Israel Museum Receives $12m from Safra Foundation

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem recently announced a $12-million gift from the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation for the renovation, reinstallation, and endowment of its newly renamed Edmond and Lily Safra Fine Arts Wing.

This newest gift bolsters the Museum’s campaign for its $100-million campus enhancement project, which will upgrade and unify the terraced 20-acre campus, increase accessibility to the Museum’s collection wings and enhance and expand its exhibition galleries and public spaces. Over $90 million for the project has been committed to date. The project is scheduled for completion in May 2010.

Concurrent with this major capital project, the Museum has launched an ambitious endowment campaign in honor of its founder, Teddy Kollek, which will double its current endowment to a total of $150 million. Over $41.5 million of this additional $75 million goal has already been committed. Once completed, it will be the largest endowment for a cultural institution in the State of Israel.

According to Museum Director, James Snyder, “The Israel Museum’s capital and endowment campaigns have together created an unparalleled precedent for collective giving to a cultural initiative in Israel, and we are deeply grateful for the tremendous and widespread support for this ambitious undertaking. The design for our renewed campus complements the Museum’s original architectural vision, which embraces the Jerusalem landscape as an integral part of the visitor experience, and will allow our public to enjoy our encyclopedic collections in new and exciting ways.”