The Getty Museum's freakin' amazing ancient Hebrew manuscript

FORBES
By Tom Teicholz

Decorated Text Page (Book of Exodus) from the Rothschild Pentateuch, France and/or Germany, 1296courtesy of the Getty Museum

LOS ANGELES, CA---No ordinary biblical manuscript, the Rothschild Pentateuch is notable for, as Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum said recently, “Its richly illuminated pages – a great rarity in the thirteenth century – make it a work of outstanding quality and importance that represents the pinnacle of artistic achievement of its day. It will be one of the most signal treasures of the Department of Manuscripts and indeed of the Getty Museum overall.” In advance of the current exhibition, “Art of Three Faiths: Torah Bible, Qur’an,” where the Pentateuch is now on exhibit, The Getty Museum was kind enough to let me examine the manuscript in one of the Getty’s workrooms. To be in the presence of such an amazing cultural and religious artifact, so well preserved, and to examine it closeup was head-spinning and intoxicating. [More]

Jewish Museum receives gift of 70 artworks and $10 M. from Barnett and Annalee Newman Foundation

ARTNEWS
By Alex Greenberger

Jasper Johns, Untitled, 1991, watercolor, pencil, and graphite on paper.

The Barnett and Annalee Newman Foundation has given the Jewish Museum in New York a gift of more than 70 artworks and $10 million, with funds set to go toward the endowment of a curatorial position and the upkeep of the institution’s collection. The gifted works include more than 30 pieces from the collection of the late New York School artist and his wife (including pieces by Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Claes Oldenburg) as well as more than 40 works by winners of the foundation’s Barnett and Annalee Newman Award, such as Julie Mehretu, Mark Bradford, and Sarah Sze. [More]

Discovery of Jewish mosaics in Israel bring color to Biblical accounts

HYPERALLERGIC
By Sarah E. Bond

The newest mosaic to be excavated from the late Roman synagogue at Huqoq is from the north aisle and depicts the spies of Moses carrying clusters of grapes to explore Canaan, as referenced in the Bible, Numbers 13:23

At the ancient site of Huqoq, near the Sea of Galilee in modern Israel, a number of stunning mosaics depicting biblical, astrological, and historical narratives have been uncovered in a Jewish village that flourished during the late Roman empire. The colorful and large number of mosaics found in a synagogue challenge traditional views about Jewish art of the period as symbolic rather than representational of biblical texts, bland, and in decline during the period. In 2012, during excavations at the site’s synagogue, rich polychromatic mosaics that vividly depict various scenes from the Hebrew Bible began to come to light. [More]

A basketball star's spiritual journey” into the Bible, Israel and Judaism

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By By Sam Kestenbaum

Amar'e Stoudemire attempts to blow a shofar at J. Levine Books & Judaica in Midtown Manhattan. Credit Joshua Bright for The New York Times

The halls of the Jewish Museum in Manhattan were hushed and dim as Amar’e Stoudemire stepped inside. At nearly seven feet tall, the former New York Knicks star towered over the smattering of other visitors. “When I’m not training, I study Torah,” Mr. Stoudemire said. “Study, train, study, train, study, train, study. That’s life.” Mr. Stoudemire had just announced, only hours earlier, hopes of returning to the N.B.A. after leaving two years ago, but he’d reserved the afternoon for showing his spiritual side. At 35, he is part sports mogul, part holy man. He is also taking what he frequently calls a “spiritual journey” into the Bible, Israel and Judaism. It’s a turn that has fascinated and confounded some observers.[More]

The J. Paul Getty Museum opens "Art of Three Faiths: a Torah, a Bible, and a Qur'an"

ARTDAILY

"Decorated Text Page" (Sūrat al-An‘ām 6: 121–122), from a Qur’an, Tunisia, ninth century, Artist unknown, The J. Paul Getty Museum (The J. Paul Getty Museum)

LOS ANGELES, Ca---The J. Paul Getty Museum recently announced the acquisition of the Rothschild Pentateuch, a manuscript of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Torah. Its acquisition, coupled with works already in the Museum’s manuscripts collection, allows the Getty to represent the medieval art of illumination in sacred texts from the three Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Art of Three Faiths: A Torah, a Bible, and a Qur’an, on view August 7, 2018 through February 3, 2019, showcases three spectacular examples of each of these three: a Christian Bible and a Qur’an will be shown alongside the newly acquired Torah. [More]

