Diaspora Museum

Today I went to the Jewish Diaspora Museum (Bet Hatefutsoth) at Tel Aviv University. The whole thing took me about 90 minutes-ish. I thought it could use more light... I felt really unsettled in there when they introduced the Jewish people... how despite it all, we are still about community. They had some amazing models and several beautiful art pieces.

The biggest kick was the exhibit on models of synagogues from all over the world- from Cocohin, India to Worms, Germany to Newport, Rhode Island to Amsterdam to Venice to Florence (wow!). They were beautifully done and I wish I could take one of them with me back home (except for Elkins Park, PA one- the architect is Frank Lloyd Wright- ugly!).

There was another exhibit that really made you think. It came at the end of a quick history od the Diaspora- זכור (Remember) in big and bold letters on the wall preceding the exhibit. It contained the book called Scrolls of Fire, filled with poetry and writings with metaphors to different Jewish catastrophes accompanying by paintings and drawings. Of course, the first thought could be either the Holocaust or the destruction of the Second Temple. But no, Scrolls of Fire is all about martyrdom. Somehow the thought of 52 pieces of work for each week of the year made me swallow a bit. My forefathers survived so much. Would I be willing to uphold an act of martyrdom for my Jewish people? I felt like the Museum suggested that even though ultimately it is the person's choice on whether to commit this act or not, s/he should think about how many people sacrificed their lives for others (in other words, it wants to make you feel guilty) This is what Judaism is supposedly be about...dying so others can live and to peserve one's honor and dignity. Of course, one must ask the question about the Holocaust... the answer for it will never get resolved. There are so many scholarly debates. What about fighting in the IDF? Especially when your enemies want to wipe you and your fellow Jews off the map. So it was a moment that I kind of wanted to scream like if I had seen a spider.

I'm still disturbed over the fact that the Museum was so dark- no light. I didn't feel that it was truly celebrating the Jewish people- only that it asked for respect to all the achievements, accomplishments, and memories that the Jews have created over the past 2,000 years. The exhibits were definitely well done but... either it's the way the curator wanted or the place needed renovation like the Museum of American History (so old!). I think that Yad Vashem and the Israel Museum did a better job of celebrating the Jews with their architecture and interior layout.