The Evelyn Stieber Bernstein Scholarship
Evelyn Stieber Bernstein, a great friend and supporter of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has established a scholarship in Jewish Art this year in honor of her granddaughter Deborah Putnoi who is a gifted artist in her own right. Evelyn established a chair for cancer research in honor of her first husband, Otto Stieber. In addition, she has given generously to many university programs, including the Melton Center for Jewish Education, the Rothberg International School, and the Lafer Center for Women's Studies. Her late second husband, Sol Bernstein, continued the tradition of generosity to the University and became a Founder. Evelyn, today, is an active leader in the Hollywood/Hallandale Chapter of the Florida Region of the American Friends of the Hebrew University. Her most recent significant involvement with the Hebrew University was the dedication of the Evelyn and Otto Stieber Observation Plaza for which she was a major contributor along with the Florida Friends of the Hebrew University.
 |
Scholarship recipient Michal Sternthal with Evelyn Stieber Bernstein |
The recipient of the Evelyn Stieber Bernstein Scholarship for the 1999-2000 academic year is Michal Sternthal, Head of the Hebrew Illuminated Manuscript Section of the Index of Jewish Art. Michal was the recipient of the 1997 Mordechai Narkiss Prize for Outstanding Research in Jewish Art. She has been a member of the Center’s research staff for five years and is writing her master’s thesis on the Regensburg Pentateuch, which was produced in southern Germany in c.1300. Michal spent two weeks last summer at the Austrian National Library in Vienna where she documented the rare Ashkenazi Ketubbah of Krems, and significant thirteenth and fourteenth-century manuscripts attributed to two important schools of Medieval Hebrew and Latin manuscripts: the school of filigree manuscripts of the Upper Rhine region and that of manuscripts from around Lake Constance.
The Madeleine and Albert Erlanger Scholarship
Professors
Madeleine and Albert Erlanger of Zurich, Jewish art enthusiasts, have been devoted
supporters of the Center for Jewish Art for many years, donating six scholarships since
1995, as well as supporting the Center's Save-a-Synagogue project. Orit Sehayek-Avital, a
master's student in Art History and researcher in the Ancient Art Section of the Index of
Jewish Art, is the 1999-2000 recipient of the Madeleine and Albert Erlanger Scholarship.
Orit has a B.A. in History of Art and Archeology from the Hebrew University, and is
studying for her master’s degree in the art of Ancient Israel and the surrounding
areas during the Roman and Byzantine period. This year she has been documenting sarcophagi
from Beit She’arim, where she is also studying the burial niches and cubicula.
The Tania Finkelstein Scholarship
The Tania Finkelstein Scholarship recipient for the 1998-1999 academic year is Dalia-Ruth Levy, a graduate student in the Hebrew Illuminated Manuscript Section of the Index of Jewish Art. Her major field of interest and topic for her master’s thesis is decorative micrography on confronting pages between quires in Bibles. She presented a paper on the development of this system at the Center's Sixth International Seminar. Dalia-Ruth is currently documenting Italian and Ashkenazi Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts at the National Library in Givat Ram. She recently documented a Passover Haggadah from the Segre-Amar collection, signed and dated Vienna 1756, by Meshullam Simmel of Polna (Bohemia)
Tania and her husband Jacobo Furman, together own one of the most important collections of Judaica in the world. They are great supporters of the Center and this is the second year the Tania Finkelstein Scholarship has been granted to one of our talented graduate students.
The Asea Furman Scholarship
The Asea Furman Scholarship was established by Jacobo Furman of Santiago Chile in 1991 in memory of his late wife, Asea, who was a collector of Jewish Art and a dedicated friend of the Center. The 1999 scholarship recipient is Arina Laura Peri a graduate student in Art History and a new member of the Ritual Object Section of the Index of Jewish Art. Arina is working on her Master’s degree in Art History and specializing in ancient art. Since joining the Ritual Objects Section of the Index, she has participated in the project to document synagogues and ritual objects in the Lev Ha-Ir neighborhood of Jerusalem, particularly of the Aleppo community, whose Ades Synagogue in will soon be celebrating its 100th anniversary.
