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This work describes each stage of the project design of the Jewish museum extension to the Berlin museum by the architect Daniel Libeskind. The museum shows the social, political and artistic history of Berlin from 1870 to the present, integrating it with Jewish history across the abyss of the holocaust. The museum has been designed to show the displacement of the Jewish spirit in physical voids which cut, fragment and splinter the building complex, breaking it into pieces in order to make it more accessible, both spiritually and functionally. ... Read more

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Melbourne's Jewish Museum of Australia has celebrated its 25 years with a remarkable book relating to its exhibitions and magnificent collections. This superbly designed book gives an uniquely Australian perpective on the 4000 year religion and culture of Judaism. ... Read more

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Put the whole world of art and culture in your pocket. The "Prestel Museum Guides" - your authoritative companions to the Museums of the world. ... Read more

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Every so often, the organizers of an art exhibition attempt to address head-on issues of interest in the world of contemporary politics. Russian Jewish Artists in a Century of Change, 1890-1990 represents such an undertaking. With the break-up of the Soviet Union, countries and cultures under Soviet control suddenly opened up to the West. In the past few years, as information has begun to flow more freely, art historians have found themselves having to re-examine their subjects and concerns in the light of newly accessible information. Nowhere is this situation more apparent than in the study of Jewish artists in Russia. Until recently, books and catalogues written in the West have concentrated on work done by Russian Jewish artists in exile. Now, for the first time, an international group of scholars has been assembled to address the last hundred years of art produced by Jews living in Russia itself. Given the present state of research, Russian Jewish Artists in a Century of Change, 1890-1990 - which documents an exhibition organized by The Jewish Museum, New York - purposely proposes more questions than it answers. A lucid historical overview by historian Michael Stanislawski followed by seven thought-provoking essays by an international roster of art historians who address, in chronological sequence, the difficult, frequently uplifting history of Jewish art in Russia in the modern period. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

excellent overview of Russian Jewish Theatre
The Moscow State Yiddish Theatre (GOSET) was established in Petrograd in 1919, moving to Moscow the following year. Subsidised by the state, it performed plays in Yiddish, as opposed to the alternative company Habimah who used the Hebrew language. GOSET disintegrated after the murder (ordered by Stalin) in 1948 of the great actor Solomon Mikhoels.

Quoting from the catalogue: "To a large degree the Jewish theatre was influenced by the mass pageants, street performances, Russian circus, cabaret and music -hall burlesque of the early 20th century. Jewish artists absorbed the language of revolutionary art movements in Europe and Russia, notably Cubism, Futurism and Constructivism."

The first section of this catalogue contains informative articles related to GOSET and Habimah. The balance of the book contains illustrations featured in the exhibition; costume designs, posters, costumes plus historic photographs of stage sets, actors and artists.

One of the main centrepieces of the exhibition were the six theatre murals by Chagall. These are attractive works in the typical Chagall style. Using this artist's name in the title of the catalogue is an obvious marketing ploy and somewhat deceptive. Chagall's participation in the exhibition content is relatively minor; in fact Nathan Altman's works are at least equally prominent but his name lacks Chagall's cachet.

Nevertheless, this book gives a fascinating overview of Russian Jewish Theatre
in words and archival illustrations. The book is well printed with excellent quality reproductions.

Much more than just another book on Chagall
Far from being just another book on Chagall, this catalogue for a recent exhibition held at the Jewish Museum in NYC is a treasure trove of information, photographs and artworks documenting the intense relationship that the Russian-born Chagall (but not only him) maintained with Habima and Goset (the Moscow State Yiddish Theater), two theater companies that spearheaded a modernist revolution on the Russian and Jewish stages during the years following the 1917 Revolution, Habima being more Zionist-oriented (and eventually emigrating to Palestine) and Goset emphasizing the Expressionnistic side of its theater.

The book tells the story of those two companies, draws a vivid portrait of the main actors (Salomon Mikhoels murdered by Stalin's henchmen in 1948), authors (Dobrushin, Babel, Asch...), artists (Chagall, of course, but also Natan Altman, Robert Falk, Ignaty Nivinsky or Isaac Rabinovich)and musicians (Lev Pulver, Moshe Milner...)who collaborated in all sorts of ways in this unique cultural experience.

