Hamshushalayim 2009 at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Entrance to the museum during Hamshushalayim events is free
Entrance to Hamshushalayim performances is free
Space is limited! Admission will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis. The doors to the Shrine of the Book will close when the Shrine is full.
The Museum will remain open during Hamshushalayim events from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am
Concerts in the Shrine of the Book
November 26 A-Cappella in the Shrine of the Book: Piyutim by the Kehilot Sharot choir
A choir of 25 singers sings piyutim (liturgical poems) from the Greater Near Eastern and North African traditions. The texts were written by poets from the Haleb, Yemenite, and Moroccan traditions during various periods. Contemporary execution lends a modern touch to the traditional piyutim. The choir's conductor, musician Roni Ish Ran, represents the Sephardi-Jerusalem liturgical style. He is a veteran teacher of piyutim and has been a member of the Kehilot Sharot choir since its founding. Ish Ran hails from the Greater Near Eastern tradition in which vocal music is a way of life, and all of the musicians, including those who play instruments, frequently lend their voices to the songs.
December 3 Jerusalem A-Cappella at the Shrine of the Book: - Soul, Baroque, and Spiritual Song – Conducted by Judi Axelrod
The ensemble of about 25 singers with rich experience in varied fields of music won a gold medal in the Palestrina Sacred Music Competition under the auspices of the Vatican. The ensemble will present a richly varied program of vocal music including works from the Baroque period, Israeli songs, and even The Beatles.
December 10 A-Cappella at the Shrine of the Book: Musica Eterna conducted by Ilya Plotkin
A work for choir and guitar based on the songs of Federico Garcia Lorca conducted by Ilya Plotkin. The choir specializes in liturgical music and is considered unique in this field. Most of the singers in the Musica Eterna immigrated to Israel from the Commonwealth of Independent States, and they are all professional musicians.
Exhibitions open during Hamshushalayim events:
The Shrine of the Book Campus
The Shrine of the Book houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. Discovered in the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea Scrolls are among the earliest existing manuscripts from the biblical world.
Special exhibitions in the Shrine of the Book:
The Aleppo Codex
The exhibition presents the remarkable story of the most authoritative manuscript of the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible, written in Tiberias in the 10th Century. The Aleppo Codex (Keter Aram Zova) is displayed with other rare biblical manuscripts and related Jewish and Islamic objects.
The Nuremberg Mahzor: A Medieval Masterpiece Unveiled
This illuminated manuscript is one of very few complete medieval Hebrew prayer books in existence. It is on display for the first time following its restoration in the Museum's paper conservation laboratories. The massive manuscript, hand-written in Germany in 1331, contains the Ashkenazi yearly cycle of prayers and an unparalleled collection of liturgical poems and commentaries on the prayers. It is embellished with 22 lavish panels in gold and silver leaf. Surviving expulsions and peril, the manuscript was housed for centuries in the Nuremberg State Library. Businessman and publisher Salman Schocken, a collector and lover of books, realized his dream of bringing to Israel this treasure of Jewish heritage. The exhibition examines several facets of this precious object: its content, adornment, and history.
Model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period
The 50:1 scale model recreates the appearance of Jerusalem in 66 CE, just before the destruction of Jerusalem, when the city was at its peak and covered nearly 450 acres. The model was transferred to the Museum in 2006. Its reconstruction was based on literary sources from the period, descriptions of other exposed ancient cities in the Roman Empire, and archaeological findings in Jerusalem.
Film: A Human Sanctuary in the Dorot Auditorium
This documentary feature film presents an experiential depiction of the growth of the Qumran sect and the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Screening: every half hour from 9:30 pm; last screening at 1:00 am