In a ceremony blending celebration with cultural gravitas, the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem inaugurated a new art wing and international hub named after philanthropists Idan and Batia Ofer last week, while also presenting the prestigious Yakir Bezalel Award to four prominent figures in the world of art and culture.
The event marked a major milestone for Israel’s oldest art institution, founded in 1906, as it continues to expand its reach and role amid growing challenges to international academic collaboration.
The newly opened art wing consolidates Bezalel’s Fine Arts, Visual Communication, Photography, and Screen-Based Arts departments under one roof. It includes state-of-the-art facilities such as photography labs, print studios, 3D printing workshops, editing suites, and multiple galleries for student, faculty, and guest exhibitions.
Funded by a major donation from Idan and Batia Ofer, the wing was described by Bezalel President Prof. Adi Stern as “an exceptional infrastructure for training the creators who will influence the future.”
The inauguration also saw the launch of the International Hub, an unprecedented initiative designed to foster academic and artistic collaboration across borders—especially significant given the increasing pressure on Israeli academic institutions amid international boycott movements since October 7.
“The International Hub is Bezalel’s answer to isolation,” Stern said. “At a time of severed ties, this is a bold move of faith in the power of art to connect, inspire, and lead change.”
Bezalel Academy honored four outstanding cultural figures with the Yakir Bezalel Award
Batia Ofer, who serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of London’s Royal Academy of Arts and now the Honorary President of Bezalel’s International Hub, said the initiative reflects “an aspiration to help establish an open, lively, and inviting home for creation, research, and dialogue.”
She added, “Art can bring people together, reflect complex realities, and even drive social transformation.”
The ceremony also honored four outstanding cultural figures with the Yakir Bezalel Award, presented annually to individuals who have made a profound contribution to the arts, culture, and society in Israel and beyond.
Ofer received the award for her global philanthropic work and contributions to education and the arts, including initiatives such as Art of Wishes and leadership programs through the Ofer Family Foundation at Harvard University and in Israel’s Druze community.
Ohad Naharin, the renowned choreographer and former artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company, was recognized for developing a unique movement language and shaping contemporary dance in Israel and internationally.
Said Abu Shakra, artist and founder of the Umm al-Fahm Art Museum—recently designated Israel’s first contemporary art museum in Arab society—was honored for decades of cultural bridge-building through art and activism.
Maira Kalman, Israeli-American illustrator and author, was recognized for her body of work blending art, literature, and history with emotion, humor, and profound humanism.
“These four recipients represent the very best of what art can be,” said Stern. “They have each, in their own way, shaped the cultural discourse in Israel and around the world.”
“The opening of this wing and hub is not only a contribution to Bezalel,” Ofer said. “It is a statement — about creativity, coexistence, and the enduring power of art to transcend borders.”
The Yakir Bezalel Award has previously been awarded to notable figures such as former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak, former president Reuven Rivlin and his wife Nechama Rivlin, designer Ron Arad, architect Ada Karmi-Melamede, and sculptor Dani Karavan.