MEETINGS

Upcoming Events

  • Abigail Rapoport, "The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt"

    Sunday, April 27, 2025

    **this event is now full

    This is an in-person meeting and will take place at the Jewish Museum. Space is limited and open to Friedman Society members only, RSVP required.

  • Daniela Schmid & Domagoj Akrap, "G*d. Reflections Between Heaven and Earth"

    Sunday, May 18, 2025, 10:00AM

    This is a virtual presentation on Zoom

 Past Events


Moldovan Symposium
Mar
10

Moldovan Symposium

Moldovan Symposium

Sunday, March 10, 2024, 9:30AM

The theme of the symposium this year will be “War & Memory in Jewish Material Culture.” Shalom Sabar will speak on "Souvenirs of the Six-Day War as Conveyors of Socio-Historical Messages from the Past to Modern Israel'' view recording here

Rabbi Joseph Topek will speak on “Beyond the Civil War: Memory and Iconography in Early American Jewish Veteran Culture.” view recording here

This was an in person meeting at the Center for Jewish History: 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011.

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Julie-Marthe Cohen, "Beyond Description: The Multilayered Meanings of Jewish Ritual Textiles"
Mar
19

Julie-Marthe Cohen, "Beyond Description: The Multilayered Meanings of Jewish Ritual Textiles"

Julie-Marthe Cohen, Curator of Cultural History at the Jewish Historical Museum of Amsterdam will speak about how Jewish ritual textiles represent a rich cultural and social historical source when studied beyond their physical appearance, illustrating this by showing a number of Dutch Jewish textiles of the collection of the Jewish Museum in Amsterdam. Amsterdam Portuguese Jewish Torah mantles, for example, display a unique form, which not only clearly differs from that of other Dutch Ashkenazi Torah mantles, but reveal specific deeper cultural meanings . This will be a virtual (Zoom) event only.

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J. H. (Yossi) Chajes, "The Kabbalistic Tree"
Feb
12

J. H. (Yossi) Chajes, "The Kabbalistic Tree"

The meeting will be in person at The Jewish Museum (1109 Fifth Avenue at East 92nd Street).

 J. H. (Yossi) Chajes, Wolfson Professor of Jewish Thought in the Department of Jewish History at the University of Haifa will speak on "The Kabbalistic Tree", based upon his recently published book of this title. Professor Chajes is the preeminent authority on the Kabbalistic custom of Ilanot, the genre of graphic tree-like displays on parchment rolls as aides to visualizing kabbalistic understanding that were created and used by rabbis since the fourteenth century for study and contemplation. He will present the history of Jewish kabbalah generally but with a particular emphasis on one of its most striking material manifestations, the Kabbalistic ilan or tree, a graphic form that promoted and facilitated engagement with kabbalah. Chajes’s book is the first study published about this material. After the meeting, Professor Chajes will be happy to autograph copies of his book which will be available for purchase in the Jewish Museum bookstore.

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Sotheby's Tour : The Halpern Judaica Collection
Dec
11

Sotheby's Tour : The Halpern Judaica Collection

Members of the Harry G. Friedman Society are invited to a private tour of the exhibition for the Sotheby's Judaica auction of The Halpern Judaica Collection led by John D. Ward, Sharon Mintz and Shaul Seidler-Feller. 

Anyone who wishes to attend should please RSVP to info@harrygfriedmansociety.org  by Thursday, December 8th.  This is an in person event only, RSVP required. It will take place at Sotheby’s: 1334 York Avenue.

https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/the-halpern-judaica-collection-tradition-and-treasure-part-i?locale=en

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Shalom Sabar, “Baghdadi Jewry and their Customs”
Sep
18

Shalom Sabar, “Baghdadi Jewry and their Customs”

Present day Iraq, historically ancient Babylonia, boasted a substantial Jewish presence from the time of Ezra the Scribe, but virtually no relics of its ancient and medieval Jewry have survived. Skilled Jewish silversmiths from the 18th to 20th centuries, made Baghdad an important center within the Islamic world for the production of such Jewish ritual objects as Torah cases and amulets. These objects and their relationship to Jewish traditions and practices will be discussed and illustrated.

This lecture will be held at the Center for Jewish History: 15 West 16th Street. Proof of vaccination required for entry.

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