Beit Hatfutsot, founded in 1978, was defined in 2005 by the Knesset, Israeli Parliament, as "The National Center for Jewish Communities in Israel and Around the World". The Museum's mission is to present the unique and continues story of the Jewish people, their faith, vocation, culture and activities, and their contributions to humanity.
Beit Hatfutsot is currently undergoing a renewal process, which includes the establishment of a new core exhibition. The new display will tell a multifaceted and complex story dealing with issues that accompanied the Jewish people at different times and in different places. The Museum of the Jewish People offers extensive multi-layered answers that address the various dimensions of its existence. The Museum takes visitors on a fascinating journey, through a unique and ongoing story of the Jewish people. They glimpse a rich Jewish culture from which emerges a relevant story that arouses their identification with the past and the present.
This journey is based on three key principles:
A pluralistic all-encompassing approach– offering an inclusive representation of the magnificent mosaic that is the Jewish people past and present. It recognizes all incarnations of Judaism, across geography and generations, free from both bias and dogma.
A celebration of creativity and renewal –a retrospect of the Jewish story and its implications on the Jewish present, using an approach that celebrates prosperity, creativity, cultural dialogue and an endless capacity for regeneration.
Relevancy and Identification - by interweaving the threads of past and present and illuminating the idea that we are all part of the greater Jewish story; the Museum promotes the concept that "This story is (also) my own."
To convey this message, there are numerous and varied avenues utilized: a permanent exhibition, temporary exhibitions, events on the subjects of Jewish identity and Jewish history, personalities, artists, culture and history, educational activities for youth from Israel and overseas, students and soldiers, courses for teachers, seminars and tours, online databases and family trees.