Ethnographic Museums in Israel

Ethnographic Museums in Israel focuses on a new dimension of the Israeli museological landscape. Since the 1970s, Jewish ethnic groups dissatisfied with how large-scale museums displayed (or ignored) their heritage began erecting museums dedicated to their own cultures. These include museums dedicated to the cultural heritages of Jews from Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

In parallel, Arab (including Bedouin), Druze, and Circassian minorities of Israel began creating museums that challenge the narrative in Jewish settlement museums and highlight their own cultural heritage. Taken as a whole, these museums and heritage centers portray the ethnic diversity of Israeli society and preserve this diverse cultural heritage for future generations.