The Yitzhak Rabin Center was established in 1997, on the basis of a law, to commemorate the life and activities of Yitzhak Rabin, and to draw the lessons from the murder - its circumstances and implications.
The Center combines socio-educational activity, documentation and commemoration, and operates in all sectors of Israeli society – Jews and Arabs, veteran Israelis and new immigrants, residents of the center and the periphery – in order to perpetuate the memory of Yitzhak Rabin and his assassination, and to inculcate the values of democracy.
The Education Department and Training Center
The goals of the Department of Education and the Training Center are:
- to commemorate Yitzhak Rabin
- to examine the "red lines" of a democratic society
- to act for the formulation of appropriate debate codes
- to encourage responsible social involvement in all sectors of society
The educational activity focuses on two issues, on the basis of the 1997 Law for the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day:
- The image and activity of Yitzhak Rabin
- The importance of democracy in Israel and the threats of violence to society and State.
In the framework of the educational activity, seminars and courses are held on the subject of shaping the memory and democratic discourse in Israeli society – conflicts and disputes, the limitations to freedom of expression, and leadership. These programs are intended for education professionals, students, tourists and missions from abroad, members of the security forces, etc. They include lectures, workshops, films and tours.
The Museum for the History of Society and Democracy in Israel
The Museum will present the story of the annals of Israeli society. Yitzhak Rabin's life story is interwoven in each and every milestone in the history of Israeli society. The historical presentation will focus on central events in the life of the State and the major trends which characterized its development as well as the changes it has undergone – its successes and failures, the internal relations within Israeli society and its relations with its surroundings. Yitzhak Rabin's life serves as a "connecting axis", both chronologically and thematically, between the different sections of the presentation.
Memorial Day events
On the annual Memorial Day for Yitzhak Rabin a central ceremony is held at the Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. The Center assists in arranging memorial ceremonies in educational institutes, youth movements, the IDF and local authorities.
The Center provides diverse material, which includes: educational programs for schools, reading material for memorial ceremonies, videos and posters, exhibits and commemoration booths, as well as presentations which review the life story of Yitzhak Rabin.
Archives and the Rabin Residence Library
The Yitzhak Rabin Archives, as part of the State Archives, documents Yitzhak Rabin's State and security activities. Moreover, the Archives includes Yitzhak Rabin's personal papers as well as ample material documenting the atmosphere which prevailed in Israel on the eve of the murder, the incitement campaign against Yitzhak Rabin during that time and the expressions of grief in Israel and the world following the assassination. The Archival material is diverse and it contains photographs, videos, posters and documents, as well as a series of interviews with Yitzhak Rabin's comrades from various periods.