MFAH Unviels Prestigious Herzstein Gallery For Judaica, Enriching Houston's Cultural Tapestry
Kathleen Coleman | 11/30/2023, 6:15 p.m.
Polish, Torah Crown, late 18th–early 19th century, silver, silver-gilt, and paste stones, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Toomim-Robinson Family.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) proudly announces the inauguration of the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Gallery for Judaica, a landmark event scheduled for December 3, 2023. This initiative positions MFAH among the elite North American museums with dedicated spaces for Judaica, celebrating Jewish heritage and ritual through art. The gallery, enriched by the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation, will exhibit over two dozen artifacts, including prestigious loans from the Jewish Museum in New York, treasures from Houston's own collections, and recent acquisitions that mark the museum's new focus on Judaica.
The gallery's debut will feature a partnership with the Jewish Museum, New York, initiated by the acclaimed exhibition "Beauty and Ritual: Judaica from the Jewish Museum, New York" in the summer of 2022. This collabration brings together significant loans and scholarly exchanges to enhance the gallery's offerings. Moreover, the Herzstein Gallery is an integral part of MFAH's World Faiths Initiative, supported by Lilly Endowment Inc., which illuminates the influence of religion and faith on the arts.
Gary Tinterow, Director of the MFAH, emphasizes the gallery's role in mirroring Houston's diversity and connecting visitors with the splendor of Jewish ceremonial art. The Herzstein Gallery is set to display an array of his- torical pieces, including a 5th-century late-Roman oil lamp, a 14th-century illustrated Mahzor, and exquisite silver
and gold Torah adornments from various eras and regions.
While MFAH has showcased Judaica in temporary exhibits, the Her- zstein Gallery provides a permanent home for these artifacts, underscoring MFAH's commitment to Judaic art akin to institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The gallery's curation is led by Christine Gervais, with educational strategies and programming developed by Beth Schneider. The World Faiths Initiative, under Aimée Froom and Caroline Goeser, promises to foster a deeper understanding of the artistic manifestations of faith, celebrating Houston's cultural plurality and foster- ing intercultural dialogue.
For more information of this and many other galleries visit:
