PHOTOS BY PHI L HOF

Over 100 artists
nationwide
open their hearts
to the miracle
of Chanukah
by creating
menorahs for
a special exhibit

MELINDA
GREENBERG
SPECIAL TO
THE JEWISH
NEWS

C

12

hanukah, 0 Chanukah Come Light The
Menorah" has a special meaning this
year for Jews living in the San Fran-
cisco area. As part of the celebration of
the museum's 10th anniversary, the
Jewish Museum San Francisco is
mounting an invitational show of original meno-
rahs created by 130 renowned artists, both Jew-
ish and non-Jewish. The menorahs are made of a
variety of materials, including glass, fiber, metal
and clay. One menorah even features photographs
of Borscht Belt comedians, with Shecky Greene as
the shamas.
"Light Interpretations: A Chanukah Menorah In-
vitational," which runs through Dec. 25, is closely in
keeping with the mission of the museum. "This is a

very young, secular Jewish community," said the
museum's executive director, Linda Steinberg. "Our
goal is to give this population a reason to feel Jew-
ish. We are giving people a reference point for their
own Judaism, as seen through the eyes of an Asian
American, a Hispanic or a non-Jewish artist. Being
multicultural, inviting artists to bring their unique
interpretations to a traditional Jewish idea, makes
these Jewish ideas relevant to our audience. It's one
of the most important things we do."
The concept for this show came from a successful
exhibit the museum hosted when it opened in 1984.
For the museum's inaugural exhibit, architects were
asked to render a contemporary version of a sukkah,
the ancient booth associated with the holiday Sukkot.
The menorah exhibit is the final exhibition of the

museum's 10th anniversary year. After the show, the
menorahs will be sold to benefit the museum's edu-
cation and exhibition programs.
For this particular show, they selected the meno-
rah as the symbol and contacted nearly 200 Ameri-
can artists for their own interpretations. "The
menorah is the most authentic and oldest Jewish
symbol," said Ms. Steinberg. "It was mentioned in
the Bible and serves as a symbol both for the city of
Jerusalem and as a sign of messianic hope."
It is also an accessible icon for non-Jewish artists.
"For non-Jews, it is a candelabrum," she said. "We
put few restrictions on the artists and allowed them
to really put their own interpretations in the piece."
The following are profiles of four of the artists
invited to create menorahs for the show.

