1948.
The Shai Agnon House
Tel: 02-671-4876
Nobel prize winner in literature and one of Israel’s most influential writers, Shai Agnon is famous all over the world. This museum was once his house.
The Air Force Museum at Kibbutz Chatzerim
Tel: 08-9906853
The Air Force Museum at Kibbutz Chatzerim is fantasy come true for all children and aspiring pilots, the museum displays over 150 Israeli airplanes, from several generations of Israeli air combat and from every major operation in Israel.
The Negev Museum of Art
Tel: 08-6993535
The Negev Museum of Art is set in a building that dates back to the turn of the 20th century, known as the Governor’s House. There are four exhibition halls where the museum holds changing exhibitions of early
The Eilat City Museum
Tel: 08-6340754
The Eilat City Museum was built by a group of Eilat residents on the ruins of an American fast-food restaurant. The intimate museum explores Eilat’s growth and development through exhibitions and artifacts dating back to the Israel’s War of Independence
Every year during Hol HaMoed, Pesach, Bank Hapoalim sponsors free entrance to selected museums across Israel. This is a very popular event and Israelis take full advantage of the opportunity to visit some of the really well known museums as some lesser known ones. If you are touring Israel this Pesach take advantage of this opportunity – cut your holiday expenses and don’t blow your travel budget. We suggest calling the museum before setting out and verifying opening hours and other details.
Museums in Northern Israel
The Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum
The Ghetto Fighters’ House – Itzhak Katzenelson Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Heritage Museum was founded in 1949 by Holocaust survivors and members of the Jewish underground in the ghettos of Poland, and veterans of partisan units. It would be a place that would tell the story of the Jews during the 20th century and during the Second World War. The Ghetto Fighters’ House was the first museum in the world to commemorate the memory of the Holocaust and Jewish resistance.
The Galilee Sculpture Festival in Maalot
Tel: 04-9578871
The International Sculpture Festival, “Stone in the Galilee” in Lake Monfort-Ma’alot-Tarshiha, will take place during Hol Hamoed Pesach and will offer to it’s visitors sculpture exhibitions of local and international artists.
The Deer Forest
Tel: 050 872 3920
Ya’ar HaAyalim is a deer forest in Odem in the Golan. Visitors can wander among the different species of deer and feed them too. Visitors can also learn how a shofar (ram’s horn) is made. Pony rides and picnic areas, a petting zoo for small animals and other fun activities for children.
The Golan Antiquities Museum
Tel: 04-6961350
Situated in Katzrin this museum displays artifacts from the Golan Heights including Hebrew inscriptions from ancient synagogues in the area. A special audiovisual presentation and exhibition shows the heroic history of Gamla.
Park Katzrin
Tel: 04-6962412
Located near Katzrin, it features a reconstructed synagogue and village from Talmudic times including a house furnished with domestic artifacts of the period.
The Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery
Tel: 04-6315257
The Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery was established in 1996 as a venue for contemporary art exhibitions and a home for original Arab and Palestinian art. The gallery operates under the auspices of the El-Sabar Association. Yoko Ono, widow of the legendary John Lennon from the Beatles, held an exhibition there in 1999.
The Treasure of the Walls
04-9911004
The museum is located inside the north-eastern walls of old Acre. The walls were initially built by the Ottoman ruler of the area Ahmed Al-Jazzar Pasha after Napoleon´s attempt to conquer the city in-1779. The commander´s tower “Burge-el-commandar” is divided into arched halls which were used to hold the Ottomans garri and now hold a beautiful and rare collection which gives an insight into the fabric of life in the Galilee during the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries.
Farm Experience in Bet Shean
Tel: 052-9686789
Visitor center and farm experience. Activities for the whole family: small calves, a maze of hay packages, a petting corner and a petting zoo, a creative corner with agricultural emphasis and more.
Haifa Museums
The Haifa Museum of Art
Tel: 04-9115997
The museum owns a variety of over 7,500 artworks by Israeli and international artists, from different movements and phases in art. Leading names such as Marc Chagall, Joseph Zaritsky, Mordechai Ardon, Lea Nikel, Raffi Lavie, Moshe Gershuni, Michael Neeman, Pinchas Cohen Gan, Tzipi Geva, Yechiel Shemi, Yitzhak Danzinger and more.
The Janco-Dada Museum (Ein Hod)
Tel: 04-9842350
The Janco Dada Museum is located in Ein Hod, Israel (Highway no. 4) . It is a museum that exhibits the work of Marcel Janco as well as art from the Dada movement and contemporary art too.
