Anu – Museum of the Jewish People (formerly the Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, AKA Beit Hatfutsot) was renovated and became a relevant, cutting-edge museum and cultural center presenting hundreds of items of Jewish culture from different areas and eras.
Following the museum’s statement to “celebrate the multiculturalism of Jewish diversity and adopts an inclusive, pluralistic approach,” it shows a diverse Jewish history from all over the world.
As part of the equality-aspired museum’s approach, women’s stories are presented in the front through memorabilia, pictures, drawings, video testimonials, and documentary films and items. They are no longer hidden and silenced but are part of the Jewish identity and heritage.
Every Wednesday, a special tour is dedicated to the ladies of Jewish heritage. A guide walks the visitors through the 3rd and 2nd floor of the museum and sheds light on remarkable inspiring Jewish women who changed history. Among the women the visitors meet are Sara Levi-Tanai, the founder and artistic director of the Inbal Dance Theater, Irène Némirovsky, who wrote the groundbreaking novel Suite Française, Dona Gracia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Hannah Szenes, and many, many others.
One of the powerful stops of the tour is the traditional ritual articles and holy vessels. A silver bowl called the “Miriam’s Cup” stands next to the famous Menora and Shofar. The tradition is to put it on the annual Passover celebration dinner table (“Seder Table”) next to the “Cup of Elijah” to remind the guests that if it wasn’t for Miriam, who saved Moses, the Jewish people would have a different history and might have stayed in Egypt.
The guided tour is included in the admission ticket to the museum, enabling the visitors to explore the museum before and after the tour, enjoy the many audio and video displays, and delve into the beautiful works of art, pictures, illustrations, etc.
The museum is located in the center of Tel Aviv University, close to a shopping mall and a ten-minute drive to the beach and HaYarkon Park.
