The idea of establishing the Jewish collection with a museological background originated between the two world wars among members of the Sephardic intellectual elite. The goal was to collect and preserve the rich heritage of the material and spiritual culture of the Jewish people from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Efforts by Jewish intellectuals such as Kalmi Baruh, Moritz Levy, Jakov Maestro, and others played a crucial role in this initiative. However, this idea was put on hold and its realization came two decades after World War II, when in 1966, within the Museum of the City of Sarajevo, the annex of the Jewish s Museum of the of Bosnia and Herzegovina was opened. Samuel Elazar, then president of the Jewish Municipality in Sarajevo, spearheaded this establishment with the support of several prominent cultural workers.
The Jewish collection, though not extensive, is remarkably complex due to the diverse nature of its exhibits. It is best described as historical-ethnological-artistic. The collection spans from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. The oldest item is silver Tas Torah (Torah Shield) dating back to 1844/45. Among the collection's most valuable items are synagogue artefacts inscribed in Hebrew. Of particular note is the notebook of Salomon Salom from Sarajevo, with the earliest entries dating from 1867. The collection also includes a significant number of prayer books printed in various languages, including Hebrew, Jewish-Spanish, Ladino, and local languages. In addition to these artefacts, the Jewish collection features personal items and original works by prominent Jewish intellectuals from the region, such as Danijel Ozmo, Isak Samokovlija, Marcel Šnajder, and Kalmi Baruh.
The permanent exhibition of the Jewish collection is housed in the Old Temple, the oldest synagogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina, built between 1580 and 1581. Today, it functions as the Jewish Museum, one of the five annexes of the Museum of Sarajevo. The Old Temple is renowned as one of the most beautiful exhibition spaces in the Western Balkans.
