Arts & Life

Portrait Of A People

U-M library exhibit includes myriad of itefns utilized by Jews in their everyday lives.

Irving Hermelin curator of Judaica
Collections, and Erica Lehrer, an
intern at the Frankel Center. A cata-
Ann Arbor
logue references the exhibit and the
ome 150 Passover Haggadot —
total collection.
including one completed in
"I believe that this collection was
Europe during the 1700s and
built with love," Daub says. "By •
another mass-produced in more recent
assembling these items, Connie Harris
years to be given away at U.S. supermar-
has been an artist painting a vivid and
kets — will be part of the permanent
lasting portrait of the Jewish people
holdings at the Special Collections
and their lives."
Matchbook cover, 1936
Library of the University of Michigan
Harris, who grew up as part of an
and represented in a new exhibit, "Portrait
Orthodox New York family, majored in
of a People: The Jewish Heritage Collection
English literature at -Hunter College. She met her
Dedicated to Mark and Dave Harris."
husband, Theodore, when he was a student at
The Haggadot are among more than 2,000
Princeton, and they moved to California after he
items of Jewish living amassed by Constance
received his doctorate in math. Before teaching at the
(Connie) Harris of Beverly Hills, Calif, where her
University of Southern California, he worked at the
home held the artworks, books, ritual objects,
RAND Corp.
magazines, stamps, children's toys and other histor-
The couple had two children. Stephen is a physical
ical keepsakes now moved to Ann Arbor and also
chemist in the auto industry. Marcia, killed in an
associated with the Samuel Frankel Center for
accident in 2000, was a nurse practitioner working
Judaic Studies.
in underdeveloped countries.
The exhibit, on view through Aug. 19, spot-
"My husband has been a wonderful partner in
lights Harris' devotion to her grandsons, Mark
acquiring the pieces that are part of the collection,"
Harris, a student at Birmingham Groves High
Harris says. 'As we traveled, he would find things
Ritual objects
School, and Dave Harris, a student at Michigan
that I had not noticed. He learned to ask to be
State University; they are the sons of Stephen and
directed to Jewish items in many languages."
Ruth Harris of Bloomfield Township.
The art collection started as the couple looked
Profile Of The Collection
With the exhibit, Constance Harris wanted to
for
images to fill their living room walls. After
• 1,000 works of art, from 1493 to the present
honor family and show her concern for awakening
doing personal research and auditing a university
• 1,000 books, including 150 Haggadot
religious interests among young people.
class on printmaking to become knowledgeable
• 700 pieces of printed-paper ephemera, including post-
"I had this accumulation and had to decide what
about her acquisitions, Harris called upon her
cards on Jewish themes from the early 1900s to the pres-
to do with it," explains Harris, 79, who discovered
literature major and wrote the book Portraiture
ent
the Judaica close to home, in foreign countries and
in Prints, which came out in 1987.
• 200 objects, including ritual articles, children's toys,
on the Web. "I wanted these items to be in a place
As she thought about her collection in histori-
household goods and Holocaust-era items.
where they could be available to scholars and stu-
cal context, and at the suggestion of her son,
dents, and I gave away 98 percent of what I had.
Harris began work on her second book, The Way
"I chose Michigan because my son, daughter-in-
Jews Livech which will be in stores soon.
law and grandsons live in the area and because the
"I bought hundreds of books and talked to
university has the resources to house the items
many scholars to get the information for the new
properly and make use of them. I also was
book," Harris says. "I work at the computer many
impressed with the university's Jewish studies pro-
hours each day, and now I have to go over my
gram."
manuscript for the final time. I found that
While the Harris collection includes some items
immersing myself in something that involved total
of material value, many more of the pieces are of
concentration got me through difficulties, such as
humble origins to give an idea of how general pop-
coping with my husband's health problems."
ulations of Jews have lived throughout history.
Although Harris will eventually turn over all her
The items with ties to Michigan include a kosher
Judaica to the university, she still keeps some
cookbook sold in the 1930s by the Hadassah chap-
items that are particularly meaningful to her. She
Iviark Harris
Dave Ha
ter in Ann Arbor, a book illustrated by Huntington
displays lithographs by Israeli artists and treasures
Woods artist Lynne Avadenka, a program given out
six silver soupspoons engraved with Hebrew writ-
local chapter of the American Jewish Congress.
at an event hosted by the Michigan Jewish Sports
ing and found in a Prague junk shop.
"The items were part of my home, and they came
Hall of Fame and a matchbook from a once-popular
"I think that the Haggadot are a very important
together with a modest budget. I hope people will
Detroit deli.
part of this collection because they show what Jews
consider it an open collection and add to it. I want
Harris, instrumental in forming the Women's
did in their homes," says Harris, who will increase her
others to feel part of it all."
Interfaith Committee in Los Angeles to understand
visits to Michigan from one a year because of the col-
Peggy Daub, head of the Special Collections
the religions of others, believes it is important to doc-
lection. "In an auction house, I saw a Haggadah like
Library, traveled to California to help pack the items.
ument anti-Semitism and included hate literature
one of mine, and its value has gone up from $2,000
She developed the exhibit with Elliot Gertel, the
attributed to Michigan sources.
to $12,000. It has a folding, engraved map to show
"Each item brings back a story," says
how Moses left Egypt.
Harris, whose home was visited by U-M
"I got into the ethnic collection
"Portrait of a People: The Jewish Heritage Collection Dedicated to Mark
staff members before the collection was
market just as it was picking up
and Dave Harris" will be on view through Aug. 19 at two locations in the
accepted. "It all represents my complete
interest. I believe that if people can't
Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library in Ann Arbor: the Special Collections
dedication to Jewish life. I have held many
pass on their history, they can't pass
Library (seventh floor, south building) and the North Lobby (first floor,
offices with the Jewish Federation Council
on their dreams."
off the Diag). The exhibit can be seen 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays
of Los Angeles and was president of our
and 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Admission is free. (734) 764-9377.

SUZANNE CHESSLER

Special to the Jewish News

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*IN

4/21

2005

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