Yitzhak Rabin Center, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

The Yitzhak Rabin Center is a library and research center in Tel Aviv, Israel, built in memory of assassinated Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

The Yitzhak Rabin Center is the national institute established by the Knesset in 1997 that advances the legacy of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a path-breaking, visionary leader whose life was cut short in a devastating assassination. The Center presents Yitzhak Rabin’s remarkable life and tragic death, pivotal elements of the history of Israel, whose impact must not be ignored or forgotten lest risk the recurrence of such shattering events. The Center’s mission is to ensure that the vital lessons from this story are actively remembered and used to shape an Israeli society and leadership dedicated to open dialogue, democratic value, Zionism s and social cohesion.

The Center promotes activities and programs that inspire cultured, engaged and civil exchanges among the different sectors that make up the complex mosaic of Israeli society.

The Yitzhak Rabin Center, designed by the acclaimed Israeli architect, Moshe Safdie, sits on a hill commanding a panoramic view of Hayarkon Park and Tel Aviv, near the Eretz Israel Museum, the Palmach Museum, Tel Aviv University and Beth Hatefutsoth. The inauguration ceremony took place in November 2005, on the tenth anniversary of Rabin’s assassination.

The centerpiece of the Yitzhak Rabin Center experience is The Israeli Museum. Comprised of nearly 200 short documentary films, visitors explore the history and makings of the State via exhibit halls, each focused on historical turning points in the country’s development. The exhibits present the conflicts, social challenges and dilemmas the country faced, as well as its successes. Along the inner corridor and interwoven with the exhibits’ narratives is the life story of Yitzhak Rabin, the connecting thread in the country’s history and development.

The Center’s educational workshops aim to instill the values of the Center to every student, soldier, and young citizen in Israel from every sector of society, from Israel’s center through the periphery. The seminars formed invaluable, enriching experiences for the 12,000 Israeli high school students and 13,000 IDF soldiers who participate in them each year. Participants in the educational programs from all around Israel learn to see Rabin as a role model of leadership for his unrelenting belief in social responsibility alongside his beliefs in peace and security. They gain an appreciation of their own role in promoting well-being and unity of the Israeli people. The interactive workshops brings to life key issues for young leaders of living in democracy, forming identity, taking responsibility, protecting freedom of expression in a pluralistic society.

A permanent exhibition at the Rabin Center is dedicated to the history of society and democracy in Israel with the life of Yitzhak Rabin serving as a connecting thread between the various sections.

The Israeli Museum at the Yitzhak Rabin Center is the first and only museum in Israel to explore the development of the State of Israel as a young democracy.

Built in a downward spiral, the Museum presents two parallel stories: the history of the State and Israeli society, and the biography of Yitzhak Rabin. The Museum exhibits focus on historical turning points in the country’s development, presenting the conflicts, social challenges and dilemmas the country faced at that time. Along the inner corridor and interwoven with the exhibits’ narratives is the story of the life of Yitzhak Rabin, the connecting thread in the country’s history.

The Museum’s content was determined by an academic team headed by Israeli historian, Professor Anita Shapira. The Museum was designed by Uri Abrahamson and Mabatim Ltd. and included experts who facilitated the design of the Holocaust Memorial in Washington, D.C., the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Human Rights Museum in Birmingham, Alabama and the David Tower Museum in Jerusalem.
The Museum is incredibly rich with over 180 documentary films, 1,500 still photographs and hundreds of memorabilia. We recommend allocating an hour-and-a half to two hours for a visit.

The Museum experience utilizes audio devices which allow visitors to tour the Museum at their own pace. They are available in Hebrew, English and Arabic.
Guided tours are offered for groups in Hebrew and in English and are strongly recommended for students, soldiers and families and groups visiting from abroad.