Exhibitions

The Torah scroll carrying the text of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible is the most important ritual item in Judaism. For centuries, Jews have handled Torah scrolls with respect and love, seeing in them the scripture revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. The scroll is used for public reading of the Torah (Pentateuch) at the synagogue, but it also performs quite an elusive symbolic function. As opposed to Christianity, Judaism disapproves of intentional worship of cult objects. Wishing to discourage believers from associating God with the material realm, Jewish religious writings hardly ever mention the symbolic message of the Torah scroll. And yet, the covers and decorations adorning the scrolls stored in synagogues (e.g. special Torah mantles or crowns) have a clear symbolic character. A question arises: is a Torah scroll “just” a book (a particular type of utilitarian object), or do its physical attributes represent something deeper?

To answer this conundrum, our exhibition offers a different perspective, asking the visitors to look at the Torah scroll as a unique religious artwork. By referring to Talmudic allusions, Biblical imagery and metaphors, as well as traditional Hebrew names given to individual parts of the scroll, we will seek to pinpoint the essence of the item’s symbolic message. We will try to explain the significance of the Torah scroll by focusing on its visual representations in the realm of culture and creativity. We will discuss its functions and symbolism – in the mythical, ritual, and historical context – primarily through the prism of its images created in numerous artworks, both by Jewish and Christian artists. With a narrative spanning the mythical ancient origins of the scroll all the way to the times of the Holocaust, we will seek to shed light on the continuity of its centuries-long tradition and show how this beautiful item imbued with deep meaning was completely degraded during World War II. Our exhibition will probably be the first of its kind in museum history.

The exhibition will feature extensive iconographic materials, including artworks, old prints, ritual Judaica, Torah scrolls which survived the Holocaust, and objects of everyday use made during the war with pieces of parchment from profaned scrolls. The bulk of the exhibits will come from the JHI collection, accompanied by objects leased from other Polish institutions and iconographic materials sourced from all around the world. An important element of the exhibition will be an artistic interpretation of the Torah scroll in the form of video recordings produced by a contemporary Polish artist in cooperation with the exhibition curator.

Exhibition curator: Michał Krasicki, JHI