Hidden Treasures Workshops
An introduction to Jewish ritual objects
Thursday 14 November 2024, 2-4pm GMT / 3-5pm CET (online)
Jewish ritual objects give us insights into the cultural and religious life of Jews and often appear in archival material. Join us for this session with the curator of the Judaica Index for an expert guide to the different ritual objects you may discover in your archive or find reference to in Jewish materials.
We will look at scrolls, Torah ornaments and synagogue textiles all made of different material. We will learn from these objects about various religious traditions (from Germany to Syria), about craftsmanship and artistic styles, and about ritual use and practice. We will also discuss provenance research and displaying ritual Judaica.
Dr Brigitte Sion, curator of the Judaica Index and Grants Manager for Museums, Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe
Christina Meri, Dr Katia Guth-Dreyfus Curator, Jewish Museum of Switzerland
Past workshops:
Jewish terminology for cataloguing
Take a look at the Jewish material in your collection and it’s likely to contain unique terminology relating to Judaism, Jewish history or the Hebrew language. In this session, we’ll talk about the challenges faced when creating catalogue entries for Jewish material, with two experts in the field to give advice and guidance on navigating Jewish terminology. Whether it’s references to ritual practice, changing place names, out-dated search terms, differences in spelling and transliteration or awareness of Holocaust-related “perpetrator language”, we’ll discuss how the right subject headings and access points can help make your Jewish material more accessible and relevant to users.
Dr Gabor Kadar, director, Yerusha and the Endangered Jewish Community Archives initiative
Michelle Margolis, Norman E. Alexander Librarian for Jewish Studies, Columbia University