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and non-Jewish artists alike on Jewish topics, and a gallery of famous Jewish works. The
second group would include reproductions that gave expression to biblical themes. The
third group would reflect Jewish ethnography: dress, work tools, photographs, and any
object related to the lifestyle of Jews.
Towards the end of the year, in October, 1930, Dizengoff held a meeting at his home, to
which he invited Yitzhak Katz, Director of the Bureau of Commerce, the Deputy Consul
to Belgium and an art aficionado; Adv. Menahem Dunkelblum; and the artist Reuven
Rubin. He informed them of his intention to establish an art museum in his home.
Years later, Rubin, who was close to Dizengoff, recounted to journalist Natan Dunewitz:
"I told Dizengoff that it wasn't the sort of subject one could discuss in a single meeting,
but he urged us to establish a museum. I told him that a special place would be needed
for it. He answered, 'Here, this house, my house. We'll establish the museum right here.'
I told him that he couldn't sleep and eat in a museum. He replied that he was evacuating
the apartment (on the second floor; below, on the first floor, there was a bank). He said he
would move into the room on the roof. And so he did. When the apartment was empty, I
started to renovate and work on it to adapt it, somehow, to the role of a museum. By 1932
I already gave an exhibition of my works in Tel Aviv's new museum."
Dizengoff 's consultations concerning the establishment of the museum involved all
the relevant figures among his close circle, including the writer S. Ben-Tzion and his son,
artist Nahum Gutman; the artist Hermann Struck; Bialik, who agreed to serve as honorary
president of the provisional committee to establish the museum; and Moshe Kaniuk, who
was later appointed secretary of the museum.
A fter the meeting with Yitzhak Katz, Adv. Dunkelblum and Reuven Rubin, Dizengoff
invited Marc Chagall to come to Tel Aviv to help establish the museum.
T he building undergoes change
Marc Chagall arrived in Israel, accompanied by his wife Bella and their daughter Ida,
at the beginning of March, 1931, and stayed for about three months. He brought with
him, as a gift to the future museum, two of his works: the Jew with Torah (1925), which
was in fact the first item in the museum's collection, and the series of etchings for Gogol's
Dead Souls (1923-1927). There were some differences in outlook between Dizengoff and
Chagall as to the character and content of the future museum, and Chagall even expressed
his views publicly, but the two men soon resumed their cooperation and Chagall was
counted among the Friends of the museum.
In the early '30s another few extensions were made to the building, and additional
rooms were built on both floors and on the roof.
The museum, on the second floor of the building, was opened to the public on April
2, 1932, with four exhibitions. The hall at the entrance displayed portraits of Jews; one
room contained works by European artists, including Utrillo, Lesser Ury, Mané-Katz,
196 The Friday That Changed Destiny
second group would include reproductions that gave expression to biblical themes. The
third group would reflect Jewish ethnography: dress, work tools, photographs, and any
object related to the lifestyle of Jews.
Towards the end of the year, in October, 1930, Dizengoff held a meeting at his home, to
which he invited Yitzhak Katz, Director of the Bureau of Commerce, the Deputy Consul
to Belgium and an art aficionado; Adv. Menahem Dunkelblum; and the artist Reuven
Rubin. He informed them of his intention to establish an art museum in his home.
Years later, Rubin, who was close to Dizengoff, recounted to journalist Natan Dunewitz:
"I told Dizengoff that it wasn't the sort of subject one could discuss in a single meeting,
but he urged us to establish a museum. I told him that a special place would be needed
for it. He answered, 'Here, this house, my house. We'll establish the museum right here.'
I told him that he couldn't sleep and eat in a museum. He replied that he was evacuating
the apartment (on the second floor; below, on the first floor, there was a bank). He said he
would move into the room on the roof. And so he did. When the apartment was empty, I
started to renovate and work on it to adapt it, somehow, to the role of a museum. By 1932
I already gave an exhibition of my works in Tel Aviv's new museum."
Dizengoff 's consultations concerning the establishment of the museum involved all
the relevant figures among his close circle, including the writer S. Ben-Tzion and his son,
artist Nahum Gutman; the artist Hermann Struck; Bialik, who agreed to serve as honorary
president of the provisional committee to establish the museum; and Moshe Kaniuk, who
was later appointed secretary of the museum.
A fter the meeting with Yitzhak Katz, Adv. Dunkelblum and Reuven Rubin, Dizengoff
invited Marc Chagall to come to Tel Aviv to help establish the museum.
T he building undergoes change
Marc Chagall arrived in Israel, accompanied by his wife Bella and their daughter Ida,
at the beginning of March, 1931, and stayed for about three months. He brought with
him, as a gift to the future museum, two of his works: the Jew with Torah (1925), which
was in fact the first item in the museum's collection, and the series of etchings for Gogol's
Dead Souls (1923-1927). There were some differences in outlook between Dizengoff and
Chagall as to the character and content of the future museum, and Chagall even expressed
his views publicly, but the two men soon resumed their cooperation and Chagall was
counted among the Friends of the museum.
In the early '30s another few extensions were made to the building, and additional
rooms were built on both floors and on the roof.
The museum, on the second floor of the building, was opened to the public on April
2, 1932, with four exhibitions. The hall at the entrance displayed portraits of Jews; one
room contained works by European artists, including Utrillo, Lesser Ury, Mané-Katz,
196 The Friday That Changed Destiny