The title is slightly misleading as Chagall left Goset in 1922 and the company went on until 1949 with many other artists taking a central role in designing costumes and sets, many of which are beautifully illustrated in never-before-seen images in the book.

This book is also a marvelous document on the Jewish cultural life in Russia during the first half of the XXth century, its relationship to Zionism and Communism and the diversity of the many artists taking part in it.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

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When it first appeared in 1980, Andy Warhol's "Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century" was adored by Jewish audiences even as it aroused antagonism from critics. Why did Warhol create this series? How did he select the figures to be portrayed? How has the passage of time reshaped the meaning of these portraits?This handsomely illustrated book examines the history of these silk-screen paintings and prints, delving into Warhol's refashioning of portraiture, his deep interest in repetitive art forms, and his embrace of commercialism. Richard Meyer shows how Warhol's unorthodox approach to portrait painting was a product of both his seriousness as an artist and his avowed interest in making money, and he explains how Warhol selected ten figures - from Bernhardt and Buber to Freud and Kafka - who would ensure the timelessness of his series. The volume, which also includes discussions of the celebrated subjects of "Ten Portraits", images of related prints, and a timeline, offers new insights into a significant series by an iconic American artist. ... Read more

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Warhol - interesting as usual
I saw the exhibit so was keen to acquire the catalogue.The pictures are high-quality and vivid.Text is excellent too. ... Read more

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A celebration of Jewish life through the ages, this new addition to Abrams' highly successful 365 Days series features art and artifacts from around the world. In addition to archaeological finds, ancient manuscripts, artworks, and traditional and ceremonial objects, the book includes images that evoke everyday life in Jewish communities throughout history: jewelry, costumes, toys, household items, folk art, and period rooms.

The book draws on the extensive holdings of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, which houses the world's preeminent collection of the archaeology of the Holy Land and the most comprehensive collections anywhere of Judaica and the ethnology of the Jewish people, together with impressive holdings in all of the fine arts. The Priestly Benediction on a silver amulet from the late seventh century B.C.E.; the 14th-century Birds' Head Haggadah from southern Germany, the earliest known illuminated Ashkenazi Haggadah to have survived as a separate book; and a spectacular bridal outfit from Yemen are among the beautiful, varied, and surprising images found here, all accompanied by insightful texts by museum curators revealing little-known information about the Jewish world.AUTHOR BIO: Daisy Raccah-Djivre is chief curator of Judaica and Jewish ethnography at the Israel Museum; Silvia Rozenberg is Tamar and Teddy Kollek Chief Curator of Archaeology; and Yigal Zalmona is chief curator-at-large.Amazon.com Review
So often, day books are vaguely fancy calendars that seem afraid to commit to any one particular year, the sort of well-meaning gift one never really cracks open. Of course, Abrams' 365 Days series has redefined the day book, but The Jewish World, released in the Jewish calendar year of 5765, is perhaps the most stunning example yet. With hundreds of thousands of artifacts to choose from, the chief curators at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem have assembled a vision of Jewish culture that celebrates the diversity, history and beauty of the Jewish experience back into time and across so many cultures that it feels like time stops altogether. Every page has a beautiful image with concise text that will be of interest to scholars and laypeople alike. Illustrated manuscripts, ceremonial stands, children's drawings, marriage contracts, photographs of early life on kibbutzim, alms boxes, prayer books, temple artifacts, dowry chests, tombstones, modernist paintings, and Hanukkah lamps: this book is both an aesthetic and a spiritual treasure trove. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Jewish World:365 Days
I very please with delivery of the book it was prompt and well packed and the condition was as described the book look like new.

The Jewish World - 365 Days
Beautiful book.Ended up buying three copies to give two away and keep one for myself.The service was excellent -- received the books within days.Great experience.

Beautifull book full of exquisite objects and their stories
I still open this book from time to time on any page and start reading about these wonderfull objects from all over the world. Sometimes a mezuzah from Morroco from twohundred years ago, sometimes a Italian torah binding or a marriage contract froma place where jews were forced to convert but kept the tradtions or a simple contemporary spice box. This book invite us for a travel in time and space into the milenar jewish culture.

