Its collection offers a panorama of religious objects d’art from the Renaissance and Baroque periods in Italy.
The collection includes Judaica from a diverse array of cities and villages throughout Italy. It includes a multitude of artifacts: silver Judaica, Holy Arks, original documents depicting Jewish life in Italy, ornate prayer books and Bibles, synagogue and life cycle furnishings, textiles, and other objects from Italian Jewish communal and personal life.
The Museum’s main attraction is the Conegliano Veneto Synagogue which stood in that small town sixty kilometers from Venice. Its ornate Holy Ark was built in the early seventeenth century, and much of its contents can be seen today in the Museum, where it is utilized both as a vibrant synagogue and a Museum exhibition. This synagogue, like many of the ritual objects and furnishings exhibited in the Museum, was brought in 1952 from an abandoned Jewish community to Jerusalem in an exciting “rescue operation”.
Services are held regularly on the Sabbath and Jewish Holidays according to the ancient “Minhag Bnei Roma” (the Italian prayer custom), which is one of the most ancient rituals in Judaism, closely related to that prevailing in the Land of Israel during the Second Temple period.
The Museum and Synagogue are housed, in the heart of Jerusalem, in a landmark structure built in 1886 by a Templar architect, who employed neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance styles.
The first floor of the structure includes an elegant hall decorated with biblical frescoes on its vaulted ceiling. This hall is now used to host cultural and social events.
Like the magnificent Synagogue, it can be rented for affairs such as weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, brises and other special occasions.
In the Museum many exciting activities for adults and/or children:
• Behind the scenes in our restoration studios (textile, woodwork, manuscripts, silver) – close up view of collection artifacts and lecture by expert
• Italian Jewish chef entertains with opera, stories, and cooking tips
• Italian Jewish women: ritual objects tour and craft making workshop
• Walking tours of Italian sites in Jerusalem
• Bar/bat mitzvah programs – learn how Torahs are made, see ornate Torahs and read from the Torah
• Scavenger hunt for Jewish symbols and motifs
Programs can be custom made, including concerts, workshops, and more.
Website: Click Here Phone: 02-6241610 Address: 27 Hillel St., Jerusalem | Opening Hours: Sun. Tues. Wed. 10:00 to 17:00 Mon. Fri. 10:00 to 13:00 Thurs. 10:00 to 21:00
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