A Is for Jewish
Journeys through Now in 22 Letters
Music and youth culture, commemoration and traditions, languages and homeland – 22 impressions depicted the everyday life of secular and religious, long-established and newly arrived Jews in Germany.
Using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the exhibition explored keywords, concepts, and what is “Jewish” in Germany today. In the process, light was shed on very different aspects of the German-Jewish present and perceptions of norms were critically examined.
past exhibition
Where
Libeskind Building, lower level, Rafael Roth Gallery
Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin
Sample a Few Stations from the Exhibition
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א
For the first letter, “Aleph” the exhibition was dedicated to the “aleph-bet” itself, for example, with Victoria Hanna’s video art Twenty Two Letters, Israel, 2015; copyright: Victoria Hanna. -
ב
In the exhibition, “Bet” stood for bat mitzvah. The photo shows Mussi Bistritzky during her bat mitzvah speech. Her father, Shlomo Bistritzky (an orthodox Landesrabbiner of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, as well as leader of the Hamburg Chabad Center), is adjusting the microphone; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Gesche M. Cordes. -
ד
The letter “Daled” stood for “disintegration” which describes a provocative movement of a new generation of Jewish artists who no longer want to be considered victims by German remembrance culture. Postcard from the festival “Disintegration: A Congress for Contemporary Jewish Positions” at Studio Я of the Maxim Gorki Theater in Mai 2016; conception Max Czollek, Sasha Marianna; design: Deniz Keskin -
נ
Who knows the “Jewrovision?” – for the keyword “Youth,” the exhibition presented the largest Jewish song and dance competition for children and young people, at which around 1,200 participants presented their interpretation of the Jewish Circle of Life at the beginning of 2018. Kippot memorabilia Jewrovision 2018; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März. -
ק
For the letter “Kuph,” the exhibition explored the topic of weddings. It also playfully reinterpreted the museological concept of the “contact zone”: the Jewish Museum as a place where visitors can encounter the love of life—as the musician Daniel Kahn and his wife Ewa Lapsker did; they also held their wedding here at the museum. The kippah containing seeds (pictured) is from the wedding of Katarina and Rachel; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März. -
ר
Along with new ideas brought by Russian-speaking immigrants, Jews who have long been based here were also part of the exhibition. This photo by the famous photographer Leonard Freed from our photography collection (more at our website) belonged to the letter “Resh” because the couple’s last name is “Rubinstein.” Leonard Freed, A Young Jewish Couple from Düsseldorf. From the series “German Jews Today,” Düsseldorf 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin -
ת
For the last letter of the “aleph-bet,” “Tav,” the exhibition engaged with the Torah, for example, with the installation bios [torah] by the artist collective robotlab, in which a robot wrote a Torah here in the museum in 2014/2015 (read more on the installation); photo: robotlab. -
As this view of the exhibition A Is for Jewish shows, there were many more informative and entertaining stations. In the letter כ (“Kaph”) for “kosher,” for example, you could find a vending machine with kosher gummi bears (for the meaning of the term “kosher,” see the topic “Kashrut” on our website); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Yves Sucksdorff.
-
ה
Young Russian-speaking Jews have drawn their Berlin on four mental maps. The maps are part of a PhD thesis entitled Generation "kosher light". Alina Gromova from Academy Programs introduces you to the letter "He", which stood for "Home" in the exhibition; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German) -
ט
“Tet” is the ninth letter of the Alef-Bet. What role does its numerical value 9 have in the Jewish culture of remembrance? This question is answered by Alina Gromova from the Academy Programs in the video; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German) -
מ
At the letter "Mem" the exhibition was about the mitzvot, the commandments in Judaism. In this video, Miriam Goldmann, curator of the exhibition, introduces you to the station; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German) -
ר
At the exhibition station on the letter "Resch" was also displayed a photograph from 2018. On it, the Rubinstein couple recreated the photo from 1961. Theresia Ziehe, curator of photography, tells how the photo was taken; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German) -
ת
The letter “Taw” is also part of our digital tour through the exhibition. In this video, Miriam Goldmann, curator of the exhibition, gives you some background on the Torah scroll written by a robot and introduces the painting Mes amies et moi by Barbara Honigmann; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German)
א
For the first letter, “Aleph” the exhibition was dedicated to the “aleph-bet” itself, for example, with Victoria Hanna’s video art Twenty Two Letters, Israel, 2015; copyright: Victoria Hanna.
