Stolen Judaica
Provenance Research in Israel and Germany
Specialist Symposium (video and audio recordings available, in German and English)
The Jewish Museum Berlin and the New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum Foundation held a two-day international symposium on Stolen Judaica – Provenance Research in Israel and Germany. In specialist lectures, workshops, and an evening event, research exploring the origins of Jewish ceremonial objects (Judaica), exclusively in Israel and Germany, took center stage for the first time.
recordings available
Where
Jewish Museum Berlin, Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin
and New Synagogue Berlin– Centrum Judaicum Foundation, Oranienburger Str. 28-30, 10117 Berlin
The symposium aimed to provide an overview of methodological approaches and experiences in provenance research in the area of Judaica, thereby creating a basis from which to further develop this branch of research. Speakers from Israel and Germany gave practical reports on their handling of Judaica finds.
Especially small regional museums and collections containing suspicious objects were encouraged to participate in the symposium in order to learn more about recognizing Judaica objects and how to approach their provenance.
Damaged Hanukkah lamp with missing parts, Germany, Late 19th – early 20th century; photo (c) The Israel Museum, Jerusalem by Yair Hovav
Damaged Hanukkah lamp with missing parts, Germany, Late 19th – early 20th century; photo (c) The Israel Museum, Jerusalem by Yair Hovav
Recordings of the Lectures
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Introduction by Léontine Meijer-van Mensch and Keynote Lecture:
Michal S. Friedlander: The Judaica Blind Spot – Nazi-Era Provenance Research in Germany and the “Problem” of Jewish Ceremonial Objects -
Dr. Anna-Carolin Augustin: Judaica Provenance Research Using the Example of the Zvi Sofer Collection – Opportunities and Challenges in Practice, in German
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Dr. Jutta Dick und Uri Faber: “But alas! Foxes entered G-d's temple on the 16th of (Mar)cheshvan 5699 [9 -10 November, 1938]”, in German
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Sharon Weiser-Ferguson: Taking Another Look: Rethinking Provenance Research at the Israel Museum
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Sara Shor: Ceremonial Objects from the Jewish Home: Case Studies from Yad Vashem’s Artifacts Collection
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Alexander Sachse: Jump-Starting Provenance Research: the “First Check” Project in Brandenburg, in German
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Christine Bach M.A.: “Origin Uncertain, Origin Known”: Judaica in Non-State Museums in Bavaria, in German
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Dr. Carolin Lange: Judaica as Accidental Spoils of the Confiscation of Jewish Archive Material, in German
Introduction by Léontine Meijer-van Mensch and Keynote Lecture:
Michal S. Friedlander: The Judaica Blind Spot – Nazi-Era Provenance Research in Germany and the “Problem” of Jewish Ceremonial Objects
Dr. Jutta Dick und Uri Faber: “But alas! Foxes entered G-d's temple on the 16th of (Mar)cheshvan 5699 [9 -10 November, 1938]”, in German
Alexander Sachse: Jump-Starting Provenance Research: the “First Check” Project in Brandenburg, in German
Christine Bach M.A.: “Origin Uncertain, Origin Known”: Judaica in Non-State Museums in Bavaria, in German
Conference Program
Monday 18 June 2018
Specialist Symposium at the Jewish Museum Berlin
| 10.30 am |
Registration and Coffee |
|---|---|
| 11.30 am |
Words of WelcomeLéontine Meijer-van Mensch (Program Director, Jewish Museum Berlin) |
| 11.40 am |
The Judaica Blind Spot – Nazi-Era Provenance Research in Germany and the “Problem” of Jewish Ceremonial ObjectsMichal S. Friedlander (Curator of Judaica and Applied Arts, Jewish Museum Berlin) |
| 12.15 am - 1.15 pm |
Judaica Provenance Research in Germany |
|---|---|
Judaica Provenance Research Using the Example of the Zvi Sofer Collection – Opportunities and Challenges in PracticeDr. Anna-Carolin Augustin (Provenance Researcher, Jewish Museum Berlin) |
|
“But alas! Foxes entered G-d's temple on the 16th of (Mar)cheshvan 5699 [9 -10 November, 1938]”Dr. Jutta Dick (Director, Foundation Moses Mendelssohn Academy) and Uri Faber (Provenance Researcher, Foundation Moses Mendelssohn Academy) |
| 1.15 - 2.45 pm |
Lunch Break |
|---|
| 2.45 - 3.45 pm |
Judaica Provenance Research in Israel |
|---|---|
Taking Another Look: Rethinking Provenance Research at the Israel MuseumSharon Weiser-Ferguson (Curator, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem) |
|
