The Israel Museum © Shutterstock

The best Jewish art galleries and museums

Whether a budding artist or a curious tourist, Israeli art galleries and museums host some of the best Jewish art around

Written by
Jennifer Greenberg
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Israeli art galleries are chock-full of local and international Jewish art, boasting talents from all walks of life who use Jewish motifs, biblical inspiration and ancient symbolism in their progressive works. Museums and galleries from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem host both burgeoning and veteran artists, showcasing their work in innovative and interactive ways. Here are our top choices for all those art lovers and Judaica enthusiasts out there.

Stunning Jewish art spaces in Israel

  • Museums
  • History
  • Tel Aviv - Jaffa
Unique for a number of reasons, the Eretz Israel Museum is especially unusual because its grounds encompass the archeological site of Tel Qasile, dating back to the 12th century B.C.E. The museum houses impressive, permanent collections of coins, mosaics, and Jewish folkloric objects from various periods and regions.
  • Museums
  • History
  • Jerusalem

Yad Vashem’s 45-acre campus comprises indoor museums and outdoor monuments, exhibitions, memorial sites, gardens, sculptures, and world-class research and education centers – all devoted to preserving the memory of the Holocaust. The hollowed-out cavern with a single candle reflected by a series of mirrors commemorates the 1.5 million children killed.

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  • Museums
  • History
  • Jerusalem City Center
A museum commemorating the deeds of non-Jews who helped the State of Israel and the Jewish people over recent generations. Cutting-edge exhibitions pay special attention to light and shadow, frontal lighting, three-dimensional structuring of maps and displays of unique lighting effects. A remarkable experience for all the senses.
  • Museums
  • History
  • Neve Sha'anan
Covering seminal events in Jewish history, the museum contains an extensive collection of artifacts from ancient Egypt, Canaan, Syria, Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Persia. Exhibits are arranged in chronological order granting the visitor a clear understanding of how various cultures evolved and interacted with one another.
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  • Museums
  • History
  • Tel Aviv - Jaffa
Using murals, reconstructions, dioramas, audio-visual displays, documentary films, and interactive multimedia presentations, Beit Hatfutsot conveys to the world the fascinating narrative of the Jewish people and the essence of the Jewish culture, faith, purpose, and deed while presenting the contribution of world Jewry to humanity.
  • Museums
  • History
  • Tel Aviv City Center
Bialik House is the home of Israel’s beloved Hebrew national poet, Haim Nachman Bialik. Even though the poetry is in Hebrew, the house is an architectural paradise highly influenced by Islamic style. Along with archives of Bialik’s original work, the house features ceramic art depicting biblical scenes.  
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  • Museums
  • Art and design
  • Neve Sha'anan
Arguably Israel’s most magnificent cultural asset, the Israel Museum is consistently ranked among the world’s leading art and archaeology museums. Housing encyclopedic collections with works dating from prehistory to the present day in archaeology, fine art, and Jewish art, this is the place to get schooled on Israel’s 5,000-year history.
  • Museums
  • Art and design
  • Neve Tzedek
The Nahum Gutman Museum of Art showcases the versatile Israeli artist’s vast oeuvre of paintings, illustrations, and writings. The enchanting little museum, housed in the historical Writers House, also has an arts and crafts section for children.
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  • Museums
  • History
  • Jerusalem City Center
A gem of a museum tucked away in the city center that is dedicated to preserving documentation and artwork concerning Jewish life in Italy over the better part of the past millennium. 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 interest
  • Art
  • Galleries
  • Tel Aviv City Center
This gallery first started in London under the name Stern art dealers. In 1971, Meir Stern immigrated to Tel Aviv where he opened his newest establishment, Stern Gallery. From the getgo, Stern Gallery exhibited the most established names in Jewish and Israeli art from all over the world, and it didn’t take long for him to assume prominence in the Israeli art market scene. Stern prides himself on professionalism, reliability and only the highest quality of Jewish art and artists.
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