Jews, Money, Myth @ Jewish Museum London

Jews, Money, Myth
Jewish Museum London
Through 7 July 2019

Jews, Money, Myth, a major exhibition at Jewish Museum London, explores the role of money in Jewish life and its often vexed place in relations between Jews and non-Jews, from the time of Jesus to the 21st century. It examines the origins of some of the longest running and deeply entrenched antisemitic stereotypes: the theological roots of the association of Jews with money; the myths and reality of the medieval Jewish moneylender; and the place of Jews – real and imagined – in commerce, capitalism and finance up to the present day.

This cutting-edge exhibition reflects on over 2,000 years of history, drawing together manuscripts, prints, Jewish ritual and ceremonial objects, art, film, literature and cultural ephemera, from board games and cartoons to costumes and figurines. Exhibits from the museum’s collection are complemented by loans from Europe, North America and Israel. A highlight of the exhibition is Rembrandt van Rijn’s painting, Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver, 1629, an early yet artistically mature work from a private collection that is rarely seen in the UK. Contemporary and newly commissioned artworks, including an archive-based video piece by Jeremy Deller, reflect on the exhibition themes.

The story of Judas Iscariot, betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, widely embraced in Christian iconography as a symbol of self-seeking greed, and which has propelled anti-Jewish stereotypes to this day, forms an important feature of the exhibition. Rare and early artworks spanning almost 500 years reveal the changing representations of this story and shed light on relations between Christians and Jews.

Throughout history there have been both rich and poor Jews. The exhibition shows how Jewish wealth and poverty have been created by circumstances as well as by the activity and acumen of Jews themselves – rather than ‘Jewishness’ itself. Pushed into unpopular economic roles such as usury, some Jews lent money for interest in the Medieval period; Jewish merchants and bankers were drawn to London in the mid-late Seventeenth Century; and tens of thousands came as poor economic migrants in the Eighteenth Century. They improvised a livelihood, begging and peddling cheap goods in town and country. These contrasting roles gave rise to stereotypes that took hold of the public imagination and have shown remarkable longevity: two are easily recognisable in well-known literary characters such as Shakespeare’s money lender Shylock, and Dickens’ Fagin who traded in stolen goods.

Jews, Money, Myth explores how stereotypes linking Jews with money and power evolved in different political contexts and have been exploited for different ends. Nazi propaganda took these old myths to portray Jews as a threat to the world and as ‘the enemy within’ that sought to destroy Germany. The caricature of the powerful, rich Jew continues to inform conspiracy theories and to recur in political propaganda, cartoons, artworks and on social media.

The exhibition explores the social significance and symbolism of money in Jewish life. Ancient Judean coins from the first century BCE highlight their use as an expression of Jewish identity in resisting Roman rule. Ceremonial objects highlight the importance attached to charitable giving. ‘Tzedakah’, the word commonly used for charity, literally means ‘righteousness’: it conveys a commitment to giving which is embedded in numerous Jewish rituals and religious practices.

Abigail Morris, Director of the Jewish Museum, said:

“Myths and stereotypes have origins, and this exhibition draws on objects from over 2000 years to go to the roots of Jewish practices around money. At the same time, it shows how certain dangerous, even deadly, interpretations emerged and still proliferate around the world. As a museum dedicated to the history and culture of Jews in Britain, we are more aware than ever of the importance of providing a safe space to consider and challenge such stereotypes, if we are to combat hatred and challenge ignorance.”

The exhibition has been developed by the Jewish Museum in collaboration with the Pears Institute for the study of Antisemitism at Birkbeck, University of London.

Professor David Feldman, Director of the Pears Institute for the study of Antisemitism said:

“Jews, Money, Myth explores the significance and role of money in the secular and religious life of Jews from the Biblical era to the present day. In doing so it confronts and debunks the stereotypes of Jews’ connections with money and power that give rise to some of the most deeply rooted antisemitic images in circulation. Visitors to this bold exhibition will be at once informed and challenged.”

Jews, Money, Myth - Exhibition Catalogue

© Jewish Museum London and 

Pears Institute for the study of Antisemitism, Birkbeck, University of London

An illustrated book accompanies the exhibition, with contributions from international scholars and artists exploring some of its key themes, including the literary historian and author, Stephen Greenblatt and artist, Roee Rosen.

JEWISH MUSEUM LONDON
Raymond Burton House, 129 – 131 Albert Street, London NW1 7NB
www.jewishmuseum.org.uk

The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington DC

The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington

April 10 — October 14, 2002

During the first half of the 20th century, Polish-born Jewish artist ARTHUR SZYK (1894-1951) raised his pen against antisemitism and Nazi tyranny. Through his artwork, Arthur Szyk exposed the persecution of Europe's Jews and pushed for international intervention to end the government-sanctioned slaughter of his people. After moving to the U.S. in 1940, he became one of the most influential and prolific artists in America during World War II, where his works began appearing on the covers of publications such as Time, Colliers and Esquire.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum presents a special exhibition, The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk, which explores the intersection of Arthur Szyk's art with his politics and present 145 original pieces of his work during the course of the show, some of them on public display for the first time in over 50 years. Unlike any previous exhibition, The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk interprets Arthur Szyk's life and work within the context of Holocaust history.

