Art and architecture evolved throughout history in societies that drew strength from their cultural and spiritual traditions and from the places they belonged to. These sources, which one might take as factors that separate peoples, are exactly the ones that can link them together in harmony. The same tree that symbolizes life in the Cabala appears in Tantra Asana art; the same red thread the people of Tibet wear on their wrist for good luck is put on baby's pram in the Jewish tradition. Published 2005.0406
Caesarea, Israel is a city founded more than 2,000 years ago by Herod the Great, who dedicated it to Caesar Augustus. Many of Herod's structures are well preserved — the palace, aqueduct, hippodrome, and the amphitheater, which is a modern venue for concerts and plays, valued for its superb acoustics. Published 2003.0813
Israel's modernist Supreme Court, with its clean stone lines and its miniature pyramid, seems to rise up from one of Jerusalem's many hills. Planned by the brother-sister architectural team of Ram Karmi and Ada Karmi-Melamede, it is a complex three-story building of local limestone. Published 2002.0403
The first kibbutz, a voluntary collective community, sprang up on the shores of the Sea of Galilee almost a hundred years ago. It was formed by a group of young Jewish men and women from Eastern Europe fired by Zionist and socialist ideals. Published 2001.0829
The first thing that strikes you when you enter the Felicja Blumental Music Center and Library is its transparency. A holistic approach to the building's design has resulted in successful visual connections between the rooms and an extraordinary attention to detail.
A muted golden hue pervading the open, spacious foyer originates from the intense Mediterranean light blended into the white walls with their discreet gold design and the plain pink carpeted floors. Published 2001.0404