2019 – We Came to Our Land, Jack Jano
Jack Jano (b.1950), who was born in Morocco and immigrated with his family as a young child, studied at Bezalel and works in a variety of media. He deals with issues of rootedness, tradition and…
2019 – Atlit, Tigist Yoseph Ron
Tigist Yoseph Ron (b.1979), whose parents made aliyah from Ethiopia with their nine children, first settled in Atlit. The difficulty and displacement of those years are expressed in this powerful charcoal drawing in the collection…
2021 – Rooftop Paintings: Eshchar-Sachnin (Morning); Sachnin-Eshchar (Afternoon), Ruth Kestenbaum Ben-Dov
Ruth Kestenbaum Ben-Dov (b.1961) made aliyah as a teenager with her family, graduated from Bezalel, and lives and works in the Galilee. She made these two oil paintings simultaneously. One is the view from her…
2022 – Strand, Sigalit Landau
This striking installation, part of The Burning Sea exhibit at the Israel Museum until June 2023, comes from an ongoing project by Sigalit Landau (b.1969) in which she immerses a variety of objects in the…
2023 — Letters of Light, Micha Ullman
Letters of Light by Micha Ullman (b.1939), a Bezalel-trained sculptor, is an environmental work based on the Hebrew alphabet and inspired by Sefer Yetzira (The Book of Creation), the oldest known Jewish mystical text. Set…
Zionist and Israeli Culture in Words, Art and Music (video, 45:00)
In this 45-minute video recorded Jan. 11, 2023, scholars of Jewish, Zionist and Israeli art, music and culture discuss how culture not only was a fundamental part of the effort to build a safe Jewish homeland, but was for many the reason behind the modern State of Israel. Featured are Dr. Arieh Saposnik, an associate professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Dr. Susan Nashman Fraiman, an instructor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; and Dr. Eli Sperling, an Israel Institute teaching fellow at the University of Georgia. Moderating the conversation is Center for Israel Education President Dr. Kenneth Stein, professor emeritus of Middle Eastern history and political science and Israel studies at Emory University. This webinar is part of CIE’s Israel@75: A Yearlong Exploration project.
Leonard Bernstein, 1918-1990
Born in Massachusetts to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Bernstein was a prominent pianist, conductor and humanitarian. His longtime association with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra began with a concert he conducted in Tel Aviv in 1947. Among…
Chava Alberstein, 1946-
Singer-songwriter-musician Alberstein is a native of Poland who moved to Israel with her family in 1950. She has released more than 60 albums, recording in Hebrew, English and Yiddish, and is one of Israel’s most…
Mira Awad, 1975-
An Arab Christian from the Galilee, Awad is a star singer and actress. She was educated in Tel Aviv before moving to Tel Aviv. In 2009 she became the first Arab and Christian to represent…
Netta Barzilai, 1993-
Barzilai, who performs mononymously as Netta, won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 with “Toy,” making her the fourth Israeli victor. She first gained fame by winning Season 5 of reality competition “HaKokhav HaBa.” Barzilai’s…
David Broza, 1952-
Haifa native Broza is one of Israel’s most successful and influential musicians, including Spanish-style guitar playing learned during his time in Madrid. His first hit was “Yihyeh Tov” (“It Will Be Good”) in 1977. He…
Gal Gadot, 1985-
Born in Rosh Haayin and crowned Miss Israel at 18, Gadot served in the military and became a model, singer and martial artist. She has emerged as one of the world’s most recognized actresses, first…
Sarit Hadad, 1978-
Hadad is one of Israel’s most popular singers. She was a 2002 Eurovision contestant and was Israeli Music TV’s Best Female Singer of the 2000s. She was a judge on “The Voice Israel” and was…
Shalom Hanoch, 1946-
Singer and composer Hanoch is considered the father of Israeli rock and is known for poetic lyrics. Born on Kibbutz Mishmarot, he began writing songs at 14 and joined the army band during his military…
Dana International, 1969-
International, whose real name is Sharon Cohen, is a pop singer and former drag performer. She became Israel’s third Eurovision Song Contest winner with “Diva” in 1998. She released her first album in 1993, the…
Etgar Keret, 1967-
Born in Ramat Gan to Holocaust survivors from Poland, Keret is internationally renowned for quirky, darkly humorous short stories, novels and screenplays exploring such themes as love, death, morality and the meaning of life. His…
Noa Kirel, 2001-
Kirel is a pop star and actress of Mizrahi and Ashkenazi ancestry who is Israel’s 2023 Eurovision contestant. She released her first songs at 14. She won the MTV Europe Music Award for best Israeli…
Sigalit Landau, 1969-
Landau is a Jerusalem-born artist who studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, then worked in the United States and United Kingdom. Her pieces are multimedia, including drawing, sculpture, video and performance. She…
Adi Nes, 1966-
Kiryat Gat native Nes is one of Israel’s most prominent photographers. He stages art photos to convey themes of masculinity and identity, often reflecting the influence of iconic artworks and his experiences growing up gay…
Itzhak Perlman, 1945-
Perlman is an acclaimed violinist and conductor who was born in Tel Aviv, survived polio at age 4, and lives and teaches in New York. He has performed for U.S. presidents and British Queen Elizabeth…
Natalie Portman, 1981-
Jerusalem-born actress Portman made her film debut as the star of 1994’s “Leon: The Professional.” She won an Oscar for 2010’s “Black Swan” and was nominated for two others. Her directorial debut was the 2015…
Haim Saban, 1944-
Saban is a multibillionaire music, film and TV producer who founded Saban Entertainment, creator of “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.” A native of Egypt, he immigrated to Israel in 1956. He started a tour promotion business…
Shulamit Bat-Dori, 1904-1985
Born in Warsaw and known as Mita, Bat-Dori immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1923 and brought theater to kibbutzim as an actress, playwright and theater director. Her plays targeted political issues, such as…
Edis De Philippe, 1912-1979
A New York-born opera singer, De Philippe founded the Israel National Opera Company in 1947. She settled in Palestine after World War II and performed with the Palestine Folk Opera in 1945 and for the…