Fighting for Judaism in the Jewish state

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Seth Farber

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish bride entering the men’s section of a wedding, to fulfill the mitzvah tantz, in Netanya, Israel.CreditOded Balilty/Associated Press

RA’ANANA, Israel —  I have not been detained by the Israeli police on my way to morning prayers, but I am preparing for that eventuality. That’s the new reality of life in the Jewish state for those of us who publicly oppose Jewish fundamentalism. In Israel, the ultra-Orthodox chief rabbinate is legally responsible for sanctioning all Jewish weddings and divorces. Under Section 7 of Israel’s Marriage and Divorce Ordinance, any marriage or divorce that isn’t registered with the rabbinate is illegal. The potential punishment: two years in prison. These are just the latest moves by extremist elements in the government to make life in the Jewish state less welcoming for anyone who doesn’t identify with ultra-Orthodox Judaism. [More]

Haredi-Made: inside the only gallery in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood

HARRATZ
By Naama Riba

Moran Asraf's “Oneg Shabbat” at the 'Haredi-made' exhibit. Shlomo Shari

Jerusalem’s Art Shelter Gallery is probably the only social art gallery of its kind to operate in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood. Noa Lea Cohn, the gallery’s director and curator, is quite sure of this: “There was a similar one in Brooklyn but it closed. Let’s say chances are there isn’t another one like it.” The gallery, located in the center of the Mekor Baruch neighborhood in Jerusalem, was founded as an outlet for artists who came to realize they don’t have to choose between art and religion, Cohn explains. It was established by newly religious public figures such as (former famed actor) Uri Zohar, Mordechai Arnon and the late Yitzhak (Ika) Yisraeli, for whom the gallery was named. [More]

Jewish temple in Grand Rapids is filled with art honors creation, preservation

MICHIGAN LIVE
By John Kissane

Detail of the Tiffany window at Temple Emanuel in Grand Rapids. (Eric Tank)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI---Temple Emanuel sits on Fulton Street, in a tree-lined neighborhood filled with brick houses. Recently, I parked my car in the back lot and walked past the playground, noting the stickers on the windows, which depicted Jewish symbols; walked past the inviting patio, where white hydrangea threatened to overtake the benches; and walked up to the entrance, where a single work of art -- a sculpture by Calvin Albert -- stood sentry. The dark bronze sculpture, titled "Burning Bush," did have something fiery in its twists and folds. A nearby plaque advised that Albert was born in Grand Rapids, and that the piece had been commissioned by the Temple, where he and his family worshipped. [More]

Jerusalem and Rome, an exhibition on first century cultures at the Museum of the Bible

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

Image from the exhibition

WASHINGTON, DC---In its new exhibit, the Museum of the Bible presents a selection of archaeological remains from the Land of Israel in the first century CE. They tell the story of the developments in this era and bear witness to the glory of Jerusalem during the reign of King Herod and the Roman procurators, examine the Great Jewish Revolt against Rome and the fall of Masada, and, finally, trace the continued existence of Judaism after the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, and the rise of Christianity. The exhibit and its artifacts are under the auspices and courtesy of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. [Tickets]

Art exhibit highlighted increasing invisibility of women in Jewish media

THE NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK
By Leah Finkelshteyn

Jeane Vogel – View From The Women’s Section (2014)

It was Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik’s work Nevertheless She Persisted, at “The Invisible Jew,” an exhibit organized and sponsored by The Jewish Arts Salon which [closed on Thursday] at Detour Gallery in Redbank, NJ, that started me musing on comic books, disappearing heroes, visual signals and communal boundaries. The artist’s collage includes excerpts from comic book panels, and depicts a woman holding up a sword—shades of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. Brynjegard-Bialik’s is among 38 artists from the United States, Israel and Europe, both men and women, exploring the demarcation lines of tradition, culture and Jewish law that shape the lives of Orthodox Jewish women. Indeed, there is a growing trend both in the United States and Israel to erase women from haredi print media, in the name of hyper-modesty. [More]

J. Paul Getty Museum announces landmark acquisition of a Medieval Hebrew manuscript

ARTDAILY

Menorah of the Tabernacle (Book of Leviticus) from the Rothschild Pentateuch, France and/or Germany, 1296. Leaf: 10 7/8 x 8 1/4 in. (27.5 x 21 cm). Ms. 116 (2018.43), fol. 226v.