Arthur Szyk began his career as a gifted illuminator and book illustrator, focusing largely on themes that portrayed Jews as heroic fighters and patriots. Following the 1939 German invasion of his native Poland, Arthur Szyk halted work on his illuminated manuscripts and dedicated his talents to the more accessible and popularized art form of political cartooning to encourage support for the Allied cause, particularly from a reluctant American public.

"Szyk's identity as a Jew was foremost in his artwork as well as the center of his political activism," explained Steven Luckert, co-curator of the exhibition. "In contrast to many other artists of that period, his political messages were easily understood by the general public. His unwavering commitment to the Allied cause and to the defeat of the Axis powers earned him great respect from people such as Eleanor Roosevelt, who referred to him as a one-man army."

Using his connections and popularity to bring international attention to the murder of the Jews, Arthur Szyk demanded Allied action to end the Holocaust. "Szyk dedicated more time and energy than any other artist of his time to plight of the Jews in Nazi Europe," explained Steven Luckert. "He understood that Nazi antisemitism was fundamentally different and worked to convince the Allied powers of this." Arthur Szyk's mother and brother had remained in Poland during the war and were murdered by the Nazis.

Despite these clearly personal motivations behind his activism, Arthur Szyk's politics were much more enigmatic. He was a non-observant Jew who is well known for his illustrations of Jewish religious texts. He crusaded for a Jewish homeland, but chose not to live there after the creation of the independent state of Israel. And although he condemned racism in American society, he freely used racial stereotypes in his artwork to dehumanize the Axis enemies.

"In many of his political choices, he seems to have been motivated by the desire to do what he felt was best for the Jewish people and for the countries in which he lived or supported," explained Luckert.

The exhibition begins with Arthur Szyk's early illuminations and book illustrations of biblical Jewish stories rendered in the style of 16th century Persian miniatures. Like many young East European artists of the time, such as Marc Chagall and Jacques Lipchitz, Arthur Szyk traveled to Paris to study art as a teenager. Although few of Arthur Szyk's paintings and drawings from this period survived, it seems his fascination with Jewish history and Zionism may have been sown during his sojourn there. These interests were strengthened by a trip to Palestine in 1914.

As World War I broke out, Arthur Szyk was forced to return to Poland and was conscripted into the Russian Army. After Poland became independent, he served as an officer in the Polish army, where he learned about the massive pogroms carried out against the Jewish population in Eastern Europe. Some suggest that this knowledge further influenced Arthur Szyk's choice of themes and political messages.

Following his military service, Arthur Szyk returned to Paris, this time with his family, and began work on The Book of Esther. Composed in the style of Persian miniatures against a backdrop of Assyrian-inspired sculptures, the piece depicts the biblical tale of Jewish triumph in ancient Persia over Haman who had plotted their murder. Arthur Szyk's illuminations were largely intended as an allegory of the strength and heroism of the Jewish people.

Arthur Szyk continued his artistic crusade defending the rights of Jews in Poland though the 1920s and 30s. He set out to create an image of the Jews as strong and heroic patriots who had made vast contributions to the prosperity and security of Poland. As political uncertainty unfurled in Poland in reaction to a 1926 coup, Arthur Szyk's illuminated manuscript of The Statute of Kalisz showed how Jews fought to defend the country against foreign oppression during the history of Poland's struggle for independence.

Although Arthur Szyk had produced some anti-Nazi cartoons in the early 1930s as well as the Haggadah, an illuminated manuscript which served as an attack on Germany's national socialists, it wasn't until Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 that Arthur Szyk temporarily abandoned his illuminations and began producing anti-Nazi cartoons full-time. He had already been living in London with his family for two years when he assumed the role of unofficial propagandist for the Allied powers.

His early wartime work primarily focused on four major themes, the brutality of the Germans, the more primitive savagery of the Russians, the heroism of the Poles, and the suffering of the Jews. These themes were depicted in his 1940 exhibition, War and 'Kultur' in Poland, which opened in London, and was the basis for later shows in Toronto and New York. Many of these works attacking Nazi leaders appeared in the 1941 volume, The New Order, which helped introduce him to American audiences.

As the war escalated, Arthur Szyk believed his services were most needed in the U.S., where the dangers of Nazism were merely viewed a distant threat. He emigrated to Canada for a short time, eventually landing in New York City in 1940, where he immediately began his campaign to win support for the Allied cause.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, America's war became Arthur Szyk's war. He used his artistic skills to help assuage the fears of the American public as the U.S. entered a global conflict. The USO displayed Arthur Szyk poster print reproductions at 500 U.S. Army recreation centers, and a magazine survey reported that his caricatures were as popular as Betty Grable pin-ups for overseas-bound troops.

It was at this point that his images began appearing on the covers of leading publications such as Colliers, Esquire, Time, the New York Post, and the Chicago Sun. His work emphasized the much-needed contribution of Americans to the war effort. He created a series of caricatures on behalf of corporate advertisers, drew patriotic ads for U.S. Treasury War Bonds, and penned a stamp series to raise funds for humanitarian causes.

After the surrender of Germany and Japan, Szyk continued his campaign for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. He died in 1951, three years after the creation of the independent state of Israel. Although he never moved there, he did survive to see the fulfillment of his life's work - the triumph of the Jews over their oppressors and the establishment their homeland.

The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk is on display in the Kimmel-Rowen Gallery on the lower level of the Museum. The exhibition and entrance into the Museum is free and open to the public.

UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM

100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024

www.ushmm.org