Friends of Bezalel believe that art and education are the best forms of diplomacy. Our mission is to support Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem, Israel’s largest, oldest, and most prestigious Academy for art, design, and architecture, led by the belief that through the impact of its diverse student body and pluralist values, Bezalel is influencing and shaping civil society and humanity. 

Founded in 1906, Bezalel represents Israel’s eternal creative flame and has evolved over almost 120 years to educate, inform, and nurture aspiring artists, designers, and architects. In its spectacular new central Jerusalem campus, Bezalel is serving 2500 students each year through 10 Bachelor’s departments and 5 Master’s programs.

Friends of Bezalel nurture this innovative cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural ecosystem. We are supporting specialized departments led by Israel’s leading practitioners, scholarships, capital projects, and collaborative partnerships with academic institutions abroad. 

Friends of Bezalel has created an Emergency Student Support Fund to show the artists and designers of Bezalel that we have their back as they navigate crises at home. The Fund provides scholarship aid, stipends, and emotional and academic support for young creatives at Bezalel whose lives have drastically been affected since October 7. Presently, 15% of Bezalel’s students are or have been recently serving in the IDF; 11% of the student body is made up of Israeli Arabs and East Jerusalem Palestinians who are struggling in various ways due to an ongoing situation; and hundreds of students from over 200 towns and cities in Israel who relied on the industries affected by the war to support themselves are now without income, adding stress to trauma. In the current academic year, Bezalel has seen a 30% increase in eligible requests for financial aid, which is approximately 375 students and growing, amounting to an annual need of roughly $1.5 million in scholarship aid and another $700,000+ in other forms of support. 

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To make a gift by wire transfer:
Account Name: Friends of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Inc.
Account No.:  03-6766-2
Bank: Israel Discount Bank of NY
Bank Address: 1114 Avenue of the Americas, NY NY 10026
ABA No.: 026009768

To send a check:
Friends of Bezalel
Attention: Dana Gluck, Executive Director
244 5th Avenue, Suite 2734
New York, NY 10001

To make a gift by credit card, please provide your information in the form below.