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- September 24, 2011 – February 5, 2012
WORDworks: Precious Heritage
Guest Curator: Lynne Bloom
Books, documents, photographs, objects, ephemera, Judaica and art work from the collections of The Temple Judea Museum; The KI Archives; The Meyers Library; Rabbi Sussman, Labron Shuman; and significant loans
SOUNDworks: Gallery soundtrack: Guest Curator: Marlene D’Orazio Adler with the assistance of Norman Olson Narrated readings by KI members and guests
CATEGORIES OF THE EXHIBITION:
ART AND ART HISTORY
The art and art history collection of the museum could constitute an entire exhibition. This sampling concentrates on artists who have revisited the idea of the book as object; on the illustrated book; art that combines word and picture and, finally, the museum’s holdings that show the development of Jewish Art History as a recognized field of study.
THE BIBLE &RELATED OBJECTS
Four words may be said to signify this part of the museum’s collection: Sacred, Commentary, Family and Art. The museum is the keeper of the sacred Torah scrolls of Keneseth Israel and many objects reflect upon the centrality of the Torah and the Bible to Jewish life, such as a rare 16th century commentary; family bibles that serve as genealogical records; books and art works by the most famous artists associated with biblical illustration; and certain whimsies.
EDUCATION
This collection primarily focuses on teaching materials from Jewish Schools in the 1950s. We know, full well, that it is generally through the synagogue and its setting for both formal and informal education that children first encounter a welcoming Jewish world outside the home.
COOKBOOKS, MENUS etc.
Included here are cookbooks that reflect the diversity in Jewish cooking. From Sephardi to Ashkenazi; Israeli and American; home cook and top chef; holiday and every day; all genres are present. Is there a synagogue in this country that has not published its own cookbook? The study of Jewish cookbooks is now an accepted academic field.
THE HAGGADAH (Hebrew: הגדה, "telling")
Reading the Haggadah at the Passover Seder table is a fulfillment of a biblical directive, ("And thou shalt tell …. saying: It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt." Exodus 13:8) The Haggadah is also a favorite of artists who love to illustrate the colorful story of the Exodus from Egypt.
HEBREW
For Diaspora communities the Hebrew language is largely the language of prayer and study. To artists, the shapes of the Hebrew letters, and meanings drawn from the world of Jewish writings, offer delightful inspiration. These selections demonstrate those facts just as they show Hebrew as an everyday part of life in Israel today.
HISTORY
Here is a select overview of American and Jewish objects with a nod to the long history of Keneseth Israel as a leading American Jewish synagogue. The museum’s collection is notable in the number of original letters, some handwritten, by important notables such as David Ben Gurion. Unfortunately,
it is also necessary that the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people must be shown through our collection, so that we do not forget.
ISRAEL AND ZIONISM
This selection is largely focused upon the dramatic story of the establishment of the State of Israel, its reality and as it captured the imagination of artists. Experienced only vicariously by most American Jews, nevertheless, after 2,000 years without a homeland, the story of modern Israel captured the imagination, support and interest of most Americans, Jew and non-Jew alike.
THE LIFE CYCLE
The progression of life from birth through death; the natural cycle of the year as it reflects Jewish tradition; and the unexpected that life can bring us, all are reflected in the museum’s Life Cycle collection
FALL/WINTER PROGRAMS: WORDworks
October 16, 2011, 3:00pm PROMPTLY – Exhibition opening and reception to follow
Calligraphy and Paper Cut Art Demonstration with Illustrated Talk
Karen Shain Schloss, Master Calligrapher and Paper Cut Artist, will demonstrate her exquisite techniques and will also give an illustrated talk about the Arts of Calligraphy and Paper -Cuts
Reception to follow at 4:00pm
RECEPTION: In honor of Phyllis Sichel, David and Estelle Steinberg and the TJMuseum volunteers.
