Jerusalem’s population spans religions, ethnicities and countries of origin, and over the past year, the Bible Lands Museum has embraced this diversity with a new initiative called “Olim LaMuseum,” a play on words which can be translated as both “making pilgrimage to the museum” and “bringing immigrants to the museum.” The innovative encounter program has been conceived and executed in partnership with the city government and the Ministry of Absorption.
Through their participation in Olim LaMuseum, new immigrants to Israel, the majority of whom hail originally from Ethiopia are introduced to Jerusalem’s cultural landscape and to Israeli archaeological history. For the immigrant youth enrolling in the program, it represents merely one component in a comprehensive acculturation strategy, with classroom lectures supplemented by encounters around the city.
Einav Davidov, who serves as the museum’s coordinator of educational programs and also oversees Olim LaMuseum, tells GoJerusalem.com that
“The project started as something for kids and then morphed into
something larger. Now in addition to programs for children, youth and
adults we have a special leadership training program in which 12
immigrant youth are being trained to be counselors for the project,”
paving the way for self-sustainability. “These teens now work for the
museum,” she explains. “For a small stipend, they serve as assistant
guides for the Olim LaMuseum project and as guides for other museum programs such as holiday celebrations.”
“The project started as something for kids and then morphed into
something larger. Now in addition to programs for children, youth and
adults we have a special leadership training program in which 12
immigrant youth are being trained to be counselors for the project,”
paving the way for self-sustainability. “These teens now work for the
museum,” she explains. “For a small stipend, they serve as assistant
guides for the Olim LaMuseum project and as guides for other museum programs such as holiday celebrations.”
Hailed as a success, Olim LaMuseum has recently expanded to include a program for adults as well. The program consists of a series of tours, creative workshops and games in order to enable children, youth and adults to further identify with the ancient and current landscapes of their adopted city through the prism of the museum’s collections, which include thousands of artifacts from ancient cultures from across the Near East – while at the same time highlighting the contributions of each immigrant group to the canon of Israeli culture.
“The Olim LaMuseum program is a cultural experience that’s part of the Jerusalem experience,” asserts Davidov. “This program introduces these children to part of Jerusalem’s cultural life that they might otherwise not be exposed to. It makes them more involved in Israeli culture in general and in Jerusalem culture in specific.”
