Beauty and Ritual: Judaica from the Jewish Museum, New York

This exhibition presents more than 130 Jewish ceremonial objects (Judaica) created from antiquity to the present, including books, silver, and textiles. The works represent many parts of the world, from South Asia to North Africa and from Western Europe to Australia, and display a diversity of Jewish cultures.

Exploring the artistic, cultural, and ritualistic significance of these objects, the exhibition illuminates how Jewish communities and artists have creatively adapted traditional forms of Judaica by utilizing a rich array of materials, styles, and techniques. The works are organized thematically in three sections: “The Art of the Synagogue: Adorning the Torah,” “A Day of Rest: The Radiance of the Sabbath,” and “Beyond the Synagogue and the Home: The Light of the Hanukkah Menorah.” The Frist Art Museum’s presentation of this exhibition will coincide with Hanukkah, the eight-day festival of lights.

Beauty and Ritual provides a lens into stories of precious ownership and often-precarious survival against all odds—many of the objects on view escaped near-destruction and were salvaged under extraordinary circumstances. The exhibition invites people of all backgrounds and cultures to engage with the remarkable stories of exceptional pieces of Judaica. To activate and contextualize the artworks, the Frist is collaborating with Nashville’s longstanding and vibrant Jewish community on the audio guide, videos, and public programs. A family-friendly experience, Beauty and Ritual will have a printed gallery guide designed to help navigate the exhibition with children, plus books for people of every age to read and enjoy while surrounded by art.