"Beth Hatefutsoth" – The Bulletin of Beth Hatefutsoth,
the Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora
Dear
Visitor,
We are pleased to present the first issue of the new bulletin of Beth
Hatefutsoth, the Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora. The new Bulletin
describes recent developments in the Museum and offers a glance at the
activities that have taken place during the last months.
In their opening messages, Mr. Shlomo Lahat, Chairman of the
Museum’s Board of Directors, and Mr. Leonid Nevzlin, Chairman of its Board of
Governors, write about Beth Hatefutsoth’s important mission and express their
confidence in its future. Mr. Lahat refers to the dynamic new spirit that can be
felt throughout the Museum and praises Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for his
support, which laid the basis for the Museum’s recovery. Mr. Nevzlin emphasizes
Beth Hatefutsoth’s role as a major center for Jews the world over and speaks of
the challenges of adapting the museum to the twenty-first century.
To begin the renewal process, The Conference on Jewish Material
Claims against Germany (the Claims Conference), has pledged a generous
contribution to upgrade the permanent exhibition and the databases.
The NADAV Fund, established by Mr. Leonid Nevzlin, Mr. Vladimir
Dubov, and Mr. Mukhail Brudno, working in partnership with Keren Hayesod-United
Israel Apeal, has also come to the Museum’s assistance. Some of the major
projects and development programs the NADAV Fund is currently supporting are
covered in this issue.
As for recent events, June saw the opening of “By
the Shores of the Black Sea: Jewish Farmers in the USSR, 1922-1942”
and a three-day conference, “To the Land! 200 Yweras of Jewish Agricultural
Settlement”. The exhibition tells the fascinating story of the Jewish
agricultural colonies in the Soviet Union, especially in the Crimea and southern
Ukraine. It consists of historical photographs and paintings by the Russian
Jewish Artist Meir Axelrod (1902-1970). An article about Axelrod appears in this
issue.
The exhibition was organized in cooperation with the American
Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Leonid Nevzlin Research Center for
Russian and East European Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The issue also contains reports on recent and current activities
of the various departments of Beth Hatefutsoth. The Education Department
organized summer programs for families and children and is about to inaugurate
special programs for teachers and the general public. A special feature
spotlights a new project under development: a school focusing on the study of
the Jewish People as a separate subject of instruction.
The Events Department organized a variety of events, notably
“Breakfast on
Friday”, which combines an Israeli breakfast, a guided
tour of the permanent exhibition, and a cultural program in the B’nai Zion
Auditorium. There was also a special screening of the documentary Watermarks,
the story of the women swimmers of the Hakoach Vienna athletics club in the
1930’s. This event was sponsored by the
Israeli Friends of
Beth Hatefutsoth.
The Douglas E. Goldman Jewish Genealogy Center organized the
annual international school competition
“My Family
Story”, sponsored by Mr. Sami Shamoon, President of the
World Sephardi Congress. The goal of this competition is to encourage young
students to explore their roots and create their family tree.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends Shana Tova – A Happy New Year!
The Team
This issue is in Hebrew with a summary in English.
To view the bulletin (PDF) click here.
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