About Bezalel
אודות בצלאל
حول بتسلئيل
Historical Timeline
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1903
Professor Boris Schatz proposes establishing an arts and crafts school in the Land of Israel to Theodore Herzl.
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1905
The Seventh Zionist Congress in Basel passes a resolution to establish the "Bezalel" School of Art.
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1906
Professor Schatz establishes the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem.
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1908
The Bezalel School moves to new buildings, adds new departments expands its scope of activities.
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1914
With the advent of World War I, Bezalel faces political, financial and management difficulties.
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1917
The Turks deport Boris Schatz. Bezalel shuts down until British General Allenby enters Jerusalem in late 1917.
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1918
Schatz returns. The School resume’s instruction in painting and sculpture along with carpet making, metalworking and woodcarving crafts.
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1929
With Bezalel in financial difficulty, Schatz travels abroad to raise funds and the School closes down temporarily
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1932
Schatz dies in the U.S. while on tour with a roving exhibition of works by Bezalel’s artists.
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1935
The New Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts opens headed by renowned Berlin print artist Josef Budko.
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1940
Josef Budko dies. The artist Mordechai Ardon, a disciple of the Bauhaus school, succeeds him.
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1947
Bezalel’s enrollment booms. For the first time, the new students include are concentration camps survivors.
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1948
The State of Israel is founded. Bezalel expands it curriculum and becomes Israel’s premier academy of arts.
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1952
Sculptor Zeev Ben-Zvi is named to head Bezalel. Israel’s government begins to provide funding to the School.
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1953
Ben-Zvi is succeeded by Yaakov Steinhardt, followed by Yerahmiel Schechter, Yitzhak Aschheim and Felix Darnell.
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1955
The New Bezalel School is declared an Academy of Art, enrollment exceeds 200, the building is expanded.
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1958
The Bezalel Academy of Art receives the Israel Prize on the occasion of Israel’s tenth Independence Day.
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1965
New Bezalel Head Dan Hofner works intensely to change the school’s legal, financial and academic status.
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1969
The Council for Higher Education recommends the school become The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.
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1975
Bezalel awarded status of an academic institution. Graduates receive B.A. degrees appropriate to their discipline.
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1981
The Photography Department’s curricular program qualified for a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree.
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1983
The Environmental and Industrial Design Department split. The Environmental Design Department requests permission to award a degree in Architecture.
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1990
All Bezalel’s departments and administrative offices move to a newly constructed building on Mount Scopus.
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1993
In a Bezalel first, Architecture Department graduates awarded a Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch.) degrees.
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1998
On Israel’s 50th anniversary, Bezalel launches the “Continuity & Change” exhibition in Jerusalem.
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2002
Bezalel’s request to launch a master’s degree programs in Fine Arts and Industrial Design is approved.
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2003
A Fashion Design Program a Cinematography, Video & New Media Unit approved. Professor Arnon Zuckerman named President.
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2005
The Ministerial Committee on Jerusalem Affairs allocates a plot in central Jerusalem the for Bezalel’s relocation.
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2006
Bezalel's 100th Anniversary celebration opens with an exhibit on Professor Boris Schatz at the Israel Museum.
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2007
Bachelor of Screen-Based Arts program approved; request for a Master of Fine Arts Theory and Policy program submitted.
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2009
The Architecture Department’s Master of Urban Design program is approved.
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2010
Bezalel’s Architecture Department lauded as one of Israel’s leaders for its intellectual, social and cultural approach.
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2011
The Council for Higher Education approves the Bezalel Campus move to the Russian Compound in central Jerusalem.
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2012
Bezalel wins the Council for Higher Education's Shosh Berlinski Schoenfeld Prize for Social Involvement in the Community.
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2013
For the first time in Israel, the Council for Higher Education authorizes an academic orthodox religious Bezalel extension.
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2014
The Bezalel and the Jerusalem Development Authority Center for Digital Media and Design opens with degree programs.
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2015
The Japanese architectural firm SANAA’s plans for the new campus are approved. Prof. Adi Stern is named President.
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2019
Construction of campus begins. The academic year opens with 2300 students, 500 faculty members and 14 Departments.
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2020
The Department of Visual & Material Culture is established offering a new theoretical bachelor degree. Prof. Adi Stern’s term as President is renewed.