Public Museum Tours

Athens and Jerusalem shaped the Western world:

Athens - through Hellenistic Culture and all that comes with it: Philosophy, Science, Teleology, Architecture, Literature, Sports and the Arts.
Jerusalem - through the morals and fundamental ideas stemming from the Hebrew Bible - the Tanakh.

Join an exciting tour that gives the story of Chanukah a new spin!

The Israel Museum holds the “crown jewels” of Israel’s archaeology: The Dead Sea Scrolls, monuments built by our ancient kings, and lots of ancient coins.

The inspiration for many of the Bank of Israel’s coin and banknote designs are to be found within this national treasure. But there is much more to the design than their connection to historic artifacts.

Every coin has three sides, and we will explore the side that tells the story behind the artifacts, what they mean and why they were chosen as designs. We’ll explore the history of money and currency thousands of years ago, and learn about propaganda and forgeries, politics and philosophy.

This tour is from 90-120 min in the Israel Museum. It is also available as a family tour for kids ages 6 and up, from 60-75 min.

The Late Roman and Byzantine Periods - from the 1st century BCE until the 7th century CE - saw many important developments in the Land of Israel.

This is a period of important spiritual and literary developments: The Sanhedrin in Yavneh, the Mishnah, Talmud Midrash and Piyyut (liturgy), and the consolidation of the Synagogue's architecture and Jewish symbols. Many of these developments have endured the next 2,000 years of Jewish history, and have inspired generations of Jewish artists until today.

Embark on a captivating exploration at "Cultural Crossroads," a unique event offering insight into the Jewish journey across various empires and cultures.

Delve into the impact of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Medieval, Ottoman, and more on the Jewish narrative during this exciting two-hour tour at the Met. Connect with the cultural richness that has shaped the Jewish experience throughout history and discover its relevance to contemporary events. Join us for an immersive journey through time and heritage.

The Hebrew Alphabet evolved over thousands of years into the script we use today. But in the first Temple Period, things looked very different. In the Second temple period, a transition to the "square" letters is found in ancient texts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. But the ancient Hebrew alphabet continued to appear on Jewish coins from the Hasmoneans, the Great Revolt and the Bar Kokhva revolt, sometimes appearing in scrolls. The Samaritans today continue to use a form of the Ancient Hebrew Alphabet.
This is a story of how letters develop from image - pictograph - to an abstract shape, and how different languages are related through this common root.

You will learn write your name and read famous texts in Ancient Hebrew, and appreciate archaeological discoveries that changed history.

How do you write the Ten Commandments in Chinese? Where does the Israel Museum hide their Afikoman? And why is Nebuchadnezzar’s throne room in Toronto?

The Mystery Tour is the perfect opportunity to encounter surprises in museums around the world. This is a by-request tour available both virtually and physically in museums around the world.

Enter the First Temple period, toward the end of both kingdoms: Israel and Judah.

These kingdoms saw the rise of new superpowers called Empires, first Assyria, then Babylon, and made choice which impacted their future. The Ten Tribes were exiled and the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by Assyria. Judah survived an attack by Assyria, barely, and was eventually destroyed by Babylon. Since then we’ve been known as “Jews”.

Join me in the museum, where these stories and texts come to life, and learning is exciting and engaging, and where we gain a fresh appreciation for the summer in the Jewish calendar

During the summer this is a public tour, and you can join at any of the given dates. The time and language of the tour may change based on public interest.

Also, a 10% discount on the whole order for a group of 5 or more. To get promo code, contact me before purchasing

Are you afraid of the dark? Looking for something fun, spooky or just…different, to do with your family and friends in the museum? This is the perfect tour for those long cold winter nights - indoor excitement and fun activities.

This tour examines highlights of archaeology from the First Temple Period (""the Monarchy""), primarily through the collections in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

This program shows some key discoveries related to important biblical stories and figures: Philistines, Phoenicians, Arameans, early contact with Assyria, King David, Ezekiah and more. Many verses will come to life, and it will significantly enhance the classical texts we study in the classroom.

Join me in the Israel Museum for a feast of the imagination. Learn about Ancient Near Easters feasting, nuances of political feasts and royal banquets, and connections to Tanach and the stories of destruction and redemption.
This tour includes a temporary exhibition that ends in December 2023.

The Four Kingdoms Tour began in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and since then has evolved into a virtual tour that visits the kingdoms in their land: The Ishtar Gate of Babylon and the ruins of that mighty city; the magnificent palaces of the mighty Persian Empire; the Parthenon of Athens and exquisite galleries of Greek Art in museums around the world; the Arch of Titus and the Colosseum of Rome, alongside many important exhibitions and sites in Israel, with a few hidden surprises from around the world.

The latest version of the tour is in the Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem. A museum that specializes in “Bible Lands”: the mighty empires and cities of the ancient world, with scale models of cities and palaces and high quality artifacts that can rival those of the British Museum.

Enter the vision of Nebuchadnezzar’s “Four Kingdoms” from a unique perspective, through the lens of archaeology and Jewish History. Dive into the philosophical ideas that impact current events and emerge with a taste for more.

