Brochure

SCHOOL OF
ARTS AND CRAFTS: 1906-1929
The founding of the Bezalel School of Arts and
Crafts by Boris Schatz in 1906 marks the beginning
of a new period of Jewish artistic activity in the
Land of Israel. Built in Jerusalem, the school was
named for the artisan selected by God to build the
Tabernacle. Its aesthetic was informed not only by
the European traditions that artists brought with
them, but also by the nationalist Zionist ideal that
pervaded the consciousness of these new arrivals.
Bezalel carried with it the artistic aspirations of a
people as well as the kernel of a crafts industry that,
it was hoped, would bring newfound productivity
and economic viability to the Jewish population
of Jerusalem.
Both the sacred and secular worlds of early 20th
century Jewish life were represented in Bezalel’s
output during these years. The school and its affiliated workshops produced prayer-book bindings,
menorahs, and illustrated sacred scrolls along
with coffeepots, rugs, and artillery-shell vases.
These objects combined to create a graphically
striking narrative of Jewish history that gave the
burgeoning nation a visual identity, both at home
and around the world.
This exhibition focuses on the period between the
founding of Bezalel and the school’s temporary
closing in 1929. The school reopened in 1935 as “The
New Bezalel” and over the next 75 years, continued
to grow and evolve. Today, as the “Bezalel Academy
of Art and Design,” it encompasses 1700 students
and 400 faculty members. In its original iteration,
the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts remained in
existence a mere 23 years. Nevertheless, its enduring legacy lies in its having established a point of
departure from which future generations would
continue to explore the role of art in the formation
of Jewish national identity.
Exhibition on View from
March 23-August 31, 2012
One East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065
Hours:
Sunday through Thursday
10am to 4:30 or
by Appointment
Please call (212) 744-1400 x313
to arrange for a tour
[email protected]
This exhibition has been made possible in part by a
generous grant from
The Liz Goldhirsh-Yellin Foundation
in memory of Bernard and Wendy Goldhirsh
Additional support provided by
Joseph and Susan Moldovan
in honor of Dr. Alfred Moldovan and
in memory of Jean Sorkin Moldovan
Cover Photo:
Damascene Vase
Jerusalem, 1913
Moldovan Family
Collection
“Art is the Soul of the Nation”
– Boris Schatz
Theodor Herzl Medal
Shmuel Kretchmer
Jerusalem, ca. 1935
Collection of Ira and
Brigitte Rezak
Catalogue of Bezalel Exhibition
Reuben Lifshitz [Leaf]
New York, 1926
Moldovan Family Collection
Rachel’s Tomb Ceramic Tile
Jerusalem, ca. 1925
Collection of Ira and
Brigitte Rezak
Pioneer Plaque
Moshe Murro
Jerusalem, 1920s
Collection of Ira and
Brigitte Rezak
Bezalel Sculpture Class
Jerusalem, ca. 1914
Collection of Chaim and
Naomi Steinberger, New York
To the Well Postcard
Meir Gur-Arie
Jerusalem, ca. 1925
Collection of Ira and
Brigitte Rezak
Hanukkah Lamp
Designed by Ze’ev Raban
Executed by Yehia Yemini
Jerusalem, ca. 1931
Private Collection
Tunisian Boy Plaque
Moshe Murro
Jerusalem, late 1930s
Collection of Ira and
Brigitte Rezak
Boy with Megillah Case Lithograph
Shmuel Ben-David
Jerusalem, 1920s
Moldovan Family Collection
Mishloah Manot
(Purim Gift-Giving) Medal
Moshe Murro
Jerusalem, 1920s
Collection of Ira and
Brigitte Rezak
Come See Erez Israel Lithograph
Ze’ev Raban
Jerusalem, 1929
The Sussi Collection
Cigarette Box
Jerusalem, 1920s
Collection of Congregation
Emanu-El
The Return of the Spies from
Canaan Ceramic Tile
Jerusalem, ca. 1925
Private Collection
Rattle
Jerusalem, 1920
Collection of Ira and
Brigitte Rezak
Artillery-Shell Vase
Jerusalem, after 1918
Collection of Congregation
Emanu-El