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Dr. Elie Borowski
Founder of The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem May 27, 1913 - January 14, 2003 Dr. Elie Borowski was born on the 27th day of May 1913, the sixth of seven children of Hersz Wolf and Raizel Borowski of Warsaw, Poland. His father, a successful flour merchant, was a truly humble and pious Jew, whose Hassidic Rabbi told him that Elie was destined for greatness. He was right. Elie was sent to study at the prestigious Tachkemoni, and the Mir Yeshivas. Looking back at the years, a clear and deliberate path brought this giant of a man to where he is today. The journey of Elie Borowski has many chapters. An unquenchable thirst for knowledge and education set the young Elie Borowski on his path. Following the Mir Yeshiva in Poland, Elie studied at some of the most prestigious universities in Europe, including Berlin University, the University of Florence, the Collegio Rabbinico Italiano, the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, the Ecole des Haute Etudes (Sorbonne) and the Ecole du Louvre in Parisand the University of Geneva. Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, in August 1939, he volunteered to fight Hitler in the Committee of Combatants and Voluntiers of the Jews of France. At the beginning of the war, Elie became part of the Polish Division within the French Army. After intensive battles the remnants of the army were forced to retreat into Switzerland where they were interned for the remainder of the war. Devastated by the Holocaust and left with nothing but the knowledge he had studied so hard for in the years before the War, Elies extensive knowledge of ancient art history and languages and his continued studies, led him to become one of the leading authorities on ancient art and the biblical period. Following publication of his doctoral thesis he was awarded a Lady Davis fellowship to work as a Research Associate at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, where he acquired Canadian citizenship. He later moved to Switzerland and established himself as one of the most prominent international dealers in ancient art. His goal to assemble as many objects from the biblical period as could be found was inspired at this time in order to create an institution of learning a unique resource of universal stature where people of all faiths would come to learn about biblical history and return to the morals and ethics of the Bible. His motto remains "the future of mankind has its roots in the past, and only through understanding our history can we work together to create a better future for the generations to come". Each object in the Museum has been carefully chosen for its historic importance and often for its aesthetic beauty. Those who have had the privilege to walk through the galleries with Elie know what it is to be infected by his enthusiasm and love for each individual artifact: the cylinder seals with their intricate designs and inscriptions; the objects of ritual and daily life that reveal the development of early civilizations; the development of writing, displayed through a remarkable collection of examples of cuneiform and pictographic scripts which explain the development of written language. All of these elements make up the tremendous wealth of knowledge and information that has been painstakingly put together by this one-man force. Today, the Museum is a center for cultural and educational programming. It is the only museum in the world displaying the history of the biblical period in the various lands of the Bible. In just six years the museum has produced numerous outstanding special exhibitions such as "The Jewish Presence in Ancient Rome" which marked the first cultural exchange between the Vatican and State of Israel following the opening of diplomatic relations. And, in 1996 the Museum presented "Jerusalem A Capital For All Times; Royal Cities of the Biblical World" as the primary exhibition for the Jerusalem 3,000 celebrations, and brought record breaking crowds into the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna as the first stop on its international tour. Elie Borowski has dedicated his life to nurturing a dream from its conception to its independence as a prestigious institution in its own right. This institution has surpassed even its initial expectations. His legacy will continue to touch many generations to come. Elie Borowski - a legend in his own lifetime. The Dream | The Museum | Special Exhibitions | Upcoming Events Special Programs | Members | Contact | Info | BLMJ Shop |
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