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On View

Adorning Ritual: Jewish Ceremonial Art from the Jewish Museum, New York

May 25, 2025 – May 10, 2026

The Jewish Museum and The Cleveland Museum of Art partner for a second time to showcase Judaica from the Jewish Museum’s renowned collection.

The Jewish Museum has partnered again with The Cleveland Museum of Art, famous for the quality and breadth of its collection, for a second installment of Adorning Ritual: Jewish Ceremonial Art from the Jewish Museum, New York, displaing a group of Jewish ceremonial objects from the Jewish Museum’s world-renowned collection. The pieces are shown in six permanent collection galleries at The Cleveland Museum of Art, representing the diversity of Jewish cultures throughout the world and time. Most of the works are ritual objects relating to Judaism or the lives of Jewish people, from silver Torah finials to an inlaid marble panel commemorating a marriage. The objects have been placed in context with other works of the same time or region, allowing a fuller narrative to unfold.

Decorative architectural panel featuring three archways with black and white checkered floors. The central arch shows a golden door with steps leading up, while the left and right arches each display an ornate menorah and an open book on a lectern. The arches are framed by marble columns and intricate stonework. Hebrew text appears at the top.

Marriage Wall Panel or Table Top, 18th–early 19th century, Italy. Marble: inlaid with cut stones. 38 1/2 × 57 3/4 × 2 1/4 in. (97.8 × 146.7 × 5.7 cm). The Jewish Museum, NY. Purchase: Gift in memory of Curtis Hereld; Edward and Helene Toledano Fund; Traditional Judaica Acquisitions Committee Fund; Dennis Stein Bequest; Judaica Endowment Fund; Phil and Norma Fine Fund; Gift in memory of Frieda and Felix Warburg and Edward M.M. Warburg; Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman, by exchange; Gifts of Alex Schmelzer, Lisa Rotmil and Family; Helen and Jack Cytryn Fund; Gifts of the Jewish Museum Volunteer Association, and The Ellis Goodman Family Foundation

  • Modernist silver and glass Passover seder plate with multiple stacked circular glass tiers. On top sit eight small glass dishes arranged in a circle with one central goblet. A silver serving utensil with a black handle lies in front of the plate.

    Ludwig Yehuda Wolpert, Passover Set, designed 1930, Frankfurt; fabricated 1978. Silver, ebony, and glass. Seder Plate: 4 1/16 × 13 5/16 × 11 7/16 in. (10.3 × 33.8 × 29.1 cm) Cup: 6 3/16 × 2 7/8 in. (15.7 × 7.3 cm). The Jewish Museum, NY. Gift of Sylvia Zenia Rosen Wiener

  • Ornate gold-colored ritual washing set consisting of a wide, shallow basin with raised decorative edges and a tall ewer with a long curved spout, slender neck, and engraved floral patterns on both pieces.

    Passover Laver, 1849/50 (date of inscription), Istanbul, Turkey. Copper: gilt, repoussé, punched, and engraved. 5 × 14 1/2 in. (12.7 × 36.8 cm). The Jewish Museum, NY. The H. Ephraim and Mordecai Benguiat Family Collection

  • Intricately crafted silver Torah shield with an openwork floral and foliate design, Hebrew inscription across the top, and symmetrical decorative patterns throughout, set against a black background.

    Mezuzah Cover, 20th century, Morocco. Silver: engraved and pierced. 10 1/4 × 7 in. (26 × 17.8 cm). The Jewish Museum, NY. Purchase: Judaica Acquisitions Fund

  • Ornate oval silver basin with raised handles and elaborate floral designs around the border; the center depicts a tented structure with two human figures, surrounded by detailed engraved foliage and patterns.

    Lord Mayor's Tray, 1708–09, London, England. Silver: repoussé and engraved. 21 3/8 × 26 1/2 × 3 1/4 in. (54.2 × 67.3 × 8.3 cm). The Jewish Museum, NY. Gift of Frieda Schiff Warburg

  • Pair of tall, slender silver Torah finials shaped like tapering columns, each topped with a polished silver sphere. The bases are square with Hebrew inscriptions, resting on round flat plates.

    Heinrich Wilhelm Kompff, Torah Finials, 1797–99, Kassel, Germany. Silver: engraved. Each: 11 × 3 3/4 in. (27.9 × 9.5 cm). The Jewish Museum, NY. Purchase: Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman, by exchange; Judaica Acquisitions Fund; and Gift of Frances and Hubert J. Brandt