LOS ANGELES, CA.- The J. Paul Getty Museum announced today the acquisition of the Rothschild Pentateuch, the most spectacular medieval Hebrew manuscript to become available in more than a century. The acquisition was made possible with the generous support of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder. “The Rothschild Pentateuch will be the greatest High Medieval Hebrew manuscript in the United States, and one of the most important illuminated Hebrew Bibles of any period,” says Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. “Its richly illuminated pages – a great rarity in the thirteenth century – make it a work of outstanding quality and importance that represents the pinnacle of artistic achievement of its day. It will be one of the most signal treasures of the Department of Manuscripts and indeed of the Getty Museum overall.” [More]

Caravan promotes collecting your own peace building artwork by a premier Arab, Persian or Jewish artist

CARAVAN

"Bridging Pardes" by Siona Benjamin. 60 cm x 80 cm Gouache, mixed media and 22 K gold leaf on wood panel

Caravan's "Beyond Bridges" international touring exhibition has been showcased in Paris, Cairo, London, Metz, New York, Chicago, Spokane, Portland, Wyoming, Florida and throughout the US. Now that the tour has come to a close, the public can now become an “ambassador of peace” by purchasing one of these profound artworks. In Caravan's exhibition, 21 Arab, Persian and Jewish artists of Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith backgrounds are focusing on what they hold in common through their cultures and creeds. New Jersey-based Siona Benjamin is one of the 21 artists. The painter is originally from Bombay, though now living in the US. Her work reflects her background of being brought up Jewish in a predominantly Hindu and Muslim India. [Purchase]

Spiritual connection inspires Hanna Dettman’s Jewish-themed art

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES
By Breanna West

Hanna Dettman draws her inspiration from her Jewish religion to paint Jewish-themed art-work which include themes such as Torah and Shabbat. Image is detail of "Shalom Celebrate Peace Green/Pink"

ATLANTA---An intense spiritual connection with G-d was what Hanna Dettman said inspired her to paint Jewish-themed artwork. It was not an audible voice, said the 61-year-old artist, but an overwhelming feeling that “G-d was pushing me gently towards this. I was very thrilled.” Dettman’s line includes 12 paintings with themes of Shabbat and Torah. Her work lies within the realm of the abstract, paintings “inspired by things that are more emotional, not quite technical.” Dettman sells her artwork on Redbubble, an e-commerce site that produces her paintings on t-shirts, tote bags, iPhone cases, pillows, clocks, mugs, greeting cards, and notebooks. She will soon expand her Jewish line to incorporate Rosh Hashana paintings, but always through the guidance of G-d, she said. [More]

It’s not an art collection, it's the life of the director of the Jewish Museum in Manhattan

THE NEW YORK TIMES 
By Hilarie M. Sheets

Claudia Gould in her office, surrounded by works by Nan Goldin, Robert Rauschenberg, Maira Kalman, Kiki Smith, Sheila Hicks, Lisa Yuskavage, Lawrence Weiner, Mel Bochner and many others. Credit:2018 Lawrence Weiner Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; All Rights Reserved, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York; 2018 The LeWitt Estate Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; All Rights Reserved, Louise Bourgeois/Licensed by VAGA, New York; Daniel Dorsa for The New York Times

“I am not a collector,” Claudia Gould, director of the Jewish Museum in Manhattan, said adamantly, sitting in her corner office overlooking Fifth Avenue and Central Park. An entire wall — hung densely, floor to ceiling, with works she’s accumulated by Louise Bourgeois, Shirin Neshat and Sol LeWitt, among many others — might suggest otherwise. “This is my work,” said Ms. Gould, who typically acquires pieces directly from artists she knows and has collaborated with rather than by way of galleries or auctions. “It’s all a visual history of my career. Every piece has a story. This is my life.” When she moved to the Jewish Museum six years ago, Ms. Gould was keen to display art in the lobby. [More]

The dread-inducing work of Weimar's Jewish artists

MOSAIC
By Diane Hall

"Expectation" (1935-1936) by Richard Oelze. Oil on canvas The Museum of Modern Art, New York 

New YORK CITY---Simply by virtue of its focus on German-Austrian art from 1890 to 1940, the walls of New York’s Neue Galerie, founded by the philanthropist Ronald Lauder, can unnerve a visitor with their uneasy mix of visions of beauty and images of radical disruption. The museum’s most recent show, Before the Fall: German and Austrian Art of the 1930s, which closed on May 28 after a three-month run, made the discomfort of that juxtaposition all the more explicit. The predominant feeling throughout Before the Fall was of watching a nightmare unfold through the window of an artist’s studio. Perhaps the prime example was the landscape Expectation, painted in 1935-36 by the surrealist Richard Oelze (1900-1980). [More]