The Haifa City Museum
The Museum is located in the former Templar school and community center buildings in the German Colony. The Templar community center features exhibitions devoted to the history of Haifa including its architecture, urbanism, art and culture.
The Mane Katz Museum
Tel: 04-9119372
Mane Katz was a member of the Ecole de paris – a group of young artists, many of the Jews, who arrived in Paris from Eastern and Central Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. The museum building was in fact, Mane Katz’s home. The displays are aimed at comparing his works with other contemporary artists in Israel.
The Tikotin Museum
Tel: 04-8383554
Porcelains, items for tea ceremonies, calligraphies, modern graphics and a selection of other art pieces, by important Japanese artists. Collections from the past and present. If you are fascinated by Japanese culture, you will enjoy this small museum
The National Maritime Museum
Tel: 04-8536622
The collection of the National Maritime Museum is comprised of several sub-collections that express mankind’s connections with the sea: marine art, mythology, ancient anchors and coins, scientific instruments, antique storage vessels, maps and graphic works, models of old and new ships.
The Israeli Museum at the Yitzhak Rabin Center is the first and only museum in Israel to explore the development of the State of Israel as a young democracy. The Museum presents two parallel stories: the history of the State and Israeli society, and the biography of Yitzhak Rabin.
The Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Tel: 03-6077000
The works of both Israeli and international artists including impressionist and post-impressionists are permanently on display and include the works of Cezanne, Chagall, Dali, Monet, Henri Moore, Rodin, Archipenko, Picasso, Klimt and Kadinsky. Put this at the top of your list of ‘must see’ art museums.
The Design Museum Holon
073-2151500
The Design Museum Holon Collection is a young, evolving, and dynamic collection that extends over four main continuum’s:
Historical Design
Contemporary Design
Commissioned Works
Academic Projects
The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art
Tel: 03-5161970
The work of artist Nahum Gutman in oil, gouache and watercolor are on display here, as well as several thousand drawings and illustrations.
The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center
Tel: 03-5339278
The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Or Yehuda is both a Research Institute and a Museum, with an impressive collection of ethnographic material, Judaica, archival documents, books and manuscripts.
The Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art
Tel: 09-9551011
The Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art is located in a beautifully preserved building in the architectural traditions of the 1960’s. A spacious and bright building surrounded by a sculpture plaza The museum shop offers limited editions of young Israeli art items. The museum features five unique exhibitions: 4 of which are by Israeli artists: Shai Azoulay, Yehuda Porbuchrai, Ada Ovadia and Gabriel Cohen, and another by Miri Segal, which covers 20 years of video creation.
Museums in Jerusalem & Environs
Yad LaShiryon at Latrun
Tel: 08-9784302
The Yad Lashiryon Memorial at Latrun is the Armored Corps’ Memorial Site. Here, the Armored Corps remembers its fallen comrades, every hour of every day, all four thousand nine hundred and sixty-five together and each individual – their personalities as individuals and as fighters, how they lived and how they died. Close by is the Latrun Monastery of the Trappist order.
The Bible Lands Museum
Tel: 02-5611066
The Bible Lands Museum is an archaeological museum in Jerusalem, Israel, that explores the culture of the peoples mentioned in the Bible, among them the ancient Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, Arameans, Hittites, Elamites, Phoenicians and Persians.
Hasmonean Aqueduct Tour
Tel: *6033
Part of the City of David here you will enjoy incredible views of Ancient Jerusalem from various key vantage points along the Armon Hanatziv Promenade and discover the importance of the water system that Herod built south of Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
Tel: 02-6794012
Aloes from Africa, roses from Kurdistan, medicinal plants from the Mediterranean or even Giant Taro from the tropics, there is something for everyone within the Gardens’ varied exhibits. The Gardens provide an ever-changing canvas of colors, textures and fragrances all year round. Lovely restaurant too!
Museums in the South of Israel
The Ashdod Art Museum Monart Center
Tel: 08-8545180
Overlooking the Ashdod marina the Ashdod Art Museum exhibits Israeli and international modern and contemporary art. The museum’s special architecture and internal design challenges the curator and the visitor, offering unusual displays.
Arad Glass Museum
08-9953388
The museum was established in order to fulfill one man’s dream. Gideon Fridman wanted to build an Israeli home and the right stage for glass art in Israel.
The Corinne Mamane Museum of Philistine Culture
The Corinne Mamane Museum of Philistine Culture is the only archaeology museum in the world that is dedicated completely to Philistine culture.
