Director’s Talk: James S. Snyder in Conversation with Adam Levine

James S. Snyder, Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director, is joined by Adam Levine, the Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey Director of the Toledo Museum of Art for a conversation centered around The Cup of Joy, an 11th- or 12th-century Kiddush cup that was used by members of a Jewish community in eastern Khorasan, modern-day Afghanistan, to sanctify the Shabbat and religious holidays. This object, one of cultural exchange and co-operation between Jewish and Muslim communities that thrived off the Silk Roads through Central Asia, is currently on loan from the Toledo Museum of Art and on view as part of the Jewish Museum’s exhibition Identity, Culture, and Community: Stories from the Collection of the Jewish Museum.

About the speaker:

Adam M. Levine, the Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey Director of the Toledo Museum of Art and a scholar of ancient art, is a transformative leader with a deep conviction that art inspires, and museums are change agents. Since assuming directorship in 2020, Dr. Levine has led the Museum through a period of significant growth and innovation. Under his leadership, TMA launched its most extensive renovation and reinstallation in 40 years—a project designed to modernize infrastructure, enhance accessibility, and present a global, interconnected view of art history. Prior to his directorship at TMA, Levine served as the George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in  Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Levine graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College and earned his master’s degree with distinction and D.Phil. in the history of art as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford. He has published widely and is a frequent presenter  on topics ranging from ancient art and interpretive strategies to museum and management practices.

The Morris W. Offit Lecture Series at the Jewish Museum is made possible in part by the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation.

Tickets: $24 General; $16 Students and Seniors; $14 Jewish Museum members
Doors open at 6 pm; Includes Museum Admission