Opening a New Door: The Judaica Collection
Georg Zeiller, Torah Shield, 1825, silver‐gilt, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Susie and David Askanase, Alexander Dell, and Carol and David Neuberger families.
German, The Montefiore Mainz Mahzor, c. 1310–20, illuminated manuscript on parchment; codex of 299 leaves, each ruled in ink, pricked, and written in black and red ink in Ashkenazi script, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Brown Foundation Accessions Endowment Fund. Restoration supported with generous contributions from the TEFAF Museum Restoration fund; Joan Morgenstern; and Helaine and David Lane and Family.
Christine Gervais
Beth Schneider
December 3, 2023
The MFAH World Faiths Initiative explores themes of religion, faith, and spirituality in the Museum’s collections. A new component of the initiative—Jewish ritual objects displayed in the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Gallery for Judaica—forms the beginning of an important collection area for the Museum.
On opening day of the gallery, this lecture explores such objects, used in synagogues and homes in Jewish communities throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Over centuries and continents, Jews have created objects to sanctify the Torah, beautify and celebrate the Sabbath and holidays, and mark life events. The objects represent the artists who created them, and the individuals and families who donated them.
About the Speakers
Christine Gervais is the MFAH curator for decorative arts and the Fredricka Crain Director of Rienzi. Beth Schneider, a consultant to the Judaica initiative, was the MFAH education director from 1986 to 2007.
Plan Your Visit
This program is included with Museum admission. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis in Brown Auditorium Theater, on the lower level of the Law Building. The Judaica gallery is on the street level.
• Parking Information
• Museum Hours
All Learning and Interpretation programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, receive generous support from H-E-B; Institute of Museum and Library Services; Sempra Foundation; the Brown Foundation, Inc.; the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; the Joe Barnhart Foundation; the Cockrell Family Fund; the CFP Foundation; Macey and Harry Reasoner; the Texas Commission on the Arts; and the Junior League of Houston, Inc.
Endowment funds are provided by the Louise Jarrett Moran Bequest; Caroline Wiess Law; Windgate Foundation; the William Randolph Hearst Foundation; Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff; the National Endowment for the Humanities; the Fondren Foundation; BMC Software, Inc.; the Wallace Foundation; the Neal Myers and Ken Black Children’s Art Fund; the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation; Medha and Shashank Karve; Virginia and Ira Jackson; Jesse H. Jones II; the CFP Foundation; the Favrot Fund; gifts in memory of John Wynne; Neiman Marcus Youth Arts Education; gifts in memory of Peter Lotz; and gifts in honor of Beth Schneider.