The Albert E. and Eva Holland Scholarship
Professor Eva Engel Holland established a
scholarship fund in memory of her late husband, Albert, in 1998. Eliad Moreh a researcher
in the Ritual Objects Section of the Index of Jewish Art, is the second recipient of this
scholarship. Eliad is currently working towards a master's degree in Art History with an
emphasis on Modern Jewish Art. An immigrant to Israel from Paris, Eliad holds a B.A. from
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Art and English Literature. This year Eliad has been
documenting ritual objects of Syrian and Lebanese communities in various places around the
country.
Professor Engel Holland, a renowned scholar of German literature is the editor of the complete writings of Moses Mendelssohn. This work which began in 1929 and interrupted in 1938, was resumed in 1972 and today numbers 33 volumes. Professor Engel Holland, who just celebrated her 80th birthday, was recently awarded Germany's "Cross of the Order of Merit, First Class" for her work on Moses Mendelssohn. Her husband, Albert, was a great educator and humanitarian who served as Vice-President of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges as well as Vice-President of Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.
The Leona Rosenberg Scholarship
Leona Rosenberg of Chicago has
been a great friend of the Center for many years. She has participated in several of the
Center's educational symposia abroad and has donated six scholarships to the Center. Irina
Chernetsky is the 1999-2000 recipient of the Leona Rosenberg Scholarship. Irina immigrated
from Moscow in 1990 and received her bachelor's degree in Art History and Sociology from
the Hebrew University. A researcher in the Index's Ritual Objects Section, Irina has been
working this year on the documentation of ritual objects of Syrian and Lebanese
communities. Irina completed her teacher's certificate this year and is working on her
master's degree in Medieval and Renaissance Art. This past summer Irina participated as a
lecturer at the Center’s summer course Teaching Jewish Tradition and Values through
Art, organized for art teachers and educators from Russia.
The Trudy Wyler-Bloch Scholarship
Erica Gideon of Zurich, a
longtime friend of the Center, recently established a scholarship in memory of her late
mother Trudy Wyler-Bloch. As a leading member of the Swiss Jewish Community, Mrs. Gideon
is helping the Center carry out a survey of synagogues in Switzerland. The recipient for
the 1999-2000 academic year is researcher Boris Khaimovich. Boris, a Ph.D. candidate has
been part of the Center’s research team since 1994 and specializes in iconography of
tombstones and synagogue decoration. He has participated in many of the Center's
documentation expeditions to Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, most recently
returning from southern Ukraine. At the Center's Sixth International Seminar he presented
a lecture on wall painting in the Chernowitz synagogue. He is currently working on the
second volume of Historical Guide to 100 Shtetls in Ukraine, which will be
published in Russian.
The Michael and Judy Steinhardt Scholarship
The Steinhardt
Scholarship in 1999 has been granted to Efrat Asaf Shapira, researcher in the Ritual Arts
Section of the Index of Jewish Art. Efrat began as a researcher for the Center for Jewish
Art after completing a bachelor's degree in Art History and Literature at Hebrew
University, and teaching art to children in and around Jerusalem for two years for the
Bronfman Foundation. She is currently completing a Master's degree at Hebrew University,
with a focus on Jewish art and iconography. Efrat's work for the Section consists of
research and documentation of sacred and ceremonial objects, which takes her to synagogues
around Israel as well as to museums, libraries and private homes. In the past year she has
worked extensively documenting synagogues and ritual objects in Jerusalem's Lev Ha'Ir
neighborhood. Efrat participated in the Center’s documentation expedition to the
island of Djerba, Tunisia in 1997, and has since been working on the research and
computerization of the material gathered.
Michael and Judy Steinhardt, Jewish art enthusiasts from New York, are dedicated to pluralistic Jewish education, and Jewish continuity. They have been great supporters of the Israel Museum and established the Steinhardt Family Foundation in Israel, which supports projects to assist children at risk. Their love and knowledge of Jewish art is reflected in their collection of Judaica. This is the third scholarship they have awarded to the Center.
The Sam and Sonia Shultz Scholarship
Aletha Simon, a long time friend of the Center, and her brothers Norman, Michael and William Schultz, have established the Sam and Sonia Shultz Scholarship in memory of their parents. Aletha first met Professor Narkiss in Kansas City in 1995. Her personal and academic interest in Jewish art led to an instant connection to the Center and she has supported the Center ever since. She has participated in two of the Center's symposia in Prague and Moravia, and in Greece.
