Derfner Judaica Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1982 |
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| Public transit access | Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line at Riverdale New York City Subway:  train at Van Cortlandt Park–242nd StreetNew York City Bus: Bx9 Bee-Line Bus System: BL1, BL2, BL3 |
The Derfner Judaica Museum is a special place in New York City. It is a cultural and learning center. The museum shows exhibitions about Jewish history and modern Jewish culture. You can find it in the Jacob Reingold Pavilion. This building is on the grounds of The Hebrew Home at Riverdale. This area is in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
The Judaica Museum started in 1982. This happened when Ralph and Leuba Baum, who lived in Riverdale, gave their collection to The Hebrew Home. Their collection included many pieces of Jewish ceremonial art. Ralph Baum had experienced difficult times in Europe. He and his wife, Leuba, wanted to make sure that the memories linked to their collected items would live on. Most of these items were used by Jewish people in Europe a long time ago. In 2008, the museum was named after Helen and Harold Derfner. They were important supporters of the museum.
A New Home for the Museum
The Derfner Judaica Museum moved to a new, bigger space in 2009. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs helped fund this move. The new museum space was designed by architect Louise Braverman. It is about 5,000 square feet in size. This new area is also in the Jacob Reingold Pavilion. It is a main spot for many educational programs and exhibitions. These programs are for residents of The Hebrew Home and for the public. There is also another exhibition space nearby. This is called the Elma and Milton A. Gilbert Pavilion Gallery.
Exploring Museum Exhibitions
The first exhibition at the museum was called Tradition and Remembrance: Treasures of the Derfner Judaica Museum. This show looked at how Jewish history and memory connect. It told the stories of objects used in Jewish traditions. It showed how memory helps shape who we are as individuals and as a community.
Special Objects on Display
Some of the cool objects in the first exhibition included a silver vase from around 1911. There was also an old copper Hanukkah lamp. These items came from the famous Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. This art school was started in Jerusalem in 1906. Artists from the Bezalel school mixed different styles. They used ideas from their surroundings, old traditions, and new inventions. Their art often showed themes from the Bible. It also included Islamic designs and European styles. They wanted to create a unique Jewish art style for their new nation.
Other items in the museum come from many places. For example, there are 18th-century German Torah tools from Meerholz, Germany. There is also a special velvet matzah cover from Jerusalem. This cover has a fish-scale design.
Unique and Changing Shows
The museum often changes its exhibitions. These shows use items from its collection of over 1,000 objects. The museum also shows Jewish art and items from other private collections. They also feature art from other museums and art schools. One interesting exhibition was called "Culture as Commodity." This show displayed different Jewish-related items. These included Israeli Coca-Cola T-shirts. These items were bought from eBay and other online auction sites.
The Art Collection at The Hebrew Home
The Hebrew Home at Riverdale also has a large art collection. It includes over 4,500 paintings, prints, photos, and sculptures. You can see modern works by artists like Alex Katz, Ben Shahn, and Andy Warhol. There are also Native American ceremonial art pieces and African sculptures. The art collection has rotating exhibitions. These shows feature works by both well-known and new artists. The grounds of the Home also have one of New York City’s few outdoor sculpture gardens. New contemporary art exhibitions are set up every 6 to 8 weeks.
