Visit the Sholem Asch House
Weekend Tours at Sholem Asch House
We invite you to discover our unique art and Judaica artifacts collections and the fascinating life story of one of the greatest Jewish writers of the 20th century in a guided tour of the Sholem Asch House.
In the hour-long tour, we will follow the fascinating life story of Sholem Asch – one of the world’s greatest Jewish novelists. We will hear about his decision to move to Bat Yam in the mid-1950s, get to know his writing, and discover his exceptional art and Judaica collections displayed throughout the house. We will examine the rare artworks and learn about Asch’s friendships with the School of Paris artists. A glimpse into Asch’s private library will reveal his interests and his close friendships with great poets and authors like Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Hayim Nahman Bialik, and Stefan Zweig.
The Sholem Asch House is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00 and by appointment at 03-6591140.
Tours for Children at the Sholem Asch House
Join us for a journey through time to a bygone era in Bat Yam, in a tour of the Sholem Asch House for children. The tour introduces the young audience to a unique museum – a museum that is also a private home. Through historical photos and guided imagery, we will return to the 1950s in Bat Yam, the time when the house served as the home of Sholem and Matilda Asch.
In the tour, the children will discover the unique art and Judaica objects displayed throughout the house, and the novelist’s work environment and participate in a musical game that will expose them to Yiddish, the language in which Asch wrote.
The tour is approx. 90 min.
Please check our website to find out when is the next scheduled tour for children at the Sholem Asch House, or write us to schedule a private tour: sahouse@moby.org.il
About the Archive
The Sholem Asch House also holds a portion of Asch’s valuable private archive. Our archive includes some of Sholem Asch’s original manuscripts, handwritten notepads, and notes and a collection of letters and postcards he sent and received. The archive also documents the house’s 50 years as a cultural house and a museum and keeps a collection of posters for cultural events that were held in it, as well as photographs and thousands of items about or written by Sholem Asch and published in the international and local press.
These days, the archive is being digitized, and soon the online archive will be launched to offer remote access to the various materials held in it.
Want to schedule a visit at the Sholem Asch House Archive? Please send us an email.
About the Collection and the Library
When they first came to Bat Yam in 1955, Sholem and Matilda Asch brought with them a collection of exceptional artworks that they displayed on the walls of their home. They also filled their home with rare Judaica artifacts and thousands of nonfiction, history, philosophy, and Jewish holy books.
In the study, bedroom, and living room, you can now see original drawings by Marc Chagall, Edgar Degas, and Amedeo Modigliani, an oil painting by Maurycy Gottlieb, a portrait of a woman by Moïse Kisling, works by Isaac Levitan, a series of oil portraits by Sydney Gelfand and more.
If you are interested in Judaica, here you can enjoy Asch’s rare menorah collection, which includes Italian menorahs and German pewter menorahs, the novelist’s plates collection, and other Judaica artifacts.
Asch was also an avid collector of rare books. Our library holds no less than 1000 volumes that Sholem Asch collected throughout his life. The books include Asch’s writings and their translations into English, French, Russian, Italian, and Hebrew. The library holds history, philosophy, Jewish thought, Kabbalah, art, and fiction books.
