(Jewish) Rock Stars in a Jewish Museum: Testing the Grounds for a More Inclusive Exhibition at Beit Hatfusot, Tel Aviv

This article discusses three exhibitions that took place between 2016 and the present at Beit Hatfusot – The Museum of the Jewish Diaspora (renamed Anu – Museum of the Jewish People in 2021) in Tel Aviv, Israel, and that portrayed three internationally acclaimed (Jewish) rock stars: Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. What motivated the museum to curate these exhibitions that clearly deviate from the museum’s traditional narrative of Jewish history, diasporic communities and the establishment of the State of Israel? The article will claim that this can be answered in light of the museum’s recent renovation and new conceptual approach to the portrayal of Jewish culture and identity. The story told in the original exhibition was that Jewish diaspora emerged as a result of destruction and was redeemed with the re-gathering of the dispersed communities in Israel and the formation of the Jewish State; however, the new permanent exhibition, seeks to represent a more contemporary portrayal of Jewish identity. By showcasing internationally renowned and popular Jewish rock stars, the museum moves away from its former traditional, old-fashioned and stagnated mould to suggest a more inclusive and diverse portrayal of Judaism.