Love This Book
I picked this book intending to give it but kept it as the information and how it is presented was so wonderful. I enjoyed seeing the art work from all over the world from the Jewish community as it expressed the oneness of the community itself and the region where the item was made.One day I hope to see these items in person.

A small treasure
I have had the pleasure of visiting the 'Israel Museum' inJerusalem many times. Thus it was a delightful surprise to come across this volume which excellently provides reproductions of its most important holdings. The Museum is very rich in Archaeology of the Holy Land, in Jewish enthnography and culture. The illustrations here are beautifully done. The accompanying texts are informative in regard to describing the artifacts themselves.
I myself would have wished another feature, additional textcontaining various samples of Jewish traditional literature, from Bible, Midrash and various sages.
But the volume as it is is trulya small treasure. ... Read more

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A definitive history of this small and evanescent colony of German speaking Jews in the Dominican Republic, 'Dominican Haven' expands our understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and barriers to refugee settlement anywhere in the world.---Judith Laikin Elkin, Author of the 'Jews in Latin America' and founder of the Latin America Jewish Studies Association. Associate of the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, The University of Michigan'Dominican Haven' begins to answer so many of the questions we long held about this most peculiar case of refugee migration that changed the lives of those fleeing the horror of Nazism and of those in the Dominican Republic that welcomed them----Ramona Hernandez, Professor of Sociology and the Director of the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, The City College of New York ... Read more

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2008 National Jewish Book Awards Finalist
As printed in the 58th Annual National Jewish Book Awards announcement of March 5, 2009:

"Dominican Haven is a definitive history of a colony of German-speaking Jews in the Dominican Republic during the Holocaust. It adds a significant new chapter in our understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and barriers to the settlement of Jewish refugees in the days prior to and during the Holocaust. These middle-class, urban Europeans found themselves in a tropical environment where they had to master a new language, develop new skills and create new lives while worrying about those loved-ones left behind. They created a Jewish community with a synagogue, built a school and a thriving dairy industry working alongside Dominicans in an environment free of anti-Semitism. The narrative opens with a discussion of the Evian Conference of 1938 and closes with the post-war exodus from the settlement. Sosúa was a temporary resting place on the refugees' journeys to their post-Holocaust lives. Dr. Marion Kaplan has done a superb job of using oral histories, memoirs, and archival material to give depth and color to the narrative."

Excellent condition, timely delivery
This book is an adjunct to an exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in NYC.I went to the exhibit two weeks ago, and everyone there was buying the book at the museum.I had already bought it from Amazon, had time to review it, was way up on what to expect from the exhibit, and saved a few dollars besides!Yeah for Amazon! ... Read more

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A study that examines the role of Jews as agents in the service of many kinds of patron, from local nobles to emperors. In addition to collecting and commissioning precious jewellery and works of art for the court, they provided all manner of goods, including military equipment and supplies. Many Jews also made important contributions to architecture by financing and implementing large building projects. Court Jews often became powerful members of society, some of them adopting the lifestyles, dress and architecture of their patrons, while remaining true to their religious origins. This book charts the development of the Court Jew and includes short biographies of outstanding figures - among them several women such as Glikl of Hameln and Esther Lieberman - with an account of their achievements and their relationship to Jewish communities and to general society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great product and great service
This book is superb if you are interested in the topic. Design and density of information is great as is its use of documents and paintings which makes it interesting visually too. The seller delivered in a shorter time frame than promised and communicated at each stage.

Where Tolkiens Wormtongue archetype comes from
I'm not 100% sure but I believe this book went with an exhibit on Court Jews at a Jewish Museum. Even though much of this book was overview history I managed to get a lot out of it. If you have read Tolkiens Lord of the Rings the Wormtongue character was to me an obvious archetype of the Court Jew. They worm their way into power through stealth and once they have power they manipulate and mold society to how they want it to be. This always erodes it and often will out and out destroy it.

Various interesting things in this were I had forgotten about what a huge role Jews played in various Islamic lands throughout history. As the book points out Jews were "all powerful bankers" in Baghdad, Egypt, Tunisia, the Mongol Empire, Morocco, Afghanistan, Iran and with the Berbers. This book actuallyclaims that Jews were put into positions of power by Muslims because of "Jewish vulnerability" and so they would attract investment from wealthy Jews and not because of any wormy conspiratorial maneuverings by Jews themselves. There is an obvious historicalpattern of these type of maneuverings from a certain class of Jew. I found it interesting that this book mentions that in the 900s/1000s Jewish court bankers from various lands sent their sons to study at "Babylonian Academies" in Babylon and would frequent them themselves for periods of time. Which brings the question to my mind was Babylon a headquarters and epicenter for a global Jewish conspiracy at one time?

