Graduate of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design

My connection to Jerusalem’s antique side began when I headed up the Education Department of the Tower of David Museum from 1990 to 2001. I then initiated and directed the restoration of the home of Israel’s first Nobel laureate, Shai Agnon, turning a dilapidated building into a beautifully restored and preserved museum with its original library.

When I returned to the Tower of David to become director in 2012, I saw the potential of transforming a totally inaccessible ancient citadel into an accessible, modern, engaging and beautiful museum that honors the rich history and culture of Jerusalem and provides a platform for contemporary expression of art and design in the city.

I have been met with challenges at every juncture over the past decade. How do you talk about Jerusalem, whose history covers 4,000 years and whose essence is so precious to so many the world over?

The biggest challenge of the renewal process has been to find the right balance between the old and the new.

As a result of dynamic changing exhibitions, creative programming, an innovation lab, a vibrant education department and a pioneering program for inclusion in Israeli museums, visitor attendance has doubled. 

I’m now leading the renewal and conservation of the museum and chairing the Jerusalem Forum of Cultural Institutions. 

I hope that the renewed museum allows people of all ages and of all backgrounds to engage with the city of Jerusalem in a very new way.

I am always excited about the process of renewal – and there are still more discoveries to make at the Tower of David.