JEWISHLIFEJUDAICA
Jewish Antiques Appraisal Show Appraisals by Jonathan Greenstein
Dear Jonathan, In 1936 my father bought two ivory, hand-carved silver filigree pieces, one of Moses and one of Rebecca, made in the Bezalel Art School in Palestine. I would be interested in knowing their value. Norman Olshansky Sarasota, Florida
its ritual objects. Shatz’s vision was to develop a “Jewish” style of art in Palestine. Until that time, Jews creating Judaica would adopt the style of art prevailing in their area and era; for example, Jewish artists living in Germany in the 1890s would usually fashion objects in the Art Dear Norman, Noveau style. Under Schatz’s direction, the These are wonderful! Bezalel artists portrayed First, a word about the Bezalel Academy of Art and Ivory carving of Rebecca. biblical and often traditional Design in Jerusalem. Foundthemes in innovative ways. ed in 1906 by Professor Boris Schatz, a As a result, Bezalel is the only place you Lithuanian Jewish artist and sculptor, can find, for example, a brass wall lamp the school was named after the biblical hammered by a Yemenite Jewish immiartisan who designed the Tabernacle and grant influenced by Jugendstil (an Art
The Power of Faith
Barbara Goodman
continued from page 17
continued from page 16
we do not give up our hope; rather, we reaffirm our faith.
“we have encouraged the rich man’s front row and the poor man’s corner.” She urged sisterhoods to spread the message of synagogue democracy throughout the country “till the designation ‘Free Pew’ is taken for granted.” And, within a generation, thanks in part to these efforts, that battle was won. Free pews became normative in American synagogues, except on the High Holy Days. Goodman’s 20-year effort (1913– 1933) to transform Reform Judaism made a lasting impact upon Reform Jewish homes and synagogues, from Friday-night candle lighting to the revitalization of Hanukkah in the home, from congregational singing to the democratization of synagogue worship, and perhaps most significantly, to the promotion of women’s leadership in Reform congregations. In 2013, the 100th anniversary of Women of Reform Judaism/NFTS, this indomitable pioneer deserves to be heralded as a hero of the Reform Movement.
♦♦♦ Four weeks after our journey through Auschwitz-Birkenau, our group stood in the Hall of Names at Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. The room is, in essence, a three-story sphere. At the top of the orb are pictures of victims; below is a pool of water that reflects their faces; on the walls are binders of more than two million pages of Holocaust testimonies. We stood on the edge of a ring-shaped platform, tightly gripping the railing. As our eyes met those of the victims, our tears fell into the reflecting pool. With the victims’ faces above me, and my friends by my side, I looked around in awe: We had blended into one people. Through the telling of our suffering and our survival, we had come together. Through our collective experience and shared faith, our people live on.
reform judaism
JL_Judaica_winter_2013_v7.idml 18
18
Nouveau-type artistic style with floral and later more abstract elements). Specialized departments worked in different media, from painting to silver to carpets. The work was displayed at exhibitions in Palestine and abroad, and its sale helped support the school. Your ivory pieces are rarities, as the Bezalel school produced few works in this medium. In addition, your possession of the original sales slips makes them even more valuable. I’ve often seen such ivory pieces achieve strong prices at auction. Value: $3,000 - $5,000. Jonathan Greenstein, J. Greenstein & Co. Inquiries: Jonathan@JGreenstein.com Dear Jonathan, Thank you. Now I’m even more pleased to have these family treasures. U.S. Postal Services Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1. Publication Title: Reform Judaism. 2. Publication No.: 0482-0819. 3. Date of Filing: September 10, 2013. 4. Issue Frequency: 4 times a year. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 4. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $12.00. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6778. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: Union for Reform Judaism, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6778. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Union for Reform Judaism, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6778; Editor: Aron Hirt-Manheimer, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6778; Managing Editor: Joy Weinberg, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6778. 10. Owner: Union for Reform Judaism, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 100176778, incorporated as a nonprofit organization. No stockholders. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. 12. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes, a., have not changed during preceding 12 months. 13. Publication: Reform Judaism. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Fall 2013. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: A. Total No. Copies: 279,097. B. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Mailed Outside County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 269,350. (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 0. (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 8,721. (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS: 79. C. Total Paid Distribution: 278,150. D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0. (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0. (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS: 223. (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: 700. E. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 923. F. Total Distribution: 279,073. G. Copies Not Distributed: 24. H. Total: 279,097. I. Percent Paid: 99.67%. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date. A. Total No. Copies: 277,747. B. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Mailed Outside County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 267,825. (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 0. (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 8,827. (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS: 82. C. Total Paid Distribution: 276,734. D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0. (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0. (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS: 306. (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: 647. E. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 953. F. Total Distribution: 277,687. G. Copies Not Distributed: 60. H. Total: 277,747. I. Percent Paid: 99.66%. 16. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete: Joy Weinberg, Managing Editor.
winter 2013
9/24/13 12:07 AM