The Museum of Water and Security at Kibbutz Nir Am
Tel: 050-9672874
This museum provides visitors with a unique perspective for understanding the issues of settlement, water, agriculture and Israel’s wars since the 1930’s to Israel’s War of Independence.
The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture
Tel: 08-9913322
A rich and varied display of Bedouin ethnic items and artifacts can be found at The Museum of Bedouin Culture as well as contemporary Israeli art.
While these museums are NOT PART of Bank Hapoalim’s free museum entrance, they are interesting and enjoyable for the whole family. Please call first for entrance fees and other information.
The Ariel Center – Historic Jerusalem (First Temple Period)
Tel: 02-6286288
The Ariel center is unique in that it focuses on the study of Jerusalem during the First Temple period. A new model showing Jerusalem towards the end of the First Temple period has been installed at the center.
Outlook, the Park Hayarkon Visitor’s Center
03-642-3111
The Chanan Rozen Museum of Israeli Art Ramat Gan
03-7521876/7
This museum was established in 1987 and ever since exhibits Israeli Art at different disciplines including painting, sculpting, photography, and two and three dimension design. Five exhibitions are on display at the same time each in a different exhibition hall.
The Rishon L’Tzion Museum
Tel: 03-9598862
The Rishon Le-Zion Open-Air Museum is dedicated to preserving the unique historical and cultural contributions of this town – a fast-growing metropolis only 20 minutes from Tel-Aviv.
The Igudan Visitors Center
Tel: 03-9555222
With limited water supplies in Israel, water conservation is important. We do not often think about the waste-water treatment process. Here you can follow the process of how waste-water is treated from the moment you turn off the tap or flush the toilet. See our water saving tips.
Beit Hatfutsot (Diaspora Museum)
03-7457808
The Diaspora Museum chronicles 2,500 years of the history of Jewish people across the globe. Be prepared to spend at least 4 to 5 hours exploring the exhibits.
The Museum of Art at Ein Harod
Tel: 04-6485701
The Museum of Art Ein Harod was established in the 1930’s by kibbutz members, in a wooden hut in Kibbutz Ein Harod and was one of the first art museums founded in the country.
The Museum of the First Aliyah in Zichron Yaakov
Tel: 04-6294777
Also known as the Zichron Yaacov museum, this museum is dedicated to the activities of immigrants who came to Israel with the first aliya. Works of sculptor Ora Rozenzweig is one of many exhibits at the museum.
The Communications Museum at IDC Herzliya
Tel: 09-9522795
On the IDC University campus, this museum focuses on the media’s important, historic contribution to human culture and to the ties between people that go beyond borders.
The Herzilya Museum of Contemporary Art
Tel: 09-9551011
Currently on view are one-person shows by Tal Frank and Uriel Miron; a project by French artist Julien Salaud, one of the most interesting voices on the contemporary international art scene.
The Khan Museum in Hadera
Tel: 04-6324562
The remains of an ottoman farmstead dating from the late 19-th Century.
The Temple Mount Sifting Project
Tel: *6033
Dr. Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira under the auspices of Bar-Ilan University have established a project for sifting the earth debris that has been removed from the Temple Mount. Just last week a fragment of a finger was found – according to its material and style it seems to be from an Egyptian statue from the Late Bronze period (or earlier), the time of the Exodus.
The Old Yishuv Court Museum
Tel: 02-6281266
Situated in Or Ha-Haim Street, a narrow passageway winds its way from the Jewish Quarter to the Armenian Quarter. This museum, housed in an enchanting, ancient building, offers a glimpse at the daily life of the Jewish community in Jerusalem living between the walls of the Old City in the 19th and 20th centuries, until their expulsion in 1948.
The Shai Agnon House
Tel: 02-671-4876
Nobel prize winner in literature and one of Israel’s most influential writers, Shai Agnon is famous all over the world. This museum was once his house.
The Air Force Museum at Kibbutz Chatzerim
Tel: 08-9906853
The Air Force Museum at Kibbutz Chatzerim is a fantasy come true for all children and aspiring pilots, the museum displays over 150 Israeli airplanes, from several generations of Israeli air combat and from every major operation in Israel.
The Negev Museum of Art
Tel: 08-6993535
The Negev Museum of Art is set in a building that dates back to the turn of the 20th century, known as the Governor’s House. There are four exhibition halls where the museum holds changing exhibitions of early
The Eilat City Museum
Tel: 08-6340754
The Eilat City Museum was built by a group of Eilat residents on the ruins of an American fast-food restaurant. The intimate museum explores Eilat’s growth and development through exhibitions and artifacts dating back to the Israel’s War of Independence
