Dr. Gabi Eshkar served as deputy director-general and head veterinarian of the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem for the over 17 years. Gabi's death in 2004, in a car accident, abruptly ended his life's work and left a huge hole in the zoo.
It is hard to speak of memorializing Gabi when every stone, corner, exhibit, research and conservation project at the zoo is a living testimony to his achievements. Nonetheless, despite the difficulty, it is the way of our world to seek to establish something in memory of someone who was so special to all of us. 'The Gabi Center' was chosen to be our way of memorializing Gabi and his achievements at the zoo.

Like Gabi and his work, the “Gabi Center” focuses on the varied and diverse aspects of the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo's activities – activities in the fields of nature, endangered species conservation, animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, education, guiding and the management of all these different areas. The “Gabi Center”  unites all those associated with the zoo; all the off-site programs as well as the in-house projects. It has been designed for a variety of activities that are associated with the zoo and for the diverse population that it serves and with whom Gabi was associated during his year of work at the zoo.

The 'Gabi Center' is positioned near the zoo's entrance and overlooks the central lake and the entrance square. It ha been built on an area of 2150 square feet and joins the zoo's existing management building.

 For whom is the 'Gabi Center' designed for?
• Veterinarians and animal keepers from within the Jerusalem zoo and from other facilities
• Academics from the fields of nature conservation, veterinary medicine and zoology
• The Israeli zoo community
• Staff of the various nature conservation organizations
• University students
• Middle and High School students

What activities  take place in the 'Gabi Center'?
• Courses for animal keepers, guides and volunteers
• Professional conferences, such as the Israeli Wildlife Veterinarians' Forum, Israeli Zoo Association meetings and meetings with representatives of other nature conservation organizations
• Academic seminars
• Management meetings and gatherings of the Israeli Friends of the Zoo
• Student research projects
• Personal and group enrichment activities for Zoo staff

 'Gabi Center' facilities
• Professional library
• Computer stands with access to data on professional subjects such as animal collections, animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, zoology, and more.
• Reading booths and an article archive on animal conservation and animals in captivity
• Balcony with view of the zoo lake
• A multimedia conference room
• A memory corner that can give insight to Gabi's contribution to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo and to nature conservation and the well-being of animals in captivity, here and in the world.