Judaism in art

These eclectic buildings embody the close ties between Muslim, Jewish, and Christian cultures in medieval Spain.

Medieval synagogues in Toledo, Spain

Diarna digitally documents endangered Jewish sites—like this historic shrine near Damascus, now razed.

Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, Jobar (Syria)

This tiny book tells the complex story of the conflict between Christians and Jews in the Old and New Worlds.

The manuscripts of Luis de Carvajal

This Hebrew book copies an Arabic text that itself began life as a work of classical Greek philosophy.

Book of Morals of Philosophers

Altneushul synagogue, Prague — In the “Old New Synagogue,” desks surround a Torah plaform. Text outweighs image—only plants ornament the space.

Altneushul, Prague

Relief panel with The Spoils of Jerusalem Being Brought into Rome, Arch of Titus, Rome, after 81 C.E., marble, 7'10" high — The emperor Titus sacked the temple in Jerusalem and looted its most holy treasures.

The Spoils of Jerusalem, Arch of Titus

Moses and Aaron come before Pharaoh, from the Golden Haggadah, c. 1320, Northern Spain, probably Barcelona (British Library, MS. 27210, fol. 1o verso) — No splashes of wine stain this luxurious book! Its 56 miniatures illustrate the story of Passover.

The Golden Haggadah

The Zodiac, mosaic floor, Beit Alpha Synagogue, early 6th century (Beit Alpha National Park, Israel) — Long ignored by historians, Jewish architecture employs a rich formal language that melds local styles.

Writing a history of Jewish architecture

Ben Shahn, Allegory, 1948, tempera on panel, 36-1/8 x 48-1/8 inches (Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth) — Lacking any unifying authority, doctrine, or practice, Judaism is highly diverse.

Jewish history in the post-war period

Torah Crown, 1698-99, Bolzano, Italy (The Jewish Museum, New York) “Originally dedicated to an Italian synagogue in 1698/99, this crown was later plundered during a Russian pogrom and then recovered. It became part of the collection of the Great Synagogue of Danzig in the early 20th century. In 1939, it was sent to the Jewish Theological seminary in New York for safekeeping when the Nazis' rise to power forced the Danzig Jewish community to disband.” — […]

Jewish history 1750 to WW II

Panel from a Torah Shrine from the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, 11th century, wood (walnut) with traces of paint and gilt, 87.3 x 36.7 cm (The Walters Art Museum). — After the Roman world embraced Christianity, Jews faced persecution, mob violence, and Crusaders.

Jewish history to the middle ages