There is more on the Court Jews in Europe than there was about Court Jews in Islamic lands in From Court Jews to Rothschilds so you get info and good overview history on various notorious characters like Sus Oppenheimer, Esther Liebmann and Mayer Amschel Rothschild among others. I also found it interesting how along with their banking and involvement in the jewelry trade they were used as tax collectors and translators of various texts. Which makes me wonder how many books and documents have been inaccurately altered. Also how the elite jews were almost always married off in arrainged marriages with sons and daughters of other wealthy elite Jewish families. Another thing that wasn't a surprise was how common it was for them to make obscene amounts of money as suppliers to armies during times of war. Obviously thats what the old saying "War is a Jew Harvest" was getting at.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A wonderful synergy and collaboration.
I suppose that I bought this because of years of admiration for both Sargent and his friends, the Wertheimer family. Lord knows, it took me a few years to finally get a copy. The museum didn't anticipate the demand beyond just those attending the show in New York and printed too few copies.
Wertheimer was a Jewish dealer in art in turn of the 20th Century London. And the son of an arts dealer. Depending upon your character, you believe that he, with a good eye, presciently recognized the talent of the young Sargent newly settled in Britain and took a warm, avuncular and genuine liking to the man. Or you believe that Wertheimer cunningly assessed the odds and profits about this budding art star and, perhaps via some Mesmer, clouded Sargent under his dark and Asian spells. In fact, Wertheimer commisioned, and that seems too commercial a word for the relationship, young Sargent to paint Wertheimer's family. Asher invited Sargent into his home to paint anything that struck Sargent. Well, yes, even the several and beloved family dogs. Sadly, the lead painting of the group, of Asher Wertheimer and his favorite black poodle, was declared "too oriental" by the art critics of London. Yes, in this published, scarcely disguised bigotry Asher was said too oriental a subject and presumably his poodle too. This book, intentionally or not, presents both sides of the issue. On the one hand, argument is made that Sargent caught the man (and his family) just as he was, interior and exterior. Brilliantly. Contrariwise, there is criticism that such accuracy was also bigotry. Asher was given too oriental a face. But, accurately? For me this book really descends into a sort of circular schizophrenia. Sargent paints Asher with his beloved poodle and a signature cigar, both interpreted as included due some malevolent artistic eye. The cigar or just the pose and poise of Asher's hand with the cigar is interpreted as a grasping. I'm only a simple artist. To me I see only an affectionate and accurate depiction of a mentor returning the good feeling. Yet absolutely brilliantly done. Pure genius. The poodle in the lower left a museum worthy portrait in its own right. How was Asher supposed to be portrayed, as an Eskimo? Should he have been holding a frying pan? Should Asher have appeared open, with lolling carmine tongue but the poodle hooded and quick? Hey, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar! What anal and hyperanalytical nonsense.
But I go on too long. The quality of the reproductions is not the best. There is the unnecessary inclusion of some fiction, some novella if you will about sitting for Sargent. Trevor Fairbrother has an essay viewing Sargent (again) through his mauve-colored lenses explaining at least some of Sargent's genius as due Sargent's putative homosexuality. And at least some reasonableness in the booklet setting the Wertheimer commisions in the context of the ubiquitous and sometimes quite nasty antisemitism of the times.
I have this little and little more than booklet as an item of those times. I admire Sargent. I admire Asher Wertheimer and his family and am grateful for his support of Sargent early in his career. I can readily agree that both men genuinely liked each other and their families. I am glad that Wertheimer donated the some dozen paintings to the Tate. I'm glad that some other (Jewish) person donated the money the Tate said it need to display the suite. Although it isn't always crystal clear from the account in this book, the partnership of Wertheimer and Sargent was a triumph for art and for humanity. The show and this accompanying little book surely were intended to document and celebrate this fact. It succeeded only in part. ... Read more