Jerusalem certainly does not lack for museum space. Those looking for a
little knowledge and a unique experience know to head to places like
the Israel Museum, home to the Dead Sea scrolls and a massive model of
the second temple, or the Davidson Southern Wall Excavations for a look
what the Old Jerusalem really looked like. But hidden beneath the
veneer of Jerusalem's flagship institutions is a whole world of smaller
and less well-known, yet no less informative, interesting and well put-together, museums that explore everything from planets to psalms.
Here's our list of the top five Jerusalem museums you may have missed.
Bloomfield Science Museum
Jerusalem is famed for all matter of religion, but it's got a top-notch
science museum too. Bloomfield Science Museum, right near Hebrew
University's Givat Ram campus, offers informative and hands-on exhibits
explaining everything from principles of architecture to how the laws
of physics operate at amusement parks. And it's super child-friendly.
But what makes Bloomfield special is that it has carved a niche for
itself by relating exhibits and scientific phenomena to Israel and
Jerusalem, like a current exhibit exploring Einstein's Jewish and
Zionist roots.
Beit Avi Chai
Known primarily as a performance hall and meeting place for various
Jewish-themed events and lectures, Beit Avi Chai actually also has a
designated exhibit space, with rotating free showings of thought-provoking
Israeli art. One recent exhibition showcased photography of the Haredi
world, and a current exhibit focuses on the late Amos Kenan, a
renaissance man of local art.
Museum of Psalms
Tucked away on Rav Kook street, the Museum of Psalms (near the also worthy Ticho House and Rabbi Kook Museum),
is one man's love letter ...er, love painting, to the Book of Psalms, or the Sefer Tehilim, from the Bible. The somewhat pyschadelic interpretations of all 150 psalms
(pictured) are represented in this small museum, run by the one man who
painted them and who gives free tours. One of the least-known and
coolest Jerusalem gems.
The Burnt House
While most flock to Jerusalem's Old City for a visit to the Temple
Mount, the Arab Souk, The Tower of David, or one of a number of other
attractions, tucked away in a corner in the Jewish Quarter is a museum
that is one of Jerusalem's best kept secrets. The Burnt House may look
like just another excavation site showing the home of Second Temple era
denizens, but a sound and light exhibit tells the back story of the home, how it was discovered and what living there was like for its ancient inhabitants, using both the
uncovered home and other antiquities discovered in the area. Why the
name? You'll have to go to find out.
The Museum on the Seam
Sitting right on the line between east and west Jerusalem (hence
"seam"), the Museum on the Seam tackles controversial issues of place, personality,
history and more without pulling any punches. While the museum is most
fitting to those with an anarcho-leftist point of view, going with an
open mind can open up whole new worlds of thought.
While we think those "smaller" museums are the five best, you might
not, and Jerusalem is simmering with other options. For those
interested in Zionist history, you can visit the Shai Agnon House in
Talpiot, the Herzl Museum on the other side of town or the Museum of the Underground Prisoners near
Safra Square. If art is your thing, the Jerusalem Artists House and
Jerusalem Print Workshop may be right up your alley. And those looking
for a Jewish look at things can visit the Rabbi Kook Museum just off of Zion Square, or the Museum of Italian Jewish Art on central Hillel Street.
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