October 23 , 12:00 – 3:00pm – PATRONS of the Temple Judea Museum event (RSVP)
Dr. William Dever, world renowned Biblical archaeologist
Dr. Dever selected the museum’s collection of rare and important archaeology. He will join us to revisit the collection, re-evaluate it, explain his choices and open our eyes to the story of life in ancient Israel. Event at a private home (to be announced) with gala reception.
Honoring of Herb Altman for his leadership support of the Temple Judea Museum
November 13, 1:00pm - Reception to follow - TJMuseum and the Meyers Library event
Author’s Illustrated Talk: Judith Blumberg Maslin
Golden Hands: The Secular and Sacred Legacy of Daniel Blumberg
Daniel Blumberg was an exquisite silversmith and among his works is a legacy of treasured Judaica. The Temple Judea Museum is proud to own a number of his creations and we are equally proud to welcome his daughter Judy, the founding director of the Temple Judea Museum, to share her book about her father and his life’s work.
November 20, Free Program promptly at 11:00 am – Brunch to follow (details below)
The SOUNDworks Project: Curator Marlene Adler with the assistance of Norman Olson
Readings, Musings and Memories by SOUNDworks Narrators
As a very special part of the WORDworks exhibition visitors to the TJMuseum gallery are treated to a looped recording of KI members reading from their favorite passages. Come and meet them and hear their touching, fun and unusual reasons for their choices. PLEASE bring your own favorite written passages to share.
Free Light Brunch for Friends of the Temple Judea Museum (RSVP to TJM office as above)
Brunch charge for non TJM Friends: $10. (By prior reservation to TJM office as above)
January 22 - TJMuseum, KI Archives and the Meyers Library event
10:30 – 11:00 am: Bagels and coffee, Program at 11:00am
READINGS AND DISCUSSION: The Art of the Personal Memoir: Selected Memoirs from the Myers’ Library Collection and from the KI Archives: Rabbi Krauskopf’s Travel Diaries: His Trip to Russia, 1894, and his Around the World Trip, 1913-14
February 5, 2012, 1:00 – 3:00pm – WORDworks Exhibition Closing Event
CURATORIAL CONVERSATION: A free-wheeling, illustrated exploration of the wide world of a curator’s work, from auctions to historic preservation; museum exhibitions to collecting; from the legal to the laudable and even the laughable.
Speakers:
Emily Cooperman, M.S., Ph. D., Emily is the Principal of ARCH Preservation Consulting, and is an architectural and landscape historian and historic preservation consultant. She has worked with Beth Sholom Synagogue since 2005 and directed the FLW Visitor Center project.
Aaron Goldblatt, BFA, MFA, Partner, Metcalfe Architecture & Design. Previously, he was responsible for the design of all exhibits at Please Touch Museum and also served as the Director of Exhibits for the Academy of Natural Sciences. He is an adjunct professor of Museum Studies at the University of the Arts. Among his prize winning projects is the Tree Canopy Walk at Morris Arboretum.
Judith Blumberg Maslin, M. A. in Art History. She is the author of, “Golden Hands: The Secular and Sacred Legacy of Daniel Blumberg”, 2011. She is a freelance art lecturer and teacher and has lectured throughout the world on Jewish art. She is the Founding Director/Curator of TJMuseum (1984-1996). She was a researcher at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from 1981-1984 and researched and wrote the catalogue essay on biblical tiles for “Dutch Tiles”, 1984.
Rita Rosen Poley, B.S., M. Ed., Director/Curator of TJMuseum since 1999. She was Art Education Consultant for Gratz College and lecturer in art education. She developed the Arthur and Rita Poley Gallery at Delaware Valley College, the first such gallery for on-campus exhibitions of college history. She developed and directed, “ENTOURAGE:Exhibitions”, a company for the travel of exhibitions to colleges and museums. She was a columnist for the Jewish Exponent. She supervises the Anolic Israel Travel Scholarship for college art students. She was curator for MossRehab’s international exhibitions. She served on the Design Committee for the Beth Sholom FLW Visitors’ Center.
