The safety and protection of all items in its collection is a fundamental and constant concern for every Museum. The Jewish Museum’s insurance and protection policy revolves around two focal points: its belief in systematic and preventive conservation and the measures it takes to avert both natural and man-induced disasters.
At the Jewish Museum of Greece, protection from natural disasters is ensured thanks to sophisticated systems of fire and flood alarm, while all furniture and display stands are designed to be particularly stable in the case of an earthquake.
Protection from man-induced damage is achieved thanks to state-of-the-art security system. CCTV monitors the Museum premises at all times, with a guard present during the Museum’s opening hours. When the Museum is closed, a private security firm takes over the monitoring of the premises.
Protection from damage which may occur due to the handling of the collection’s artifacts, is, in the
case of the stored items, achieved by limiting access to them and recording every contact with them and every move they are subjected to. In the exhibition area, almost all items are well protected behind the glass of the display cases. At the same time, a daily record is kept of any activity relating to the collection and guidelines exist for the proper handling of all items, which all personnel are familiar with. Furthermore, once a week, a thorough inspection of the collection takes place, whether on display or in storage.
The entire collection is insured against theft, fire, flood, earthquake and terrorist activities, while some categories of important items are under a separate policy. Objects leaving the Museum premises, as parts of travelling exhibitions, are covered by special policies for transportation and display elsewhere. Other policies cover items on temporary display at the Museum, on loan from other museums or individuals.
