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President of Israel, Mr. Moshe Katsav and Mrs. Katsav,
Minister of Culture, Science and Sport, Mr. Ophir Pines-Paz,
Head of the Antiquities Authority, Shoka Dorfman,
My Friend, a man of Jerusalem, builder of Jerusalem, the architect Moshe Safdie,
My Friends, after whom this Campus is named, Jeannie and Jay Schottenstein and their family,
My Friend, Bill Davidson and his family,
The Honorable Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Metzger,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished Guests from Israel and around the world,
We live in an era during which event follows event at a dizzying pace. We are carried on an almost unending current of information, ideas and reports on what is happening around the world.
There is something misleading in this speed, this flood. And in these circumstances, it is very easy to lose direction. It is easy to be swept away by side currents, to be beached on peripheral edges and even lose one’s way.
Today, we lay the cornerstone for an institution, whose existence and activities will anchor the ways of the past in our consciousness. Here, alongside the Israel Museum, the Bible Lands Museum and the Museum of Science, the National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel will be established.
This is an important landmark in an ancient journey, a journey which has continued through today. The Jewish people, who have an unparalleled historic memory among the peoples of the world, have always known how important such landmarks are.
It is not by chance that many Israelis have a great interest in archaeology. It is a clear expression of the perception that he who is not familiar with the ways of antiquity in this land can never find the paths which will lead its residents to a better future.
The Jay and Jeannie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel which will be established here will join an important and splendid list of institutions which tell the story of Israel.
I have no doubt that, because of the range of topics which will be under the umbrella of this important institution, it will become a leading global center in the field of archaeology, and a magnet for many visitors.
From my familiarity with the innovative approach which guided the planners of this project, and with the abilities of the staff of the Antiquities Authority, I am convinced that there is an ideal environment here for experiencing the meeting between many young people with the ancient heritage of this land. This is a molding experience, and one which is basic and unforgettable.
Over the years, I have followed the Antiquities Authority, and its tremendous efforts in the past, under the impressive leadership of the late Major General (Res.) Amir Drori, and later headed by Shoka Dorfman –to establish this appropriate home on Museum Row – here.
I assisted in those efforts, and I congratulate my close friends Jay and Jeannie Schottenstein and their famiy, especially Jay’s mother and Jeannie’s parents, from the bottom of my heart for their contribution. Jay and Jeannie love Israel, love the land of Israel, and are members of a family whose entire lives are woven into the fabric of life of our country.
This is a wonderful contribution by wonderful people.
I also wish to congratulate the other donors, headed by Bill Davidson, for their generous contributions to this Campus, as well as other important and central projects in Jerusalem. In my years as Mayor of Jerusalem, I saw our archaeological experts and the staff of the Antiquities Authority as they chisel and burrow into the land in the city in order to unearth the treasures and stories of its magnificent past – especially in the Temple Mount area.
I remember how I felt when I saw the digging implements, the baskets, the nets, the beads of sweat and the sunburned hands of the archaeologists working near me, unearthing layers of culture of this land from the ground, and discovering within it the roots which tie us to this place.
Distinguished Guests,
This dialogue we conduct with history continued even during the revolutionary passion of those who realized Zionism, when all resources were directed towards building a better future.
In this context, and perhaps also in the spirit of reconciliation between right and left, I choose to end my speech with a passage written by Berl Katznelson, which is as relevant primarily to today’s young people as they were in the past:
“A rejuvenating and creating generation does not discard the legacy of generations to the trash heap. It examines and checks, pushes away and brings close. And it holds on to existing tradition and adds to it. And it burrows under the junk heap, exposes that which is forgotten, polishes it from its rust, returns to the beginning of ancient tradition, which can nourish the soul of the rejuvenating generation.
If, in the life of a people, there is something very ancient and profound, which can educate a person and immunize him from that which will come, is there in it a measure of the revolution to be estranged from it?”
Thank you and good luck.
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