Jerusalem: The Future of the Past

by Moshe Safdie

Moshe Safdie is a brillaint architect who redesigned buildings in Jerusalem, including the Holocaust Museum.

237 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1989

About the author

Moshe Safdie was born in Haifa, Israel to a Syrian Jewish family. His family moved to Montreal, Canada, in 1953. In 1959, Safdie married Nina Nusynowicz. The couple had two children, a daughter and a son. His son Oren Safdie is a playwright who has written several plays about architecture including Private Jokes, Public Places.[2] His daughter Taal is an architect in San Diego, a partner of the firm Safdie Rabines Architects.[3]

In 1961, Safdie graduated from McGill University with a degree in architecture. In 1981, Safdie married Michal Ronnen, a photographer, with whom he has two daughters, Carmelle and Yasmin. Carmelle Safdie is an artist, and Yasmin Safdie is a social worker. Safdie is the uncle of Dov Charney, founder and former CEO of American Apparel.

Reviews

[Noa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was special

And as a bonus, my fave quote: "Tradition has it that when the Messiah comes, the Third Temple will be built. Luckily it is supposed to come down from Heaven already designed. No doubt the Lord has been observing the difficulty of getting architectural plans approved in Jerusalem."

[Bette Worcester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part architectural and general history, part musings and descriptive narrative of the architectural process, “Jerusalem: The Future of the Past” is easily accessible and an interesting read. I bought it as background before listening to Moshe Safdie at an upcoming lecture.

I spent 9 weeks in Israel in 1976 and 3 weeks in 2014. The physical changes around the Old City were huge. This book answered many of the questions I had, particularly concerning the Mamilla area leading into the Jaffa gate.

Safdie gives insight into the many conflicting political and religious viewpoints which impact and influence decisions both small and large. He also admits to needing to change his initial thinking in several instances.

Perhaps what I enjoyed the most were his vivid descriptions which brought back memories of sights, smells and sounds of the lovely golden city, Jerusalem.