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The Maimonides Heritage Center was founded in 2004 following a visit Rabbi Yamin Levy and a group of friends made to the burial site of HaRambam, Maimonides, in Tiberias, Israel. What they found deeply disturbed them: the grave of the most illustrious rabbinic figure was in disrepair, surrounded by a dilapidated building being used for drugs and other unsavory activities. Disheartened but not despondent, Rabbi Levy returned to New York with a renewed sense of mission.
Shortly after his return, Rabbi Levy approached his dear friend Mr. Joshua Setton, and together with Mia Cohen, they established a not-for-profit organization—the Maimonides Heritage Center. Their first priority was to purchase the run-down building adjacent to the grave. After months of protracted negotiations—and with the help of God—they successfully acquired the property and envisioned a complete transformation.
Today, that building is the Setton Family Hospitality Center, which houses a museum dedicated to the life and legacy of Maimonides. It also serves as a hub for educational programming and a welcome center for the more than 25,000 annual visitors, including Birthright groups, IDF soldiers, and schoolchildren from across Israel.
The founding board of directors—Joshua Setton (Founding Chairman), his daughter Mia Cohen (President), Alvin Smilow (Trustee and Accountant), and Ravit Gani (Trustee)—led the full-scale renovation of the entire space surrounding Rambam's gravesite, turning it into a dignified and inspiring place for prayer, reflection, and connection.
Today, the Maimonides Heritage Center is recognized as a cornerstone of northern Israel’s tourism and cultural landscape. It not only promotes the teachings of Rambam—especially his embrace of the middle path and his opposition to all forms of extremism—but is also actively engaged in vital social service initiatives. These include an active soup kitchen located next to the grave, daily hot lunch programs for local schoolchildren, support for displaced families, and ongoing assistance to wounded soldiers and widows of war.
When the words align with the vision, and the story is told with heart and clarity, it feels not just real, but alive. What began as a moment of heartbreak at a gravesite has become a legacy of restoration, compassion, and purpose. That’s not just history—it’s living memory, built into stone, programs, and people.
"Here, at the edge of the Sea of Galilee, the soul of Maimonides speaks still. In every visitor, every prayer, every meal given in kindness—his light endures."
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