See Jerusalem’s beautiful art parks, where (almost) no graven images can be found
The Holy City has long had a de facto ban on statues in the human form, as per the second of the Ten Commandments, but that doesn’t mean sculptures are completely off the menu
In the early 1960s, American Jewish entertainer Billy Rose decided to donate his entire collection of modern sculptures to Israel’s national museum.
He also proposed to finance the construction and landscaping of an art garden that would hold his gift — on the condition that it would bear his name.
Yet, incredibly, what would eventually become one of the world-famous Israel Museum’s major attractions, the sculpture garden almost didn’t come into being.
According to Prof. Doron Bar of Jerusalem’s Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, that’s because of objections from the city’s Orthodox population. Statues in the Holy City? Definitely felt like a slap in the face of the Second Commandment: “Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image… that is in the heaven above, or the earth beneath.”
Jerusalem the Holy is notable for its lack of statues of people, although they can be found in Tel Aviv, Haifa and in most every major city outside of Israel. In Jerusalem, they appear only in two private institutions: the Israel Museum and Hebrew University.
Despite these limitations, Jerusalem abounds with wonderful art parks featuring non-humanoid sculptures. Several are found in and around the city’s centers of culture and government: the Knesset (Parliament), Bank of Israel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Science Museum, Bible Lands Museum and the Supreme Court.
All are free for the public to enjoy, except for the Billy Rose Garden, which is included in the museum fee. The others are found at the Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus in western Jerusalem, inside the Valley of the Cross, at the fabulous Wohl Rose Garden and, finally, the newest addition at the recently opened new home of the National Library of Israel.
Billy Rose Art Garden
The Billy Rose Art Garden, a major attraction, opened together with the Israel Museum in 1965. Among Rose’s collection are figurative works by Auguste Rodin, considered the father of modern sculpture, Lynn Chadwick, Alexander Archipenko and Antoine Bourdelle. While these are still on display in the garden and other parts of the museum, they have been joined by exciting sculptures created by well-known artists like Israel Tumarkin, Jacques Lipchitz, Henry Moore and Picasso.
Hebrew University Edmund J. Safra Campus
Having last visited the Safra campus as students quite a few decades ago, we were surprised and delighted with its landscaped gardens, unusual statues and sculpted birdwalk. The latest addition is the Garden of Hope, dedicated to those men, women and children who were murdered on October 7, 2023, or fell in the ongoing war that broke out as a result of the massacre.
An outside wall features a stone relief with archeological motifs by Israeli sculptor Itzhak Danziger, and in the entrance plaza two oblique lines are in constant motion on a piece designed by American sculptor George Rickey. British sculptor Henry Moore created the draped bronze figure on the lawn, and further along is found Yigal Tomarkin’s strange “Reflecting Wall.”
Lifelike bird sculptures line the relaxing bird trail, while one area of the lawn holds the largest tree section in Israel — a redwood sequoia at least 2,000 years old, brought here from California after it was felled during a storm. Also on the campus is a wooden boardwalk built around a pine forest and a nature walk featuring more than 300 different species of native plants.
We have written in the past about the fabulous Wohl Rose Garden, closed at the moment for renovations but is slated to reopen soon. It is located between the Israeli Supreme Court and the Knesset. Among the sculptures is “Tete” (“Head”) by Spanish sculptor Joan Miro, who combined the images in his head with more realistic forms. A pagoda-like sculpture stands above a little lake, while our favorite is the rose-shaped marble fountain by the late Austrian contemporary water sculptor Hans Muhr.
Valley of the Cross
According to legend, the wood for the cross on which Jesus was crucified came from a tree in a valley just west of Jerusalem. The Persians, it is said, took the cross with them after they invaded Jerusalem in 614, but it was recovered a decade later by Byzantine emperor Heraclius. On his way back to Jerusalem with the cross, Heraclius rested in the valley next to the tree which had furnished the wood.
Located just below the Israel Museum, the Valley of the Cross features an historic 11th-century Georgian monastery, probably built over church remains dating back up to 1,500 years. Also along a path in the woodlands of the valley are a stone olive press over 2,000 years old, and an emotionally torturous stone
sculpture titled “Struggle,” created by Polish-born Israeli artist Shmuel
Bar-Even. During construction work on the adjacent highway, 10 ossuaries containing bones of the departed were discovered, three of which were inscribed with Jewish names.
Letters of Light and the Israel National Library
It is no accident, of course, that the brand-new Letters of Light Sculpture Garden is situated on the beautiful grounds of the just-opened Israel National Library. Created by Israeli artist Micha Ullman, the garden and its environmental sculptures are intended as a joyful celebration of the revival of the Hebrew language. And the library, which contains every book ever published in Israel in any language on any subject (including our seven) is truly a treasure house of letters. For it boasts over 4,500,000 books and hundreds of thousands of items gathered from all over the world. These include the world’s largest collection of Jewish music, handwritten works by Maimonides, and one of the earliest existing Scrolls of Esther.
An architectural masterpiece designed by the Swiss firm of Herzog and de Meuron, the library boasts a reading room consisting of concentric circles, robotic stacks and halls with amazing technologically advanced exhibits. Visitors are welcome to roam the library or use the facilities six days a week but if you desire a guided tour you must register months ahead.
Visitors should roam the sculpture garden when the sun is shining, for sunbeams pass through the sculptured stones and create the different Hebrew letters. In the center there are three windows in the floor shaped like the first letters of the Hebrew, Arabic and Latin alphabets. Sunlight in their likeness is projected into a chamber below.
On a tour a few weeks ago, our guide stressed that every effort was being made to infuse the library with meaning, to take the library to the people, so that even if you can’t physically make it to the library, you can enjoy its treasures by reading exciting, little-known and in-depth stories that are sent out by email newsletter almost every day of the week.
Aviva Bar-Am is the author of seven English-language guides to Israel.
Shmuel Bar-Am is a licensed tour guide who provides private, customized tours in Israel for individuals, families and small groups.
