Although it briefly reopened in the summer, Israel’s flagship museum, has been closed most of the time since the beginning of the pandemic in March.
By HANNAH BROWNThe Peter and Pan exhibition at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem(photo credit: ELIE POSNER/THE ISRAEL MUSEUM)
The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, will be included in the pilot program of museum openings that was announced Tuesday by the Culture Ministry in coordination with the Health Ministry, and will open its doors on December 1.The museum released a statement saying, “The Israel Museum has proven in the past that it is a safe and protected space in terms of the health of its visitors and we expect that its opening will lead to the opening of other cultural institutions in the country.”Although it briefly reopened in the summer, Israel’s flagship museum, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as half a million other objects, has been closed most of the time since the beginning of the pandemic in March. The sudden drop in tourism affected the museum’s ticket sales and it faced financial issues, but it has adapted with online exhibitions and virtual tours.But the staff of the museum has been eager to reopen its doors. Prof. Ido Bruno, the director of the Israel Museum: "We are happy and excited that the Israel Museum is about to open soon. We waited for weeks for such a decision and so did the crowd of culture-loving visitors. Consumption of art and culture is not a luxury, but a condition for the existence of any society that desires life. We thank the Culture Minister, Chili Tropper, who is working hard to advance the opening of the museums.”
