Jewish Museums

The Museum's unusual design belongs to Israeli architect Ron Arad. He created it to boost tourism and bring more people to the neighborhood. It seems that his strategy has worked.

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is Israel’s largest art museum and forum. Its complex has three buildings housing six art departments and though it seems funny to compare it to Pompidou, MoMA or Tate Modern it actually shows the works of both Israeli and international artists including impressionism and post-impressionism. Permanently on display are the works of such masters Cezanne, Chagall, Dali, Monet, Henri Moore, Auguste Rodin, Picasso, Klimt and Kadinsky. You can also see representatives of all major art schools and philosophies of the early 20th century – fauvism, constructivism, cubism, futurism and surrealism. In 1950, the Museum received 36 works donated by Peggy Guggenheim Collection, including Pollock, Baziotes, Pousette-Dart, Matta and Masson. The venue also offers plenty of concerts, lectures, workshops and educational programs. So even if the purpose of your visit is the sun and the sea spare an hour or two at Sderot Sha'ul HaMelech – Tuesdays and Thursdays the Museum is opened till 10 pm.

This museum is part of Tel Aviv's Culture Square and Tel Aviv museum. It houses contemporary Israeli art and showcases it for free.

You got your ticket and stuff packed but realized your knowledge of Israel limited to hummus and war. Don't mess with encyclopedias or Wikipedia – go to Israel Museum and discover everything about the country from Abraham to contemporary art. Eretz Israel complex includes the Old Jaffa Museum of Antiquities, that Museum of the History of Tel Aviv-Jafo, the Independence Hall where in 1948 the state of Israel was proclaimed and the Theate Museum. You can find pottery, glass, coins, folklore and ethnic paraphernalia in this Israeli Smithsonian that also features a library and a planetarium. They show you the country in all its variety and aspects.

A day in Beit Hatfutsot is 24 hours spent with the Jewish people from their exodus to nowadays – some 2,500 years. The creators did everything to provide a profound and clear view on the Jewish history, culture, religion and life of Jews in many countries. Navigation and multimedia make it super visitor friendly – take an audio guide – it really helps. The museum is part of Tel Aviv University – my tip is walk around after the tour,

Located just off Charles Clore Park, the Etzel Museum offers detailed information on one of the leading military organizations in the history of Israel's struggle for independence in the period of 1948-74. The Etzel was one of the three main military groups who fought on behalf of Israel before the state of Israel was formed in 1948. The museum focuses on the move of the group from secretive activity to official status, as the members of the Etzel joined the newly formed Israeli army. The building has a very dramatic architecture opened for interpretation – I see it as a win of Jews over Arabs in Jaffa in 1948. The exhibition also shows Israel's history from the very formation till now and is arranged as a path leading you through photos and documents. Open: Sun-Thur 8:00-16:00

Located in a pagoda-like building by the pond the place used to belong to the City Commission but today houses video installation and multimedia displays telling the history of Tel Aviv. The museum has an old studio of the first Tel Aviv Mayor Meir Dizengoff.

The house is located by the square and stands at Bialik Street, which is the best Bauhaus and Jugendstil architecture manual. Visit the elaborately decorated house of Israel's prominent poet, Haim Nachman Bialik, who gave the name to the Street. The museum opened in 1937, four years after the poet died and showcases his books, furniture and personal belongings as well as paintings by his contemporaries. About 5,000 manuscripts, including some rare ones are stored in the library but are hard to read if you know no Hebrew. However, the place is a great illustration to the life of European immigrants in the 1920s. Opening hours are Mon-Thu 10 to 5 and Fri-Sat 10 to 2.

Reuben Rubin, Israeli artist honored with the State Prize lived in Bialik Street from 1946 to 1974. Today this four-story building is home to a gallery with his works, an exhibition hall and library. Israel is a young country so it's proud of all its remarkable citizens.

This buliding is arguably the most interesting one among all the modern Tel Aviv houses. Having a most unusual shape, the building can boast a facade split into shiny white parabolas of different forms.
After you've a look at the museum from the outside, you should definitely check what's inside. The permanent collection has Shagal, Gutman and Rubin among other interesting paintings. The exhibitions held here are dedicated to archticture, art, design and photography.