The 3rd Annual Marc Rich Seminar

The Jewish Museum in a Changing World

The 2nd Annual Marc Rich Seminar

The Third Annual Marc Rich Seminar, a joint project of The Rich Foundation for Education, Culture and Welfare and The Center for Israel-Diaspora Cultural Relations, was held at Beth Hatefutsoth between December 3 - 5, 2002.

The third annual seminar was devoted to a wide-ranging dialogue among professionals that deal with the many challenges facing the Jewish museums in a fast changing world. The seminar was attended by numerous participants from Israel and abroad that contributed with key lectures and important comments on a variety of topics concerning the world of the Jewish museums.

The seminar was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Rich Foundation for Education, Culture and Welfare.

Israeli author A. B. Yehoshua lecturing at the opening ceremony of the Marc Rich Seminar, Beth Hatefutsoth, December 3, 2002

Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, President of Tel Aviv Unversity, addressing the participants at the opening ceremony of the March Rich Seminar, Beth Hatefutsoth, December 3, 2002

The Rich Foundation for Education, Culture and Welfare

The Rich Foundation is a private, philanthropic, non-profit organization registered in Lucerne, Switzerland. The Doron Foundation, which functioned independently in Israel since 1981 merged with the Rich Foundation in 2000.
The Rich Foundation strives to support the cultural life, education and welfare in many countries particularly in Israel and in Diaspora Jewish communities. Jewish life in modern age and the strengthening of Israel-Diaspora links are valued by the Foundation.
The Rich Foundation has founded a subsidiary for Leukemia Research in Israel and in the United States (The Gabrielle Rich Leukemia Research Foundation).

Marc Rich is the Foundation’s Chairman of the Board.
Avner Azulay is the Managing Director.

Seminar participants around the discussion table

Ranny Finzi, Director-General of Beth Hatefutsoth addressing the participants at the opening ceremony, Beth Hatefutsoth, December 3, 2002

The People-to-People Center of the Jewish Agency

The People-to-People Center was established in 2001 as a strategic initiative of the Jewish Agency, to create new and ongoing platforms of personal and communal connections, centered in Israel.Our goal is to create a global Jewish community based on a shared national and cultural awareness, to strengthen the Jewish people as a united whole. This is achieved by the creation of global Jewish partnership networks, based on a common agenda and shared interests. The center’s culture initiative is intended to support, develop and encourage the existence of a global Jewish culture.In our view, synergy between the Diaspora culture and the Israeli culture, created through cooperation between Jewish artists and cultural figures in all places, is a value that should be promoted as an action guideline for the center.

"The Third Annual March Rich Seminar has great pleasure in hosting representatives from Jewish Museums large and small, from communities in Europe, the Americas and Israel. This gathering of Museum Directors and Curators is taking place at a time of many ambiguities and challenges: economic uncertainties, confrontations between civilizations and growing threats of worldwide terrorism. On the other hand there is a growing awareness of ethnic pluralism and an increasing respect for “multi-culturalism” in advanced societies. Against this background, the blossoming of Jewish Museums worldwide can be well understood.

"Changes are taking place within the Jewish World: new religious ideas and trends, increasing assimilation, growing anti-Semitism and a Jewish State that finds itself in a seemingly irreconcilable and unending conflict. On the other hand, we witness massive investment in Jewish education.

"This is the setting for this gathering of professionals, who come together to share their experiences and ideas on ways to deal with the challenges of “The Jewish Museum in a Changing World”.

"In spite of the diversity, we all have a great deal in common in the way we perceive and confront issues. A Jewish Museum - like other museums - wants to attract more visitors and in order to do this needs to use the latest artistic means and adjust itself to modern trends. Where do new technologies fit into the museum? How much of the museum’s holdings should be made accessible to the public on the Net?

"I hope that these and many other issues will be discussed and that the Seminar will prove beneficial and will serve as a source of new thoughts and ideas to the participants.

"I would like to express our thanks and appreciation to all those responsible for this gathering; to the Marc Rich Foundation and its Director, Mr. Avner Azulai; to the People-to People Center of the Jewish Agency and its Director, Mr. Jay Shofet, to Mr. Robbie Gringras and Ms. Dana Hillel-Rivlin from the Center. To Mr. Chaim Feder and to my predecessor Dr. David Alexander for his tireless efforts in making this Seminar possible."

Ranny Finzi
Director-General