| 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 | |
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.