Judaica On The Edge
Artists push the envelope by reinventing some religious objects.
A
JULIE WIENER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
ITN
9/14
2001
R56
women's tefillin set with a
beaded velvet box and blue
satin straps.
A silver Kiddush cup in
which ceremonial wine passes through
a delicately crafted silver net formed
from the Hebrew word for "blessed."
A sukkah with brightly painted walls
made of the long, plastic strips found
in industrial-sized refrigerators — and
furnished with stools and a mirrored
table symbolizing the self-reflection
expected during the High
Holidays.
This is not your parents'
Judaica.
For years, Jewish ritual
objects and Jewish fine arts
have occupied very differ-
ent domains.
Ceremonial objects,
mostly produced by arti-
sans, often mimicked tradi-
tional styles and — while
beautiful and useful —
were not necessarily cutting
edge artistically.
Jewish fine arts pieces, in
contrast, have generally
been more about aesthetics and ideas
than ritual function.
But partly due to the encourage-
ment of several Jewish institutions,
numerous Jewish and non-Jewish
artists are using their skills and creativ-
ity to reinterpret items used in Jewish
worship.
"There's more blurring of the lines
between art and functional Judaica,"
said Susan Braunstein, curator of
archaeology and Judaica for the Jewish
Museum in New York.
The Jewish Museum recently creat-
ed a staff position focusing on "con-
temporary ceremonial art," and is
seeking artists who are "working with-
in tradition but pushing the bound-
aries," Braunstein said.
The Reform movement's Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of
Religion recently marked the semi-
nary's 125th anniversary by inviting
153 artists to create "contemporary
and innovative works of Jewish cere-
monial art," according to the catalog
for the resulting exhibition.
Since 1994, the Spertus Museum of
the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
in Chicago has sponsored biennial
competitions focusing on specific cere-
monial objects. The Jewish Museum
of San Francisco also sponsors compe-
titions for Jewish ritual objects.
A new national project — called
Avoda: Objects of the Spirit — reach-
es out to young Jewish artists with
workshops in which they create avant-
garde ceremonial objects.
Spertus — which gets 150 to 180
entrants for each competition — has
offered prizes for Torah scroll covers,
variety of materials, ranging from fab-
ric, gems, wood and silver to old
Jewish National Fund tins and — in
the case of a Miriam's cup, for a new
feminist Passover ritual — a pome-
granate skin.
Many also offer a modern spin on
Jewish rituals.
For example, an embroidered and
painted matzah cover created by
Judy Chicago of New Mexico —
who is nationally known for her
feminist art — has images of three
women in the Haggadah, personali-
ties who generally don't get a lot of
attention in the
Chanukah menorot,
Left.. The winning
retelling of the Exodus
seder plates and
Torah cover, by
story.
Havdalah spice boxes,
Temma Gentles and
A sukkah has wooden
and has created exhibits
Dorothy Ross, in a
chairs
painted and dec-
of the top pieces. The
Spertus Museum
orated
with objects that
next prize will be for
of Chicago ceremonial
symbolize
biblical hero-
mezuzot.
objects competition.
ines such as Esther and
"The people who
Sarah. A feather and
designed them are not
Right: A Havdalah
candle for use in check-
just artisans; they're
spice container by
ing the home for foods
architects, they're
Paula J. Newman,
that cannot be eaten
designers and, as a
in another Spertus
during Passover sits in a
result, the pieces we
Museum Competition.
silver tractor reminis-
receive are extremely
cent of those used on
unusual and avant
kibbutzim.
grade, even ones where
Israeli artist Yossi Steinberg uses
they're basing the designs on tradition-
mixed media, such as crystal resin, sil-
al ideas," said Olga Weiss, Spertus'
ver and fresh water pearls to design
curator for special exhibitions.
dreidels. He also has abandoned the
In the HUC exhibit — which will
traditional dreidel design for other
become a permanent feature with
shapes, such as a flower or a star.
rotating artwork — pieces included
Dreidel designer Gary Rosenthal
Torah scrolls, spice boxes for
has created themed dreidels. For his
Havdalah, mezuzot, seder plates,
wedding dreidel, a phrase about one's
matzah covers, tzedakah boxes and
beloved replaces the traditional letters.
chupot, or wedding canopies.
The
Faces of Jerusalem dreidel looks
The new pieces experiment with a
like white stone, with a famous scene
from the city on each of the four
sides. Profession dreidels, designed for
such professionals as a doctor or a
rabbi, include four sayings about the
profession.
Israeli artists Renee Savitz and Ellyn
Shain design a line of tallit for both
men and women. For women, the
names of the four mothers appear on
the four corners. This ties the wearer
to her feminine tradition.
While most artists have created new
versions of existing ritual objects, some
have developed pieces for new rituals.
Michael Berkowitz of New York made
a large purple and black paper cut
amulet to protect those around it from
madness" and depression.
Ayana Friedman of Jerusalem creat-
ed "Deborah's Throne," a chair cov-
ered with crimson velvet, for baby
girls to rest upon on during the sim-
chat bat, or girls' naming ceremony, a
relatively new ritual. Friedman, who
also created the blue velvet women's
tefillin, describes the piece as "the
feminist response to the (Elijah's
Throne,' on which baby boys are cir-
cumcised."
Arnold Schwarzbart of Knoxville,
Tenn., created a sarcophagus for old
etrogim, the citrus fruit used during
Sukkot.
Many local businesses have begun
to sell variations on traditional pieces,
as well as those for modern traditions.
Jewish.com , owned by Jewish
Renaissance Media, sells everything
from glass menorot and mezuzot to
funky dreidels. Miriam's cups are
another popular item.
Tradition! Tradition! in Southfield
also carries such objects.
"The focus is to get artsy," said
owner Alicia Nelson.
"The artists shown at the HUC
show "are not trying to replicate and
simply reiterate the forms of the past,
which is what you basically find for
the most part in a lot of high-priced
Jewish shops," said Jean Bloch
Rosensaft, exhibitions director for
HUC.
"They're trying to make Judaica that
speaks to the consciousness of our
own time."
Berkowitz, 48, whose work has
appeared in a variety of Jewish and
secular venues, sees his interest in
Jewish art as part of a larger trend of
artists "going back to their roots as
inspiration."
The artist grew up attending yeshiva
and, as a child, wanted to be a rabbi
until he became more interested in art.
"For me, the impulse has always
"