Ceremonial Objects from the Jewish Home: Case Studies from Yad Vashem's Artifacts CollectionSara Shor (Collection Manager, Artifacts Collection, Yad Vashem Museum) |
| 3.45 - 4 pm |
Coffee Break |
|---|
| 4 - 5.30 pm |
“First Check”: The Search for Judaica in German State and Regional Museums |
|---|---|
Jump-Starting Provenance Research: the “First Check” Project in BrandenburgAlexander Sachse (Academic Consultant, Association of Brandenburg Museums) |
|
“Origin Uncertain, Origin Known”: Judaica in Non-State Museums in BavariaChristine Bach M.A. (Provenance Researcher, Office for Non-State Museums in Bavaria) |
|
Judaica as Accidental Spoils of the Confiscation of Jewish Archive MaterialDr. Carolin Lange (Provenance Researcher, Office for Non-State Museums in Bavaria) |
Download the Conference Program
Download (PDF / 1.41 MB / not accessible)Public Evening Event at the New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum Foundation
| 6.30 pm |
Admission |
|---|---|
| 7.30 pm |
Words of WelcomeModeration: Dr. Anja Siegemund (Director, New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum Foundation) Staatsministerin Prof. Monika Grütters MdB (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the German Lost Art Foundation) S.E. Jeremy Issacharoff (Ambassador of the State of Israel) |
| 7.45 pm |
The Current Debate on Provenance and Commemoration in Germany and IsraelProf. Dr. Yfaat Weiss (Director, Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture – Simon Dubnow; Professor at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem) PD Dr. Christian Fuhrmeister (Research Fellow, Central Institute for Art History, Munich) |
| 8.10 pm |
Musical Interlude |
| 8.30 pm |
Round-Table: Judaica Provenance Research – Looking AheadDr. Günter Winands (Ministerial Director and Head of Office at the Federal Government Commission for Culture and the Media) Prof. Dr. Gilbert Lupfer (Honorary Board Member, German Lost Art Foundation) Dr. Chana Schütz (Deputy Director and Head of the Research Department, New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum Foundation) Moderation: Léontine Meijer-van Mensch (Program Director, Jewish Museum Berlin) |
| 9.30 pm |
Reception with Buffet |
Tuesday 19 June 2018
Specialist Workshops at the Jewish Museum Berlin
| 10 am |
Welcome Coffee in the W. Michael Blumenthal Academy of the Jewish Museum Berlin |
|---|---|
| 10.30 am - 12 noon |
Object Workshop: Jewish Ceremonial Objects for Newcomers (Auditorium, Old Building)Michal S. Friedlander (Curator of Judaica and Applied Arts, Jewish Museum Berlin) Practical Workshop: An Introduction to Provenance Research Practices (Archive Seminar Room, Academy)Dr. Carolin Lange und Christine Bach M.A. (Provenance Researchers, Office for Non-State Museums in Bavaria) Alternatively: Guided Tour of the Exhibition Welcome to Jerusalem |
| 12 noon - 1 pm |
Lunch Break |
| 1.30 - 3 pm |
Object Workshop: Jewish Ceremonial Objects for Newcomers (Repetition) (Auditorium, Old Building)Michal S. Friedlander (Curator of Judaica and Applied Arts, Jewish Museum Berlin) Archive Workshop: Judaica Provenance Research at the Jewish Museum Berlin Archive (Archive Seminar Room, Academy)Aubrey Pomerance (Head of Archives, Jewish Museum Berlin) Alternatively: Guided Tour of the Jewish Museum Berlin Library |
Judaica recovered by the Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc. (JCR) in storage at The Jewish Museum NY. The organization was established in 1947 to collect „heirless Jewish property“ in the American occupied zone of Germany. The JCR was based in Offenbach and later in Wiesbaden. These „orphaned objects“ were distributed to Jewish institutions worldwide; more than 3000 Judaica objects were sent to Israel. Photo: bpk/The Jewish Museum of New York/Art Resource N.Y.
Judaica recovered by the Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc. (JCR) in storage at The Jewish Museum NY. The organization was established in 1947 to collect „heirless Jewish property“ in the American occupied zone of Germany. The JCR was based in Offenbach and later in Wiesbaden. These „orphaned objects“ were distributed to Jewish institutions worldwide; more than 3000 Judaica objects were sent to Israel. Photo: bpk/The Jewish Museum of New York/Art Resource N.Y.
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Stolen Judaica
Provenance Research in Israel and GermanyIn this symposium, research that explores the origins of Jewish ceremonial objects exclusively in Israel and Germany, took center stage for the first time, in German and English
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Watch Past Museum Events
We film select events, such as conferences, panel discussions, book presentations, and our lecture series.
