Exhibition in the Foyer – Judith Kol-Inbar
Opening Reception, Saturday Evening, August 1, 2026
18:00 – Gathering
18:30 – Opening remarks and greetings by Prof. Rafi Walden and Judith Kol-Inbar
The works in this exhibition explore the concept of “the Other” and situations of human suffering—those people and places that public attention often overlooks.
My engagement with this subject is closely connected to the many years I devoted to Holocaust studies. One of the defining characteristics of many Jews during that period was their ability to recognize the humanity of others and to help those more vulnerable than themselves, even under the most extreme circumstances on the path to death. These patterns of behavior continue to serve as a profound moral and intellectual source of inspiration for me.
The paintings are based on documentary material—photographs taken either by me or by other photographers—and are organized around several central themes:
The West Bank: Works based on press photographs published in Haaretz, portraying the daily reality of Palestinian life in the West Bank before the current war.
Volunteering during the Syrian Civil War: Paintings based on photographs I took while volunteering at Ziv Medical Center, documenting encounters with wounded Syrians who were brought to Israel for treatment.
Humanitarian Care Beyond Borders: During the Syrian Civil War, Ziv Medical Center in Israel’s Upper Galilee opened its doors to Syrian civilians who had been classified as enemies, providing them with dedicated, life-saving medical care. Guided by the humanitarian values of medicine, I had the privilege of volunteering in the treatment of injured and ill children evacuated from the war zone.
The “Road to Recovery” Project: Before the war, I volunteered with the remarkable nonprofit Road to Recovery, founded by bereaved brother Yuval Roth. The organization transported Palestinian patients from Gaza and the West Bank—primarily children and women—to Israeli hospitals for life-saving medical treatment. The journeys created intimate and deeply moving human encounters within the shared space of the car, allowing people to rise above politics and connect with one another. These encounters inspired many of the paintings in this exhibition.
All of these humanitarian efforts are made possible through Israel’s healthcare system and the dedication of a long chain of volunteers and supporters who work tirelessly along the way. Since the outbreak of the war, transportation has continued only from the West Bank.
Additional Perspectives: A selection of individual paintings based on photographs I either discovered or took myself in similar humanitarian contexts.
Judith Kol-Inbar | Biography
Judith Kol-Inbar is a curator, researcher, and artist who has worked for decades in the fields of culture, museology, and museum development in Israel.
Professional and Museum Career
1994–2016: Director and Chief Curator of the Museums Division at Yad Vashem. In this role she led, as chief curator, the development of Yad Vashem’s new museum complex, served as senior curator of the Jewish Pavilion at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and curated exhibitions presented both in Israel and internationally.
1972–1994: Supervisor of Museums at Israel’s Ministry of Education and Culture.
Artistic Practice
Judith Kol-Inbar has been painting continuously since 2016.
Education and Training
She studied with artists Tamara Rikman and Maya Cohen-Levy.
About the Work
Kol-Inbar’s paintings explore the concept of “the Other” and situations of human suffering – those people and places that society often overlooks.
This body of work is deeply rooted in her decades-long research on the Holocaust. One of the defining characteristics she identified in the behavior of many Jews during that period was their capacity to recognize the humanity of others and to assist those more vulnerable than themselves, even under the most extreme conditions on the path to death. These acts continue to serve as a profound ethical and conceptual source of inspiration.
The paintings are based on documentary sources – photographs taken by the artist herself as well as by photojournalists—and depict moments of human encounter, volunteer work, and the complex realities of life in our region.
Exhibition in the Foyer – Judith Kol-Inbar
Opening Reception, Saturday Evening, August 1, 2026
18:00 – Gathering
18:30 – Opening remarks and greetings by Prof. Rafi Walden and Judith Kol-Inbar
The works in this exhibition explore the concept of “the Other” and situations of human suffering—those people and places that public attention often overlooks.
My engagement with this subject is closely connected to the many years I devoted to Holocaust studies. One of the defining characteristics of many Jews during that period was their ability to recognize the humanity of others and to help those more vulnerable than themselves, even under the most extreme circumstances on the path to death. These patterns of behavior continue to serve as a profound moral and intellectual source of inspiration for me.
The paintings are based on documentary material—photographs taken either by me or by other photographers—and are organized around several central themes:
The West Bank: Works based on press photographs published in Haaretz, portraying the daily reality of Palestinian life in the West Bank before the current war.
Volunteering during the Syrian Civil War: Paintings based on photographs I took while volunteering at Ziv Medical Center, documenting encounters with wounded Syrians who were brought to Israel for treatment.
Humanitarian Care Beyond Borders: During the Syrian Civil War, Ziv Medical Center in Israel’s Upper Galilee opened its doors to Syrian civilians who had been classified as enemies, providing them with dedicated, life-saving medical care. Guided by the humanitarian values of medicine, I had the privilege of volunteering in the treatment of injured and ill children evacuated from the war zone.
The “Road to Recovery” Project: Before the war, I volunteered with the remarkable nonprofit Road to Recovery, founded by bereaved brother Yuval Roth. The organization transported Palestinian patients from Gaza and the West Bank—primarily children and women—to Israeli hospitals for life-saving medical treatment. The journeys created intimate and deeply moving human encounters within the shared space of the car, allowing people to rise above politics and connect with one another. These encounters inspired many of the paintings in this exhibition.
All of these humanitarian efforts are made possible through Israel’s healthcare system and the dedication of a long chain of volunteers and supporters who work tirelessly along the way. Since the outbreak of the war, transportation has continued only from the West Bank.
Additional Perspectives: A selection of individual paintings based on photographs I either discovered or took myself in similar humanitarian contexts.
Judith Kol-Inbar | Biography
Judith Kol-Inbar is a curator, researcher, and artist who has worked for decades in the fields of culture, museology, and museum development in Israel.
Professional and Museum Career
1994–2016: Director and Chief Curator of the Museums Division at Yad Vashem. In this role she led, as chief curator, the development of Yad Vashem’s new museum complex, served as senior curator of the Jewish Pavilion at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and curated exhibitions presented both in Israel and internationally.
1972–1994: Supervisor of Museums at Israel’s Ministry of Education and Culture.
Artistic Practice
Judith Kol-Inbar has been painting continuously since 2016.
Education and Training
She studied with artists Tamara Rikman and Maya Cohen-Levy.
About the Work
Kol-Inbar’s paintings explore the concept of “the Other” and situations of human suffering – those people and places that society often overlooks.
This body of work is deeply rooted in her decades-long research on the Holocaust. One of the defining characteristics she identified in the behavior of many Jews during that period was their capacity to recognize the humanity of others and to assist those more vulnerable than themselves, even under the most extreme conditions on the path to death. These acts continue to serve as a profound ethical and conceptual source of inspiration.
The paintings are based on documentary sources – photographs taken by the artist herself as well as by photojournalists—and depict moments of human encounter, volunteer work, and the complex realities of life in our region.