Houston is debuting a major permanent collection of Jewish ceremonial art. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston opens the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Gallery for Judaica on Dec. 3.

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, is proud to announce the opening of the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Gallery for Judaica, a new space generously endowed by the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation. This gallery serves as a permanent home for a remarkable collection of art created for Jewish communities worldwide, showcasing their rich religious practices. The inaugural installation, set to open in December, features over two dozen objects, primarily from recent acquisitions that mark the initiation of this significant collecting endeavor.

Supported by a partnership with the Jewish Museum, New York, the Herzstein Gallery's debut will display objects on loan from the Jewish Museum's collection, building on the successful collaboration that began with the summer 2022 exhibition, Beauty and Ritual: Judaica from the Jewish Museum, New York. The gallery, a vital component of the MFAH's World Faiths Initiative, emphasizes the pivotal role of religion and faith in the creation of artworks within the museum's collections.

Gary Tinterow, Director of the MFAH, expressed enthusiasm for the completion of the Caroline Wiess Law Building's suite of galleries, developed over the past 15 years to reflect the diversity of Houston's communities. The Herzstein Gallery joins adjacent galleries dedicated to the arts of Korea, Japan, India, China, and the Islamic worlds, contributing to the museum's mission to celebrate the beauty of ritual objects crafted for Jewish homes and synagogues.

The Herzstein Gallery showcases a remarkable collection of historical Judaica, including a rare 5th-century late-Roman oil lamp, a 14th-century illustrated Mahzor from Mainz, Germany, an early-19th-century silver and gold Torah Shield from Munich, a silver Torah Crown from Venice, and various silver Torah Finials from Central Asia, Holland, England, and Germany. The gallery positions the MFAH among a select group of encyclopedic art museums committed to collecting, displaying, and studying Judaica.

Christine Gervais, the Fredricka Crain Director and Curator of Decorative Arts at the MFAH, is curating the inaugural installation of the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Gallery. Beth Schneider, a consultant to the project and former Head of Learning at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, is collaborating with the MFAH on gallery interpretation and related programming.

Funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., the World Faiths Initiative at the MFAH aims to activate themes of religion, faith, and spirituality in the museum's encyclopedic collections through innovative programming and reimagined displays. This initiative seeks to honor Houston's diverse communities, fostering connections across cultures and beliefs by exploring the role of faith and spirituality in the creation of art.