This is the first Judaica gallery in an art institution in New England, according to the MFA. The dedicated space showcases 27 ceremonial objects, including 20 works on view at the MFA for the first time almost all of them new acquisitions.
Treasures of Judaica From the Sassoon Family Collection
Torah shields, Hanukkah lamps and other items owned by a celebrated family from Baghdad will be auctioned at Sotheby’s next week.
Front and back views of a Torah shield made by a Jewish artisan in Ukraine in the 18th century. The shield, part of the Sassoon family collection, is signed by its creator, Elimelekh Tzoref of Stanislav. Photo: Sotheby s By J.S. Marcus Dec. 11, 2020 2:00 pm ET
The Sassoon family, a commercial and financial dynasty of Baghdadi Jewish origin, cut a globalized path through the 19th and early 20th centuries on a scale remarkable even by today’s standards. The family did business everywhere from British India to pre-Communist Shanghai, while putting down roots in Britain. They were also prodigious collectors of Jewish ritual objects and manuscripts. On Dec. 17, key pieces of Judaica owned by members of the Sassoon family will be auctioned