The 'United Buddy Bear' exhibition featuring 133 identical fiber glass figures of bears, each decorated by a different artist in the style of their own country, is a big hit here in Jerusalem. The exhibition opened outside the Jerusalem Municipality at the beginning of August, after being exhibited so far in Berlin, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Vienna and Cairo.
To date nearly $2 million have been raised through donation and auctions for local and international children's relief organizations.
The motto for the exhibition 'The Art of Tolerance' was penned by the exhibitions creators, Eva and Klaus Herlitz from Germany. At the end of the world tour, which still has to include Beijing and Buenos Aires, the bears will be sold by charitable auction for UNICEF and other organizations helping needy children throughout the world.