Beit Hatfutsot - Museum of the Jewish People (Diaspora Museum)

(32.114, 34.805)

For our initial free day in Tel Aviv, we decided to visit Beit Hatfutsot, on the campus of Tel Aviv University. Listed in the tour book as the Diaspora Museum, this institution has multiple floors of exhibits covering the 2,500 years of Jewish life outside Israel, beginning with the destruction of the first temple in 586 BCE.

Although called a museum, there aren't actually many original artifacts here. Although compelling and formative, most of the exhibits are surprisingly realistic reproductions - which started me noticing how much of this land was based on illusion and representation. The museum opened in 1978 and hasn't been updated since, giving it more of that distinctly 1970's feel that permeates a lot of Tel Aviv. I discussed this with one of the guides in the museum and he also expressed concern. However, he also agreed with me that although the style of the exhibits was dated, as a museum dedicated to a culture that strives for timelessness, the content of the museum exhibits was completely up-to-date.

05/22/2011 10:32 IDT Tel Aviv University	05/22/2011 10:33 IDT Campus map
05/22/2011 10:39 IDT Romans pilfering 2nd temple	05/22/2011 11:20 IDT Dead computer
05/22/2011 11:32 IDT Book of memory	05/22/2011 11:43 IDT Synagogue models
05/22/2011 12:04 IDT Amsterdam synagogue	05/22/2011 12:04 IDT Amsterdam synagogue
05/22/2011 12:06 IDT Frank Lloyd Wright synagogue	05/22/2011 13:07 IDT Display
05/22/2011 13:07 IDT Christianity and Judaism	05/22/2011 13:11 IDT 1263 Barcelona dispute
05/22/2011 13:11 IDT 1263 Barcelona dispute	05/22/2011 14:34 IDT Display
05/22/2011 15:26 IDT New Condos	05/22/2011 15:26 IDT New Condos
05/22/2011 15:28 IDT Old Condos	05/22/2011 15:29 IDT Taxi ride
05/22/2011 15:39 IDT Taxi

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