Exhibiting Jewish Art

By Shira Novack
KOC Assistant Editor
Binghamton University

Judaism is a religion of art; there are multiple examples of this in prayers and psalms, synagogue buildings, and the Jewish objects found within synagogues and homes. Two winters ago I took a day trip into New York City with my mom and a friend of hers to see an exhibit called "Gilded Lions and Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel" at The Museum of Folk Art. It was a fascinating exhibit that, according to the Museum of Folk Art website, "traces the journey of Jewish woodcarvers and other artisans from Eastern and Censtral Europe to America and the unsung role they played in establishing a distinct Jewish culture in communities throughout the United States." The exhibit consisted of beautifully carved and painted arks, carousel horses, intricately cut paper mizrahs (art which points in the direction of Jerusalem), as well as pictures from old synagogues in Europe and some pictures of tombstones.

All of the works in the exhibit were made to make the sanctuary a place of beauty; to glorify God. When the craftsmen came to America, some of them used their skills for something much more secular: carousel horses for amusement parks. Back in the day, carousel horses were beautiful works of art made of wood, some with glass eyes and hand-painted. The exhibit suggested that three of the most prominent carousel horse makers were Jewish. No longer were the products of their hands always what one would look at and know them to be of Jewish origin. Nevertheless, the carousel horses were and are examples of Jewish art. Their artistry was derived from skills developed for Jewish purposes; many of the arks displayed had lions and other animals incorporated into them. It does not seem like such a big leap to go from lions to horses. It makes me wonder, where else can Jewish art be found in places that we don’t expect it to be? What defines art as Jewish? These are not questions that I am going to delve into now, nor do I think they have a definitive answer; simply something to think about, perhaps the next time you are riding a carousel.

[Posted 10/17/09]