Housed in the former Schmidt Compound's building in
the heart of Jerusalem, the U. Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art is
one of Jerusalem's most precious possessions.
Founded in 1981, it was set up to collect, preserve
and display objects pertaining to Jewish
life in Italy from the Middle Ages through the present. In addition
to the permanent collection, a number of temporary exhibits are held
throughout the year covering a wide range of topics related to Italian
Jewry, as well as conferences, concerts and guided tours suitable for
all ages and interests.
The collection of Arks and religious objects from the Renaissance and
Baroque period was brought from Italy to Israel in the 1960s by Dr.
Umberto Nahon, through a joint initiative in collaboration with the
Jewish communities of Italy and Israel.
These rare items were found in deserted synagogues that belonged to
communities which had completely lost their members. They were kept
in spaces adiacent to the synagogue until 1982, when the Museum was
officially recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Science and Sport
and was opened to the public.
In the past few years, thanks to extensive media coverage and hard
work, the number of visitors has grown steadily. The museum's opening
hours were increased accordingly. An average of forty thousand people
now visit the Museum each year. Approximately ten thousand of these
are pupils; the others come in organized groups both from Israel and
abroad.
The Museum of Italian Jewish Art is located at 27 Hillel Street in
Jerusalem.
Hours of Admission: Sun, Tue, Wed: 9am-5pm Mon: 9am-2pm Thurs, Fri:
9am-1pm.