The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot in Tel Aviv tells the unique and ongoing story of the Jewish people in Israel and abroad.
It was founded in 1978 as the Diaspora Museum, whose main goal was to tell the story of Jewish communities in the diaspora and connect Israelis to their past.
However, as part of the museum’s renewal, it was decided that there would no longer be a a separation between different groups of Jews.
Instead, the museum would emphasizing identity and culture, depicting Jewish people as “a rich mosaic with many pieces, each piece stands alone yet contributes to the understanding of the great picture.”
This process also led to replacing the institute’s name from The Diaspora Museum to The Museum of the Jewish People.
The Knesset has since defined the museum as “The National Center for Jewish Communities in Israel and Around the World.”
Today, it features the 4,000-year-old story of the Jewish people and the 2,500-year history of the Jewish diaspora, exhibiting Jewish communities around the world which established and grew uniquely.
The collections include two permanent exhibits, a core exhibition, temporary exhibitions, and family history library.
The Museum’s mission is to present the unique and continues story of the Jewish people, their faith, vocation, culture and activities, and their contributions to humanity.
Exhibition
The visitor’s journey begins on the third floor through an encounter with the Jewish world we see today.
The display presents the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary Jewish life around the world, alongside the depth of the contribution that Jews have made to global civilization and culture.
From here, visitors continue to the second floor, for an exhibit covering the full historical arc of global Jewry.
The display stretches from the days of the destruction of the Second Temple to the present highlighting different Jewish communities in the Diaspora.
The exhibit looks closely at the interaction between the Jewish community and the society in which it lived.
Finally, on the first floor, visitors can learn about the ancient roots and foundations of the Jewish people through traditions and an eternal relationship to the Land of Israel
Visitors can enjoy the complete exhibition, displayed across three floors, or visit just one floor and still have a fulfilling and meaningful experience.
Data Bases
The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot offers digital information in a variety of categories documenting the Jewish life through the ages and around the world.
Example of their data bases are Jewish Communities, Visual Documentation, Jewish Music, Family Names, and is their Jewish Genealogy Center, which is the only center of its kind in the world.
At the Center, visitors can search a database containing thousands of genealogies of Jewish families from all over the world.
They can also register their own family trees.
Throughout history, Jewish families migrated from place to place, often leaving behind family heirlooms, memorabilia, and records.
Documentation of their previous lives was often lost, preserved only in their memories.
Today, families can record precious information and family history at the Jewish Genealogy Center, preserving vital information for generations to come.
Over 5 million individuals have already been recorded in the continuously expanding database.
Visitors from all backgrounds can explore their ancestry, record and preserve their own family trees for future generations, add their own “branch” to the family tree of the Jewish People.
Registering your family history at the Center has added benefits.
Once your information is recorded, it may elicit connections with other registered users.
In fact, you may discover unknown, exciting family ties with other people or families around the world.
To get started, search the databases website