Arts &Life

GLOBAL GUARDIANS from page 35

As Grossman communicated with
museum administrators from foreign
countries, she encountered no difficult
language problems. While most spoke
English, a number of others could talk to
her in Hebrew. She did get translation
help with Polish, Russian and Chinese
contacts.
"I knew there was a small Jewish
museum in Hungary, but I had difficulty
getting the address," Grossman recalls as
one of her hurdles. "I eventually sent an
e-mail to the English department at a
university in the same city (Pecs) and
asked if anyone could help me. I had
been working at the computer very late
one evening when I made the request,
and in the morning; I had an answer on
my screen."
Although Grossman decided against
including all of the
world's Holocaust
museums because
and Treasures of
there were other
Jewish Art. The
publications devoted
author worked at
to them, she did
the Sperms
want to represent
Museum in
that element. She
Chicago for 11
has referenced Yad
years before join-
Vashem in Israel,
ing the Skirball 20
the United States
years ago.
Holocaust
"We went
Memorial Museum
through many
in Washington, the
processes to organ-
Museum of
ize the book,"
Tolerance in Los
Grossman
Angeles, the
explains. "I made
Museum of Jewish
an outline and
Heritage in New
moved on to a
Chanukah Lamp, Lemberg, Poland,
York
and the Anne
questionnaire for
c. 1800; Skirball Museum Collection,
Frank
House in
responding staff
Los Angeles
Amsterdam.
members at the
"I was heartened
museums. I want-
to see the dedication of the people who
ed as much as possible to represent their
work in these museums," Grossman says.
mission statements in their own words.
"There are places in parts of the world
"I think of this book as the kind you
where there aren't Jewish communities
look at while sitting at a table. Although
anymore or there are tiny Jewish com-
it's not necessary to read every word, I
munities, and all of the museum people
hope some people will read every word
care about preserving Jewish culture and
eventually because they will find consid-
heritage. Many who work in these muse-
erable information about the diaspora
and the effects of surroundings on Jewish urns are not Jewish, but they care as
well."
culture."
As Grossman did her research, she was
Although Grossman's career has taken
fascinated by many unexpected discover-
her to many Jewish museums, she did
ies. Unfamiliar with museums in South
manage to travel to some she hadn't seen
and Central America, she was able to
in other countries, such as France,
learn a lot about the styles of artifacts in
England and Hungary. Because budget
those areas. While visiting Germany, she
constraints did not allow her to hire an
was moved by seeing Torah textiles
independent photographer, she had to
placed in synagogues before the
rely on the photos and slides sent to her.
Holocaust. In her home state of
"I wanted to get more exterior pic-
California, the author found two similar
tures, but they just weren't available or
shofar cases made independently in the
were of poor quality," says Grossman,
shape of a shofar by members of different
who spent three years working on the
generations in the same family.
project while holding her job at the
"The book had to go to press in
Skirball. "There were many great pictures
of exhibit items, and I could have includ- June, and since then, I've heard about
four more museums." Grossman says.
ed 1,000."

here is an exterior view of the very mod-
em Jewish Museum Berlin designed in
1989 by architect Daniel Libeskind, who
served as artist-in-residence at Cranbrook
Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills and
now is working on the plans for the new
World Trade Center site in New York.
Among the many items pictured are a
17th-century Passover plate shown at the
Jewish Historical Museum in
Amsterdam; a 19th-century oak tree
Chanukah lamp from Lemberg, Poland,
now in the collection of the Skirball
Cultural Center; and an 18th-century
painting of colonial socialite Phila.
Franks, whose image is shown at the
American Jewish Historical Society in
New York.
The idea for the book came from the
publisher, who got to know Grossman
through her earlier
texts, Jewish Arl-

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"There are new Jewish museums being
established all the time. Although a
few were just concepts when I was
working on the book, I included them

in the directory if I had addresses. I'm
hoping that the directory will be put
online for updates."

❑

•

Exterior of the Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam

An 18th-century painting of colonial
socialite Phila Franks; American Jewish
Historical Society, New York

7 was heartened to see the
dedication of the people who work
in these museums," says author
Grace Cohen Grossman.