New Jerusalem

Artists Zionists and Socialists in Jerusalem in the early Twentieth Century

The Bezalel Art School was established in Jerusalem in 1906. Its students, who aspired to create a new Jewish art, were joined by members of the Second Aliyah – young Zionists and socialists who believed that precisely Jerusalem was the most fitting place to apply their social and revolutionary ideals – and thus came into being the “New Jerusalem” circle.
The lives of members of “New Jerusalem” focused on creativity: arts and crafts, education and the establishment of the Hebrew Gymnasia (high school), the writing of literary works and essays, and above all the building of a new creative society in Jerusalem.
The exhibition,” New Jerusalem,” presents for the first time the lifestyle of this group and recreates its atmosphere by exhibiting works of contemporary artists: Meir Gur Arie, Boris Schatz, Nehemiah Badarashi, Abel Pann, Yaakov Stark, and others. Some works are exhibited for the first time, such as the sketches of Ira Yan, discovered during research for the exhibition in the archives of Rachel Yanait Ben-Zvi and in the archives of this gifted artist who died in tragic circumstances in 1919. Further exhibits will include sketches by fourteen-year-old Batya Lishansky, manuscripts, letters, and scores of contemporary photographs.
As part of the activities related to the exhibition, a catalogue booklet will be published as a special issue of Et-mol, there will be special guided tours, and a scholarly colloquium will be conducted.

The exhibition and catalogue booklet were produce in conjunction with Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi

Gallery talk with the exhibition curator Tuesday 4.4.06 at 11:00.
A seminar will be held at Yad Ben-Zvi Friday 26th of May 09:00 – 13:00.