“Jerusalem has been a continuously functioning city for more than 3,000 years, built from the bedrock on which it stands, being a mountain of Jerusalem stone, higher than anything else around it, at the center of the universe.  Western monotheism was invented here, through an unfolding narrative than began more than 10,000 years ago and that has, in the last 2,000 years, crystalized the separate but connected pathways of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that still thrive here. These qualities create a remarkably rich cultural texture that could not offer a better source for creative inspiration in a way that has proven true for creative figures in a wide range of disciplines – from artists and writers to filmmakers and chefs – and it has also been true for the Israel Museum. When I was asked to come to direct the Museum, I realized that its setting on a hilltop in Jerusalem offered a unique opportunity among the world’s encyclopedic museums to develop a narrative that would draw its creative inspiration from all of these special traits, and a walk through the Museum today endorses this point.  If the Museum is considered in some ways unique in the museum world today, this is surely due in great part to its resonant connection with its setting in Jerusalem.”

This month’s CreativeMornings speaker will be James Snyder, speaking on the theme of Serendipity. Registration just opened, be sure to grab your tickets today! https://creativemornings.com/talks/serendipity-with-james-s-snyder