Sunday, July 28 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Final day to see The Guiding Hand: The Barr Foundation Collection of Torah Pointers.
Interfaith CincinnatiInterfaith CincinnatiSunday, July 28 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Final day to see The Guiding Hand: The Barr Foundation Collection of Torah Pointers.
Thursday, July 16 from 12 to 1 p.m.
Enjoy an illustrated lecture with Skirball curatorial consultant Abby Schwartz about the history of the Torah pointer in Jewish practice and the artistry of this tiny instrument across the world and over thousands of years. The program includes a visit to the exhibition.
Reservations required.
Thursday, June 6 from 12 to 1 p.m.
Join Skirball curatorial consultant Abby Schwartz and collections manager and preparator Sheri Besso for an informal light lunch and conversation about the challenges of mounting this exhibition and the craftsmanship of these objects of material culture that are at once tools of devotion and exquisite works of art. The program includes a visit to the exhibition.
Reservations required.
Sunday, May 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join Cincinnati artist Judith Serling-Sturm for a hands-on workshop to create your own Torah pointer, or yad. Serling-Sturm, who works in her Pendelton Arts Center Studio, is a mixed-media artist and maker of artist books, handmade blank books, as well as sculpture and one-of-a-kind mezuzot made from natural elements and found objects. A mezuzah is a vessel containing a scroll that is traditionally hung on the doorpost of a Jewish home. Serling-Sturm has conducted workshops for adults and teens throughout the Cincinnati region. The workshop will include a guided tour of the exhibition.
This program is open to adults and children 14 years and older. Space is limited.
Reservations required.
Be dazzled by over 100 antique and contemporary Torah pointers, known by the Hebrew word yad for hand. The yad is used to keep one’s place in the Torah scroll, the central text of the Jewish faith, which is densely hand-written in Hebrew. Created by artists from different ages and cultures and made of diverse materials including wood, precious metals, jewels, ceramics, paper, and more, these yads chronicle the timeless, universal aesthetic guide in reading the Torah. The collection was formed by Virginia resident Clay H. Barr, who began collecting Torah pointers nearly three decades ago in memory of her late husband, Jay D.A. Barr. In addition to acquiring pointers that represent the historic forms of the object, she continues to commission creative new yads from contemporary artists such as Tobi Kahn, Wendell Castle, and Albert Paley. Transcending religious iconography, this exhibition appeals to all who appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of fine art.
All events below will take place at Mayerson Hall, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH. A live stream option is also available by registering through links below.
Opening Night Reception: Reservation Suggested
Be dazzled by over 100 antique and contemporary Torah pointers, known by the Hebrew word yad for hand. The yad is used to keep one’s place in the Torah scroll, the central text of the Jewish faith, which is densely hand-written in Hebrew. Created by artists from different ages and cultures and made of diverse materials including wood, precious metals, jewels, ceramics, paper, and more, these yads chronicle the timeless, universal aesthetic guide in reading the Torah. The collection was formed by Virginia resident Clay H. Barr, who began collecting Torah pointers nearly three decades ago in memory of her late husband, Jay D.A. Barr. In addition to acquiring pointers that represent the historic forms of the object, she continues to commission creative new yads from contemporary artists such as Tobi Kahn, Wendell Castle, and Albert Paley. Transcending religious iconography, this exhibition appeals to all who appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of fine art.
All events below will take place at Mayerson Hall, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH. A live stream option is also available by registering through links below.