Tuesday night is

FALL

INTO

A yellow Star of David with the word
and plundered all of Europe.
"Jude" adds a jarring note to the
"Remnants of items they collected in
panoply. Alongside it, a six-branched
Frankfort and Prague were to be placed
brass Yom Hashoah menorah swirls
in this museum, to be called 'The
upward, its twisted shape a painful
Institute for the Research of the Jewish
reminder of the Six Million who per-
Problem,"' Gutmann recalls.
ished in the Holocaust.
Shortly after the war ended, Gutmann
Pivotal events in the Jewish lifecycle
flew to Frankfort and went to the place
are earmarked by ritual objects. These
where the projected museum was to
include circumcision sets; pidyon haben,
have been built, then a mass of rubble
coins for firstborn males; taut and refill
save for some stairs and a few bricks.
in cases; exquisitely embroidered kippot
Gutmann says he was about to leave
and magnificent marriage ketubbot.
when he saw an emergency exit at the
Especially outstanding is an appliqued
side of the building.
silk chuppah, whose airy bride and
"While my friend held a flashlight, I
groom and starlit sky suggest a Marc
lowered myself to the basement and in
Chagall painting.
the basement were book collections
An old leather shoe provides
from all over Europe."
a fascinating glimpse into the
The books, says
nature of Jewish divorce.
Gutmann, were eventu-
According to the Torah, if a
ally distributed
husband died after a childless
throughout the United
marriage, it was the duty of his
States, Israel and other
brother to many the widow.
places.
If the brother rejected such a
Prior to his arrival in
marriage, he had to undergo a
Detroit, Gutmann, an
ceremony known as hilitzah,
ordained rabbi who
literally taking off the shoes,
holds a doctorate in
during which his brother's
Jewish history from the
widow removed his right shoe
Hebrew Union College
in front of witnesses. This act
in Cincinnati, served as
was parallel to divorce and
director of the Judaica
freed them both of mutual
Museum at the
obligation.
Hebrew Union College
Gutmann became involved Dr. Joseph Gutmann:
and
taught art history,
Calling attention to
in the Cleveland exhibit at
with a focus on the
the riches of Judaica.
the behest of Professor
development and his-
Hunter, a former student of
tory of Jewish art.
Gutmann's at Wayne State, where
In Gutmann's view, Judaica exhibits,
Guttman taught art history from
like the one in Cleveland, are important
1969-89.
to scholars and laypersons, Jews and
In addition to contributing to the cat-
non-Jews alike.
alogue, Gutmann presided last month
"It's important to scholars to see the
over an international symposium,
Judaica that resides in Cleveland and its
"Jewish Ritual Art," at Cleveland State
surrounding area," says Guttman, who
University. He returns to Cleveland at
with his wife Marilyn, a math teacher at
Case Western Reserve University Oct.
Oakland Community College, make
26-27 for a symposium, "Treading on
their home in Huntington Woods.
Sacred Common Ground: Parallels in
Secondly, notes the art historian, "it
Jewish and Christian Art, Architecture
calls attention to non-Jews the riches of
and Culture."
Judaica and thereby also teaches them
Born in Germany to an Orthodox
something about the Jewish religion."
family, Gutmann and his family immi
grated to Philadelphia in 1936, when
Gutmann was almost 13. The eminen t
Jewish art historian says he pulled
"For Everything a Season: Jewish
away from Orthodoxy toward a more
Ritual Art in Cleveland" runs
liberal bent during Army service in
through Nov. 4 at the Cleveland
World War II.
State University Art Gallery East
It was also in the service that
24th Street and Chester Avenue,
Gutmann discovered an important
in Cleveland. Hours are 10 a.m.-5
library that had been lost in Frankfort
p.m. Mondays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-
during the war years. While doing
7 p.m. Wednesdays. For more
research in the OSS in London,
information, call (216) 687-5045
Gutmann came across circulars that
or go to the Web site at
spoke of a Judaica museum to be erected
www.csuohio.edu/sacredart/Jewish.
in Frankfort after the Nazis conquered

PAUL KOHN S

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10/13
2000

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