MUS_056
Museum Address:

​​​​​Hecht Museum
University of Haifa 
199 Aba-Hushi Ave. 
Haifa 
3498838

Opening Hours:
​Sun, Mon​10am - 4pm
​Tue​10am - 7pm
​Wed, Thu​10am - 4pm
​Fri​10am - 1pm
​Sat​10am - 2pm

Free Admission!

Contact Details:
​​Tel:​04-8240308
​04-8240308
​Fax:04-8240724
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Hecht Museum, University of Haifa
A Gem on Top of the Mountain!

Exhibitions

Main

 
The Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa was inaugurated in 1984. It was the initiative of the late Dr. Reuben He​cht, founder of the "Dagon Silos" in the port of Haifa and a founding member of the University of Haifa Board of Governors. 
From his youth, Dr. Hecht was interested in the archaeology of the Land of Israel, and he assiduously collected archaeological artifacts representing the material culture of the Land of Israel in ancient times. Dr. Hecht, who was known for his Zionist activities, believed that archaeology was an important expression of Zionism and that the discovery of ancient artifacts was proof of the link between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.

About two years before his Dr. Hecht's passing in April 1993, he began planning an expansion of the Museum. The management of the University of Haifa and the directors​ of the Hecht Foundation continued with this initiative, and the new wing of the Museum was inaugurated in October 1998. 

The Archaeololical Wing


The permanent displays in the new wing are thematic and based both on archaeological artifacts from the Hecht Collection and those on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority:

  • Archaeology of Eretz-Israel in Chronological Sequence: Beginning with the Chalcolithic Period and ending in the Late Byzantine period.
  • Thematic Display: Jewish coins, West Semitic seals, weights, jewelry, toys, oil lamps, and artifacts from the Temple Mount Excavations in Jerusalem.
  • Phoenicians on the Northern Coast of Israel in the Biblical Period: The contribution of the Phoenicians, the sea-going traders, to the technology of harbor engineering, development and distribution of the alphabetic script, and more.
  • Ancient Crafts and Industries: Metalworking, woodworking, stone vessels, glassmaking, mosaic art, the art of writing, and the physician's craft.
  • Ma'agan Mikhael Ancient Ship: The hull of the 2400-year-old ship, its anchor and cargo.
  • Findings from the University of Haifa Excavations

The Art Wing


The Art Wing of the Museum was inaugurated in early 1989. Displaying artwork from the Hecht Family Collection, this wing presents important trends in art, beginning in the 19th century. Its emphasis is on Impressionism and the work of Jewish artists in the School of Paris. Included in this collection are works by Van GoghManetMonetPissarroSoutine and Modigliani

​Permanent Art exhibitions:
  • French Painting 1830-1930: Barbizon School, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, School of Paris.
  • Jewish Art from Mid-19th to Early 20th Century: Dutch, German and Eastern artists.  Works by Van-Gogh, Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Soutine, Modigliani, Israels, Struck, and others
  • Ghez Collection: Works by Jewish artists who perished in the Holocaust​

The Auditorium


The new wing contains a grand and acoustically superior auditorium that seats 380. A pipe organ, which was put together from parts of organs used in churches in Israel more than a century ago, was also installed. Its sonorous tones reflect the traditional quality, rich variety, and romantic style of 19th-century organs.​

Activities

The Hecht Museum serves as a study and research center for students and academic staff, as well as a venue for enrichment studies in the fields of archaeology, art, history, and the Bible for school pupils, soldiers, teachers and other members of the community. The Museum holds an annual competition in the plastic arts for high school pupils, soldiers, and students in the University's Department of Fine Arts. The Hecht Foundation grants scholarships to the winners of this competition.

The Museum holds conferences, symposia and cultural events for youngsters and adults. 
The Museum also publishes catalogues of its exhibitions of archaeology and art. 
"Mic​hmanim​"​, the museum's bulletin, publishes scholarly articles on archaeological research and on artifacts in the Museum Collection.​

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