ב
In the exhibition, “Bet” stood for bat mitzvah. The photo shows Mussi Bistritzky during her bat mitzvah speech. Her father, Shlomo Bistritzky (an orthodox Landesrabbiner of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, as well as leader of the Hamburg Chabad Center), is adjusting the microphone; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Gesche M. Cordes.
ד
The letter “Daled” stood for “disintegration” which describes a provocative movement of a new generation of Jewish artists who no longer want to be considered victims by German remembrance culture. Postcard from the festival “Disintegration: A Congress for Contemporary Jewish Positions” at Studio Я of the Maxim Gorki Theater in Mai 2016; conception Max Czollek, Sasha Marianna; design: Deniz Keskin
נ
Who knows the “Jewrovision?” – for the keyword “Youth,” the exhibition presented the largest Jewish song and dance competition for children and young people, at which around 1,200 participants presented their interpretation of the Jewish Circle of Life at the beginning of 2018. Kippot memorabilia Jewrovision 2018; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März.
ק
For the letter “Kuph,” the exhibition explored the topic of weddings. It also playfully reinterpreted the museological concept of the “contact zone”: the Jewish Museum as a place where visitors can encounter the love of life—as the musician Daniel Kahn and his wife Ewa Lapsker did; they also held their wedding here at the museum. The kippah containing seeds (pictured) is from the wedding of Katarina and Rachel; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März.
ר
Along with new ideas brought by Russian-speaking immigrants, Jews who have long been based here were also part of the exhibition. This photo by the famous photographer Leonard Freed from our photography collection (more at our website) belonged to the letter “Resh” because the couple’s last name is “Rubinstein.” Leonard Freed, A Young Jewish Couple from Düsseldorf. From the series “German Jews Today,” Düsseldorf 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin
ת
For the last letter of the “aleph-bet,” “Tav,” the exhibition engaged with the Torah, for example, with the installation bios [torah] by the artist collective robotlab, in which a robot wrote a Torah here in the museum in 2014/2015 (read more on the installation); photo: robotlab.
As this view of the exhibition A Is for Jewish shows, there were many more informative and entertaining stations. In the letter כ (“Kaph”) for “kosher,” for example, you could find a vending machine with kosher gummi bears (for the meaning of the term “kosher,” see the topic “Kashrut” on our website); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Yves Sucksdorff.
ה
Young Russian-speaking Jews have drawn their Berlin on four mental maps. The maps are part of a PhD thesis entitled Generation "kosher light". Alina Gromova from Academy Programs introduces you to the letter "He", which stood for "Home" in the exhibition; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German)
ט
“Tet” is the ninth letter of the Alef-Bet. What role does its numerical value 9 have in the Jewish culture of remembrance? This question is answered by Alina Gromova from the Academy Programs in the video; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German)
מ
At the letter "Mem" the exhibition was about the mitzvot, the commandments in Judaism. In this video, Miriam Goldmann, curator of the exhibition, introduces you to the station; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German)
ר
At the exhibition station on the letter "Resch" was also displayed a photograph from 2018. On it, the Rubinstein couple recreated the photo from 1961. Theresia Ziehe, curator of photography, tells how the photo was taken; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German)
ת
The letter “Taw” is also part of our digital tour through the exhibition. In this video, Miriam Goldmann, curator of the exhibition, gives you some background on the Torah scroll written by a robot and introduces the painting Mes amies et moi by Barbara Honigmann; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020. (in German)
The post of a young Israeli who justified his move to Berlin with the cheap chocolate pudding prices at a German discounter made it from Facebook to the museum – and thereby triggered a debate in Israel. And where to find Berlin’s best hummus definitely belongs in a show on the German-Jewish present.
