Wilfrid Israel was the last heir of a Berlin Jewish business dynasty, and an ardent pacifist in his youth. He became one of the leading figures in the rescue of Jewish children and youngsters from Nazi persecution before and during the Second World War.
In June 1943, returning from a mission to organize an escape route for Jewish kids to Israel via Spain, Wilfrid died on a flight to England from Portugal, when his plane was shot down by the German Air-force.

The museum was founded on 1951 and was the first museum in Israel to exhibit East Asian art from the collection that Wilfrid Israel accumulated during the 1920′s, when he was travelling to Asia. The primary collection has grown throughout the years thanks to donations of various collectors.
The museum is focusing on a humanistic and multi -cultural approach, which draws its origins from the character of Wilfrid Israel himself. The museum offers a permanent exhibition of East Asian art from the museum’s collection alongside exhibitions of contemporary artists both from Israel and from the Far East.