2018 Spring fundraising campaign for Religion News Service

RELIGION NEWS SERVICE

Since 1934, Religion News Service has shed light on the most meaningful issues of the day. As the only nonprofit news agency devoted to unbiased, nonsectarian coverage of religion, spirituality, ethics and culture, our reporting aims to educate, inform and cultivate understanding among people of different faiths and traditions around the world. Through donations large and small, your support ensures that our award-winning team of journalists can keep bringing you objective reporting and insightful commentary for months and years to come. We have faith in you, our subscribers and readers. By supporting our June 2018 fundraising campaign with a gift today, you can show your faith in us. [DONATE]

Detour Gallery and the Jewish Art Salon present "The Invisible Jew"

JEWISH ART SALON

In religious circles, Tamar is seen as a hero, who takes matters into her own hands and by will alone, inherits the holy birthright. In secular terms, she is seen as tragic figure for having to sleep with her father-in-law. It is this dichotomy I am exploring. – Joel Silverstein.

RED BANK, NJ---Detour Gallery and the Jewish Art Salon present The Invisible Jew: the lack of representation of women in orthodox media, the circumstances that allowed it, its consequences, and related issues. This exhibition deals with the systematic bias that has created the invisible women of Orthodox Judaism. 38 Artists from the US, Europe and Israel are expressing their insight on this subject in a powerful, persuasive show, that will help bring female imagery to the front lines of Orthodox Judaism. The exhibition addresses seven related themes: Erasure, The women's section/ separation, empowerment, mikveh/ impurity, purity, identify and inequality. [More]

“What We Carry,” opening at Detroit's Janice Charach Gallery

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
By Suzanne Chessler

Diaspora by Carol Neiger

DETROIT---In 2015, 12 Jewish artists were chosen by Chicago’s Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership to participate in the Midwest Jewish Artists Lab. The year-long residency allowed the artists access to Spertus’ archives of art, artifacts and massive library, where they studied treasured text together with local scholars and were provided professional critiques, culminating in a group exhibit at Spertus called “Wisdom.” Although the artists were chosen independent of each other, they bonded over the experience and formed the Jewish Artists Collective Chicago (JACC), apart from Spertus. “What We Carry” at charachgallery.org continues through July 12. [More]

So Long 'Evil Eye': Jerusalem's Islamic Art Museum showcases the 'Hamsa'

THE MEDIA LINE
By Maya Margit

New exhibit at Jerusalem's Museum for Islamic Art showcases the evolution of the palm-shaped "Hamsa," which is believed to ward off the "evil eye" while bringing good fortune.

JERSUALEM---A new exhibition in Israel takes a modern look at one of the world’s most ancient symbols: the hamsa. Five hundred and fifty-five palm-shaped amulets from a wide variety of artists are on display at the Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem, part of the Hamsa, Hamsa, Hamsa show devoted to exploring the rich history and cultural evolution of the Middle East and North African motif. Commonly used in jewelry or other decorative items, Jews, Christians and Muslims to this day wear or carry Hamsas to ward off the “evil eye.” In Israel, the hamsa previously was associated with Mizrahi Jews, who immigrated in large numbers to the state from neighboring countries in the 1950s. [More]

Hamsas aren't just for Mizrahi Jews – and a new exhibit proudly displays just that

HAARATZ
By Eness Elias

Samah Shihadi's human hamsa. Credit Shai Ben Ephraim

The palm-shaped amulet known as the hamsa is a significant icon in Israeli culture. More than just warding off the evil eye, the hamsa symbolizes a culture among Mizrahi Jews (from the Middle East and North Africa) that was almost extinguished but is now celebrated anew. Until now, superstitious beliefs attributed to the Mizrahi communities, the hamsa among them, were used to belittle an entire society for being primitive. Even today, those who wear a hamsa seemed to be marking themselves. Now a new exhibit has opened at the Museum of Islamic Art in Jerusalem that tries to look at the hamsa differently, through artistic and aesthetic interpretations. What are its origins? What path has it taken in the State of Israel? And is the hamsa truly apolitical? [More]