Anyone who is interested in contemporary Jewish culture in Germany of course comes across the new and interesting ideas that the new generation of Russian-speaking Jews bring to the Jewish community.
Russian-Speaking Jews in Germany
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The founders of the band ROTFRONT; photo: Stephan Pramme
Read more -
The author and journalist Dmitrij Kapitelmann; photo: Stephan Pramme
Read more -
Student Julia Kildeeva; photo: Stephan Pramme
Read more -
The film director Tatjana Moutchnik; photo: Stephan Pramme
Read more -
The photographer Valentin Lutset; photo: Stephan Pramme
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Student Greta Zelener; photo: Stephan Pramme
Read more -
The Tattooist Myra Brodsky; photo: Stephan Pramme
Read more -
The photographer Efraim Habermann; photo: Stephan Pramme
Read more -
The cantor Assaf Levitin; photo: Stephan Pramme
Read more
The exhibition was developed with Berlin school students, whose work was on show. At the special request of the students, there was also a “Chill Corner” with four bean-bag chairs and a Jewish pop playlist, as well as six interviews with musicians.
View of the exhibition; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Yves Sucksdorff
Some Videos of our Jewish Music Playlist
Song: Berlin - Tel Aviv [feat. Sophie Hunger]
Artist: Max Herre
Composer: Roberto Di Gioia
Album: MTV Unplugged Kahedi Radio Show (Deluxe Version)
2013
Genre: Rap & Hip-Hop
Song: Beltz, Mayn Shtetele
Artist: Jewdyssee
Composer: Alexander Olschanetzky
Album: 5773
2012
Genre: International
Song: Es gibt nur einen
Artist: Ben Salomo
Composer: Ismail-Hakki Koray
Album: Es gibt nur einen
2013
Genre: Rap & Hip-Hop
Song: Oy Vey
Artist: The Disorientalists
Composer: Yuriy Gurzhy
Text: Yuriy Gurzhy / Daniel Kahn
Album: Who Was Essad Bey?
2016
Genre: Folk
Song: Butterfly Effect
Artist: Sharon
Composer: Dario Allerga, Sharon
Published on: YouTube
2017
Genre: Rap & Hip-Hop
In order to get up-to-date answers to the question “What is Jewish music?”, the students interviewed Jewish musicians. They had conversations with various artists whose music ranged from jazz to cantorial singing and hip-hop.
Jewish musicians answer the question “What is Jewish music?”
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Underestimated and looked at askance - Sharon Suliman reports on her experiences as a woman in the rap business (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
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Musician Daniel Kahn talks about the first Yiddish song he wrote (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
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As a woman cantor in a synagogue? Sveta Kundish tells how she came to the profession and what resistance she encountered along the way (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
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What is post-literate music? Composer Alan Bern explains (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
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For Paul Brody, musical questions are a key to getting to know another person (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
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Ben Salomo on Jewish Power, battle rap and rejection in the rap scene (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, Photo: Stephan Pramme
Underestimated and looked at askance - Sharon Suliman reports on her experiences as a woman in the rap business (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
Musician Daniel Kahn talks about the first Yiddish song he wrote (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
As a woman cantor in a synagogue? Sveta Kundish tells how she came to the profession and what resistance she encountered along the way (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
What is post-literate music? Composer Alan Bern explains (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
For Paul Brody, musical questions are a key to getting to know another person; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Stephan Pramme
Ben Salomo on Jewish Power, battle rap and rejection in the rap scene (in German); Jewish Museum Berlin, Photo: Stephan Pramme
With the support of the Friends of the Jewish Museum Berlin
Exhibition Information at a Glance
- When 26 Nov 2018 to 19 Apr 2020
- Where Libeskind Building, lower level
Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin
See Location on Map - Hashtag #jewstoday