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About a Tea Bowl
Discussion with brief presentations about interwoven experiences of post-Soviet Jewish migration, in German
Lecture/Discussion
27 Nov 2019 -
Ruth Wodak: Swing to the right?!
Ruth Wodak traces how a new “normality to the right” is establishing itself in many European countries, in German
W. Michael Blumenthal Lecture
17 October 2019 -
Karl M. von der Heyden: From Berlin to New York
In his book Karl M. von der Heyden describes his experiences as a child and youth in war-torn Germany and his journey to the USA, where he rose to the boardrooms of Pepsi and Dreamworks, in German
Reading/Discussion
29 Aug 2019 -
“To Know One Religion Is to Know None”
W. Michael Blumenthal Fellow Walid Abdelgawad talks about reflections on Islam and Judaism in the writings of German-speaking Jewish orientalists between 1833 and 1955, in German
Lecture/Discussion
28 Aug 2019 -
Museums, Religion, and the Work of Reconciliation and Remembrance
with the curators Jisgang Nika Collision (Haida Gwaii Museum, Haida Nation & Canada) and Léontine Meijer-van Mensch (Saxonian State Ethnographic Collections)
Lecture/Discussion
9 May 2019 -
Access Barriers. Critical Perspectives on Racism in Schools and Curatorial Practices
Keynote by Bonita Bennett (District Six Museum, Cape Town) at the conference Access Barriers on museums as places of social change.
Lecture/Discussion
20 Mar 2019 -
The Laskers from Breslau (Wrocław) – A Family Reunion in Music and Words
Cellist and contemporary witness Anita Lasker Wallfisch shares the stage with three generations of her family for the first time
Reading/Concert
27 Jan 2019 -
Happy Birthday, Academy Programs!
Welcoming Remarks and Introducing the Academy Programs | Discussion with Performance: Archive of Life. Memory in a Society Shaped by Migration | Panel Discussion: Jewish Fathers – Jewish Children? | Panel Discussion: A Pre-fascist Era? | Reception: 5 Years – 5 Friends – 5 Gifts
Video Recording
2 Dec 2018 -
Polish Perspectives on '68: March Protests
In Poland, the student protests were co-opted by an antisemitic rampage that resulted in 13,000 Jews being forced to leave the country, in German and Polish
Event
22 Nov 2018 -
Living with Islamophobia
The international conference Living with Islamophobia considered how cultural and religious affiliations are constructed and invited experts to enter into discussion.
Conference
11 + 12 Oct 2018 -
Michael Sfard: The Jerusalem Dispute. The Fight for Human Rights in Israeli Courts
Lecture by Michael Sfard, one of Israel’s leading human rights lawyers
Lecture/Discussion
6 Sep 2018 -
Imported Antisemitism?
Is Antisemitism increasing with the number of refugees from Arab countries? We discuss with political, academic, and practical experts which manifestations of antisemitism among Arab migrants and Muslims in Germany exist, in German
Lecture/Discussion
30 Aug 2018 -
Seyla Benhabib: The Global Refugee Crisis and the Challenge to Liberal Democracies
Seyla Benhabib (Yale University) discusses the challenges migration poses to liberal democracies
Lecture/Discussion
26 Jun 2018 -
Stolen Judaica. Provenance Research in Israel and Germany
In this symposium, research that explores the origins of Jewish ceremonial objects exclusively in Israel and Germany, took center stage for the first time, in German and English
Conference
18/19 Jun 2018 -
Ongoing Struggles. Anti-Discrimination Work during the Rise of the Far Right
Opening Session of the academic conference, including Imani Perry's keynote “What Lies Underneath: Difficult Histories and the Resurgence of The Far Right”
Conference
7 Jun 2018 -
Lives in Common: Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem
Author Menachem Klein in Conversation with Cilly Kugelmann
Reading/Discussion
8 May 2018 -
What is the Relationship Between Antisemitism and Islamophobia?
Lectures by David Feldman and Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, in German and English
Lecture/Discussion
20 Mar 2018 -
The Book of Numbers
Reading and talk with the author Joshua Cohen and literary scholar Jan Wilm, in English and German
Reading/Discussion
12 Feb 2018 -
New Judaism – Alliances in Postmigrant Society
Discussion on concepts of being Jewish within the third generation of Jews in Germany, in German and English
Lecture/Discussion
16 Nov 2017 -
Jews in Muslim Majority Countries
International conference for scholars from different continents and academic disciplines, who discuss questions of culture, identity and memory of Jewish life in Arab and Muslim majority countries.
