ANU Museum of the Jewish People

The ANU Museum of the Jewish People stands at 15 Klausner Street on the Tel Aviv University campus in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. It opened in 1978 as Beit Hatfutsot, the Diaspora Museum, and was reinvented and reopened under the name ANU, Hebrew for we, after a long renovation completed in 2021. The museum tells the story of the Jewish people over about 2,500 years from the Babylonian exile to the present, concentrating on communities and cultures across the world rather than on the history of the state. Its permanent exhibition is organised thematically, with galleries on family, faith, community, culture, language and contribution to the wider world, and it uses film, audio, interactive screens, models, costumes, ritual objects and reconstructions. Past scale models of synagogues from different countries are among its best-known features, and there are displays of music, food, humour and sport. A genealogy centre allows visitors to search for family names and connections in databases of Jewish communities. The curatorial approach is immersive and personal, encouraging visitors to find their own place in the story, rather than a strictly chronological walk. The building is a modern, concrete and glass structure designed to house flexible gallery spaces, and the museum is part of the university campus, close to the Palmach Museum and the Eretz Israel Museum. The museum was renovated to update technology, accessibility and presentation, so exhibits are current and well maintained. Visitors can expect exhibitions in English and Hebrew, with audio support, and temporary exhibitions that change several times a year. A full visit takes two to three hours, and the museum shop and cafe offer a break. It suits those interested in Jewish heritage, genealogy and the cultural history of the diaspora and gives context for sites elsewhere in the city.