What is the most ancient Jewish symbol? If your answer was the Star of David ✡️ - try again!
It’s actually the seven-branched Menorah 🕎, which originally represented something entirely different than it does today.

Join this tour to learn the story of this, and other important symbols as they evolved or fell out of use, from the times of the Second Temple until today.

"What Was Herzl’s Favorite Emoji?" opens a window into different aspects of modern Israeli and Jewish society, and raises important dilemmas and challenges.

The tour begins in the times of the Maccabees where we find the earliest appearance of the Menorah. The tour continues into the Byzantine period (Mishnah and Talmud) when it was ubiquitous, and ends in Jewish Art.

The tour continues this journey and explores how different symbols are found in synagogues and Judaica from around the world. It ends with the art of the Bezalel Academy, and includes provocative discussions and more surprises along the way.

Whether you're preparing for the holidays or looking for something to do on Chol haMo'ed Sukkot, I've got something for you!

Join a unique adventure through the rich treasures of the Israel Museum's collections. Learn about the holidays of Tishrei: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah through the Jewish Art and Archaeology.

Explore the connections between the agriculture, history, and Torah-readings of this holiday-rich period of time.

Enjoy an experience full of learning and excitement!

This tour is from 90-120 min in the Israel Museum. It can be adapted to a 45-60 min virtual tour.

As a lecture or workshop, it is available as “Spiral of Time”, on the presentations menu.

Did you know that Tu Bishvat was an ancient celebration in Sumer, in the time of Avraham Avinu?

Embark on a journey exploring the roots of Tu Bishvat, tracing it back to ancient Sumer during Avraham Avinu's time. Discover intriguing connections with the Jewish holidays, particularly the winter celebrations: Tu Bishvat, the fast of 10th Tevet, Hanukkah, and Purim. These events unfold against historical backdrops like the Persian Empire and the Ptolemaic-Egyptian Greeks. Delve into the philosophical significance of these holidays, unraveling their role in shaping Jewish identity. Inspired by Mark Helprin's "A Winter’s Tale," this tour focuses on key ideas from the Second Temple period, providing unique insights into the Nation of Israel's development. Join us in preparing for Passover as we reflect on the profound journey toward our nation's rebirth.

Why do Jews mention Abraham’s journey in everyday liturgy (pesukei d’zimra / zemirot)?

How is the Exodus an outgrowth of Abraham’s life’s work? As a matter of fact, what exactly was his life’s work?

Why is his journey essential for the understanding of today’s geopolitics, as in the “Abraham Accords?”

In this tour we explore these and other related questions by way of a journey through history and archaeology.

This tour explores the common roots of Islam and Judaism's Monotheism, and the centrality of iconoclasm to both religions.

It considers the importance of Abraham's physical journey from Ur, through Harran and Canaan to Egypt, and his spiritual/philosophical journey, to Jewish identity.

This tour is approximately 2 hours long, and is available in both the Israel Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. It is also available as a 45-60 min virtual tour, or lecture.
Most recently, it has been adapted to a self-guided tour in an app called Dguide. This self-guided tour is currently available in Hebrew, and will be available in English in the near future.

Art and Idolatry explores major themes in human development, psychology and society.

This program examines the roots and roles of ritual and mythologies, how they contribute to the development of societies around beliefs, starting with the early roots of humanity through the Ancient Near East, all the way to the Greek and Roman world. Finally, it examines the role of iconoclasm in Jewish thought, as it relates to these developments.
The tour is highly customizable and depends on the available collections in each museum.

Option for a lecture as preparation for the tour, with discount on tour.

“In every generation a person must regard themselves as though they personally had gone out of Egypt” Mishna, Pesachim 10:5

It is incumbent upon us to re-experience the Exodus in every generation, and adapt its concepts to our current reality.

Ancient Egypt does not need any introductions. It is inspirational in every way: From the Pyramids and the Sphinx to the mummies and mythologies, from King Tut and Ramses the Great to the Nile River and its amazing wildlife.

This tour explores many facets of Ancient Egyptian culture and archaeology. It examines and explores different aspects of this mysterious culture and engages in discussions about its relevance to the Exodus story and the modern world.

This is a 2 hour tour in many museums: The Israel and Bible Lands Museums, Jerusalem, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Chicago Oriental Institute, to name a few in the US; as well as the British Museum in London.

It is available as a standalone 45-60 min virtual tour where you can travel to Egypt and many sites and museums.

It is available as a series of tours and lectures in person and online, for adult learning and communities. Around Pesach I offer a three-part series for kids called “Pesach sTourytime™”.

It is also available as a lecture and in-person presentation, including the virtual tour.

The Roman Jewish Wars - the Great Revolt (66-73/4 CE) and the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-136 CE) - were failed revolutions. Their impact has changed us forever, and there is no place like the Israel museum to bring those stories to life.

Learn about Herod the Great and how he rebuilt Jerusalem's Temple to rival the greatests temples in the Roman world. From the Fall of Jerusalem to the Fall of Beitar, there are very important lessons to learn from the coins, statues, structures and items that have been found from this period. In the end, we will see how some of them inspired the artists of the 19-20th centuries, as they envisioned the revival of the people of Israel in their homeland.