Gerard Behar Center

Gerard Behar Center
מרכז ז'ראר בכר
Former names	Beit Ha'Am
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Arts centre
Address	11 Bezalel Street
Town or city	Jerusalem
Country	Israel
Groundbreaking	1950
Completed	1961
Opened	1961
Renovated	1983
Design and construction
Architect(s)	A. Hoffman, David Reznik
Renovating team
Architect(s)	David Reznik
Other information
Seating capacity	650-seat and 200-seat theatres
Website
gerard-behar.jerusalem.muni.il

Gerard Behar Center (Hebrew: מרכז ז'ראר בכר) is a major arts centre in Jerusalem, Israel, for independent theatre, dance, and musical productions, children's shows, art exhibitions, artist workshops, and festivals. In 2010 the center hosted over 900 events with attendance in excess of 263,600 participants. The center includes two theatres and is home to two dance companies, Kolben and Vertigo.

Formerly known as Beit Ha'Am, in 1961 the newly opened site was the venue for the trial of Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann, who sat in a specially-made bulletproof glass booth during the proceedings. After the trial, the building reverted to its use as a cultural center, but in 1983 the complex was upgraded to an arts centre by the Jerusalem Foundation with funding from Eliezer and Lucie Behar of France, who renamed the center in memory of their son, Gerard, a victim of the Nazis during World War II. In 1987 the Gerard Behar Center was incorporated into the newly named Jacob & Hilda Blaustein Civic Center, which encompasses the two theatres, a dance studio, a municipal library, an adult education program, and an ulpan.