Beit Avi Chai () is a cultural center and art gallery located in Jerusalem, Israel. It was established by the Avi Chai Foundation to promote Jewish-Israeli culture, creativity, and identity. The center hosts an array of artistic performances, academic lectures, public events, podcasts, web series and visual art exhibitions, which reflect various perspectives on Jewish life, thought, and contemporary Israeli society.
History and establishment Beit Avi Chai was founded in 2007 with the support of the Avi Chai Foundation, which focuses on fostering Jewish commitment and continuity. The foundation, active in Israel, United States, and the former Soviet Union, was established by philanthropist Zalman Bernstein to encourage Jewish learning and cultural engagement through various educational and artistic initiatives. The Jerusalem center is the foundation’s flagship project in Israel.
The building, located on King George Street in central Jerusalem, was designed by Ada Karmi-Melamede,Ziva Sternhell, From Bauhaus to Ada's House, Haaretz, Nov 8, 2002 recipient of the Israel Prize for Architecture. Its modern design, featuring clean lines and open spaces, reflects the center's innovative approach to Jewish culture, blending tradition with contemporary artistic and intellectual expression.Michael Jacobson, אי-אפשר להבין את בית אבי חי בלי להיכנס פנימה, טוענת האדריכלית, Xnet, August 16, 2017
Beit Avi Chai serves as a platform for dialogue and interaction between diverse segments of Israeli society and the global Jewish community. Its programming includes a wide range of cultural forms, such as film screenings, theater performances, musical concerts, lectures, panel discussions, and workshops focusing on Jewish history, philosophy, literature, and social issues.Barry Davis, Beit Avi Chai events offer respite from wartime stress and trauma, The Jerusalem Post, November 4, 2023
In addition to its physical space, Its website provides access to recorded lectures, concerts, cultural events, and online courses and digital resources for educators and students interested in Jewish studies.Barry Davis, Post COVID, Jerusalem's culture scene is bruised but very much alive, The Jerusalem Post, May 6, 2021
Since 2012, Dr. David Rozenson has served as the director of Beit Avi Chai,Yaakov Schwartz, After escaping USSR aged 7, cultural director went back to establish Jewish lifeAs head of Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem, The Times of Israel, 12 September 2017 and Professor Avigdor Shinan acts as the center's academic advisor.Avigdor Shinan, in AVI CHAI Israel The poet Amichai Chasson serves as the artistic director and chief curator of the Beit Avi Chai Art Gallery.
Beit Avi Chai's art gallery
A central part of Beit Avi Chai is its modern art gallery, which hosts one major exhibition each year, accompanied by a catalog. Notable exhibitions in Beit Avi Chai’s gallery have featured works by Jewish-Russian artist Anatoli Kaplan,Liza Rozovsky, Anatoly Kaplan Was the Face of Soviet Yiddishkeit in London and N.Y.C., Haaretz, Mar 20, 2023 Israel Prize-winning painter Pinchas Litvinovsky,Avshalom Halutz, Cultural Roundup | Do We Belong in the Middle East? The Israelis Putting the Levant Front and Center, Haaretz, Jul 26, 2024 as well as prominent Israeli artists like Avraham Ofek, Amos Kenan, Ronny Someck, and Marek Yanai.Liane Grunberg Wakabayashi, Painter Marek Yanai: A hidden treasure in plain view The On the Threshold exhibition of Marek Yanai’s art continues at Beit Avi Chai until the end of July, The Jerusalem Post, June 25, 2022
See also List of museums in Israel Architecture of Israel
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