Conference
24 to 27 Oct 2017 -
Future Memories
Discussion on the Importance of Minority Perspectives for European Societies’ Commemorative Cultures, in German and English
Lecture/Discussion
26 Sep 2017 -
Luther, Rosenzweig, and the Script
Book presentation and discussion with Micha Brumlik, Walter Homolka, Christoph Kasten, Irmela von der Lühe, and Gesine Palmer , in German
Reading/Discussion
18 Sep 2017 -
Between the Lines
An evening with Israeli and German poets, in Hebrew and German
Reading/Discussion
9 Sep 2017 -
Religion. Fashion. Empowerment.
Discussion with Reina Lewis and Meriem Lebdiri, in English and German
Lecture/Discussion
29 Jun 2017 -
José Casanova: Secularisation or the Return of Religion?
Discussion on the Relationship Between Religion and Secularity in European Societies, in German
Lecture/Discussion
16 Mar 2017 -
Jews in North Africa During the Second World War
Theme day with lectures by Michel Abitbol, Eric Salerno, Patrick Bernhard, Haim Saadoun, and panel discussion
Language: German, English, and FrenchLecture/Discussion
26 Jan 2017 -
Sites of Memory: Lost and Entangled Narratives
With: Dr. Rosa Fava, Juliane Jurewicz, Prof. Dr. Iman Attia, Olga Gerstenberger, Ozan Keskinkiliç, Anita Awosusi, Ilona Lagrene, Prof. Dr. Michael Rothberg, and Serpil Polat
Language: German and English, no subtitlesConference
16 Sep 2016 -
Time of Crisis
With: Dan Diner, Adam Michnik, Dietmar Herz, Étienne François, and Hans Kundnani
Language: German, no subtitlesDiscussion
7 Sep 2016 -
Antisemitism in the Arabic World – Facts and Myths
With: Michael Kiefer and Omar Kamil
Language: German, no subtitlesLecture/Discussion
26 Apr 2016 -
Post-migrant Society?!
International conference from 12 to 14 November 2015
Recording of the opening event
Language: German and English, no subtitlesConference
12–14 Nov 2015 -
On Life – Working with People Traumatized by the Shoah
With: Giselle Cycowicz, Martin Auerbach and David Becker and Volker Beck
Language: German, no subtitlesLecture/Discussion
1 Oct 2015 -
Kill Me a Son!
Recording of the opening event
With: Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer and Prof. Dr. Angelika Neuwirth
Language: German, no subtitlesSymposium
3–4 Sep 2015 -
A Shared View of Europe – Jewish and Muslim Experiences as Reflected in Public Controversies
Panel discussion
With: Prof. Nilüfer Göle, Shai Lavi and Gökçe Yurdakul
Language: English, no subtitlesPanel Discussion
19 Jan 2015 -
Contemporary Jewish life in a global modernity
International conference
Recording of the presentation “Future of European Jewry”
With: Dr. Karen Körber and Dr. Diana Pinto
Language: English, no subtitlesConference
11–12 Dec 2014 -
Snip it?!
Presentation of a study followed by a discussion, in German
With: Professor Kerem Öktem, Mounir Azzaoui, Dr. des. Alexander Hasgall, and Dr. des. Hannah C. Tzuberi.Lecture/Discussion
4 Dec 2014 -
A Rebbe for the World
On the 20th Yahrzeit of Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Introductions by Cilly Kugelmann and Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal and lecture by Joseph Telushkin, in German and English
Lecture/Discussion
1 Jul 2014 -
Concepts of Citizenship and Participation in European Comparison
Recording of the keynote by Prof. Dr. Rainer Bauböck and the followed panel discussion
With: Prof. Dr. Rainer Bauböck, Dr. Manuela Bojadžijev, Josip Juratovic and Dr. Monika Lüke
Language: German, no subtitlesConference
7–8 Apr 2014 -
Art and Culture in the Terezín Ghetto
In four lectures, the symposium explores the history of Theresienstadt, the “ghetto of exceptions,” from four different angles.
With: Wolfgang Benz, Anna Hájková and Hanno Loewy
Language: German, no subtitles
Conference
2 Mar 2014 -
The Connected Audience
Conference from 27 February 2014 to 28 February 2014
With: John H. Falk
Language: English, no subtitlesConference
27 Feb 2014 -
Is Higher Education a Safeguard Against Racism and Antisemitism?
Presentation of a study followed by panel discussion
With: Wassilis Kassis, Charlotte Schallié, Iman Attia, Stefanie Schüler-Springorum and Andreas Zick
Language: German, no subtitlesLecture/Discussion
20 Feb 2014 -
“What do we mean when we say ‘antisemitism’?”
Keynote lecture, opening the conference Antisemitism in Europe Today: the Phenomena, the Conflicts With: Brian Klug, in English
Lecture/Discussion
8 Nov 2013 -
Circumcision: Identity Politics and / or Health Issue?
With: Sander L. Gilman, in Englisch
Lecture/Discussion
8 May 2013