The Sam and Sonia Shultz Scholarship has been granted this year to Einat Ron, a researcher in the Ritual Objects Section of the Index for Jewish Art. Einat participated in the Center's documentation expedition to Bulgaria in summer 1998 and has been working on inputting this and other material into the Index. In addition to her documentation work, Einat is responsible for the slide archive. Earlier this year she organized an intensive two-week course for graduate students on documenting Jewish art. During the Passover Seminar on Superstitions in Jewish Art Einat presented a lecture on "Seasons of the Year in the Book of Evronot."
Scholarship of the North American Friends of the Center for Jewish Art
In 1999, an
active group of the North American Friends of the Center for Jewish Art got off the
ground, steered by veteran friends, Marcia and Ralph Preiss, Stanley and Donna Batkin, Joe
and Sandy Lepelstadt, Henry and Sophie Olshin, Elaine and Sohier Marks, Ita and Josh Aber,
Rabbi Maurice and Ruth Corson and Reva Kirshberg. The first fruits of their efforts is the
establishment of a scholarship in Jewish Art which has been awarded to Ricki Morgenstern.
Ricki, an Art History master's degree student, has been interning at the Center since
1998. In the past year, she has been working on the computerization of the Index and her
quick and insightful grasp of the subject matter has been a great asset. Ricki has decided
to move to the Ritual Objects Section so that she can be involved in hands-on
documentation as well as research.
The highlight of the past year's activities of the North American Friends of the Center for Jewish Art was the Israeli art tour in Manhattan's Soho in October 1999. Forty participants, coming from as far as California, Washington D. C., and Pennsylvania, were given an intimate glimpse of the work of four Israeli artists while visiting their studios and a gallery. Elaine Marks noted, "Each shared some personal insight into their involvement to their present art forms. This enhanced our appreciation of their journeys and made it more meaningful to us." The wonderful afternoon concluded with a special surprise: Stanley Batkin, who organized the tour, donated a piece of Israeli art from his private collection as a door prize.
The Morris D. Baker Endowment Fund for Student Scholarships
Beverly Baker, a veteran friend of the Center, has established an Endowment Fund in memory of her husband Morris D. Baker. Beverly has already given numerous annual scholarships to the Center and decided to establish an Endowment Fund marking in perpetuity her husband’s dedication to Jewish culture and education. Morris Baker graduated from the University of Michigan's School of Architecture and was a successful developer in Windsor, Ontario. He was a serious amateur photographer as well as collector of art and photography. His involvement with Jewish causes extended to memberships of the National Executive of the Zionist Organization of America, the Jewish Community Council Unity Committee in the Detroit area, and the National Board of CLAL, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. Beverly and her husband participated in the Center's symposia in Turkey and Provence, and Beverly participated in the Center's most recent symposium "The Ingathering of the Nations" held in Israel.
The Jack Gardner Scholarship
Jack Gardner, of Victoria, B.C.,
Canada has recently established a Family Endowment in blessed memory of his late wives,
Chaja Gardner-Jachniuk and Goldie L. Gardner. With a deep commitment to preserving the
memory of lost Jewish culture of Eastern Europe, Gardner has contributed a major gift to
student scholarships to carry out their preservation activities. Mr. Gardner who was born
in Stary Sambor, a shtetl in Ukraine, is committed to honoring the lost communities of
Ukraine by documentation, preservation and restoration of their synagogues and cemeteries.
The Lorna Scherzer Scholarship for the Preservation of Jewish Art
Lorna Scherzer of Montreal and Palm Beach, a dear friend of the Center, has recently given the Center a major gift for student scholarships. Lorna, who established the Cecile and Michael Greenberg Endowment Fund together with her siblings, is deeply committed to the preservation of Jewish culture. Her generous support of student scholarships is an expression of that dedication.
The Lillian and Harry Freedman Scholarship
Harry and Lillian Freedman of Newton, Massachusetts, ardent supporters of the Hebrew University, made a significant gift for student scholarships in 1999. The Freedmans first met Professor Narkiss in 1993 in Florida where they spontaneously pledged support of the Center's documentation work in Poland. Since then, they have given scholarships as a way of supporting the Center's efforts to preserve endangered Jewish heritage.
