Exchange: Jewish American refractions of the 'Jewish question'

Jewish American refractions of the 'Jewish question'

A black and white print that features a person holding his head in clenched fists. His clothing is creased by his dynamic position, back is haunched. Below the drawing is stylized Hebrew block print. Translated it reads "These martyrs I well remember, and my soul melts with secret sorrow. Evil men have devoured us and eagerly consumed us". The calligraphy is a prayer recited for the Musaf Service during Yom Kippur.

Ben Shahn
Warsaw
serigraph on paper
40 1/4 in. x 31 in. x 3/4 in. ( 102.24 cm x 78.74 cm x 1.91 cm )
Gift of the Robbins Center for Cross Cultural Communication, Founder Warren M. Robbins

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A portrait of James Chaney. His eyes are enlarged and brows thick. His hair is made up of many thick brush strokes. His gaze is centered at the viewer. Above his head is his name written in brown-orange ink.

Ben Shahn
James Chaney
offset photolithograph on paper
28 1/4 in x 25 1/4 in x 3/4 in (71.76 cm x 64.14 cm x 1.91 cm)
Gift of the Robbins Center for Cross Cultural Communication, Founder Warren M. Robbins

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A portrait of Michael Schwerner. His head is oval-shaped and facial features off-center. His eyes sit unevenly on his face and his brow slightly furrowed. His hair is made of many thick brush strokes. Above his potrait is his name written in brown-orange ink.

Ben Shahn
Michael Schwerner
offset photolithograph on paper
28 1/4 in x 24 1/4 in x 3/4 in (71.76 cm x 61.6 cm x 1.91 cm)
Gift of the Robbins Center for Cross Cultural Communication, Founder Warren M. Robbins

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A portrait of Andrew Goodman. His face is oval-shaped and expression slightly worried. His hair looks swept to the side via a series of long brush strokes. Above his portrait is his name written in orange-brown ink.

Ben Shahn
Andrew Goodman
serigraph on paper
28 1/4 in. x 24 1/4 in. x 3/4 in. ( 71.76 cm x 61.6 cm x 1.91 cm )
Gift of the Robbins Center for Cross Cultural Communication, Founder Warren M. Robbins

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A colored print of a white hand holding onto a brown hand. Above their grasp is both Hebrew block and English lettering that translates/reads: "'Thou Shalt Not Stand Idly By...". The painting illustrates the need for diversity during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's.

Ben Shahn
Thou Shalt Not Stand Idly By
photo-offset reproduction on paper
28 1/4 in. x 24 1/4 in. x 3/4 in. ( 71.76 cm x 61.6 cm x 1.91 cm )
Gift of the Robbins Center for Cross Cultural Communication, Founder Warren M. Robbins

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A child sits inside a fence of barbed wire upon the bare dirt ground; beyond the fence lies nothing but burnt tree trunks. He is dressed in rags, and his feet are completely bandaged. Eyes sunken and lips pursed, he holds his hands up in a surrender-like state. It is implied by the title that this child is Jewish and is most likely being depicted inside one of the death camps during the Holocaust.

Fanny Rabel
Jewish Child
lithograph on paper
18 9/16 x 14 15/16 in. (47 x 37.9 cm);28 x 22 in. (71.12 x 55.88 cm);23 x 17 1/4 in. (58.3 x 43.7 cm)
Museum Purchase

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Three women stand at the center of the piece in front of what appears to be a prison. The woman in the middle covers her mouth with her hand; face filled with anguish. The face of the woman to the right of the painting is not shown, while the woman to the left stands with hands clasp, hair long, and face stoic.

Fanny Rabel
Women in Front of the Prison
lithograph on paper
17 1/16 x 14 1/2 in. (43.2 x 36.8 cm);28 3/16 x 22 1/8 in. (71.44 x 56.04 cm);23 x 17 11/16 in. (58.3 x 44.9 cm)
Museum Purchase

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In the foreground, there is a man laying on a large human-sized book, one hand on his chin and the other holding a pencil to the page. In front of his pencil, the text "Mendez" and "1945" is printed. On the pages of the book are a skeleten-creature and on the opposite page an angel. Behind the man and the book is a large cactus, and then a large cross rises from its base. The cross is encircled by a large snake-like creature whose head is open, facing away, and an eagle is crucified with knives. Coming from the ends of the cross are what seems to be spears, pointing clockwise. Behind this foreground scene, there is an army marching under a flag with the skull and crossbones. A priest follows behind the army, seemingly coming from the open mouth of the large serpent whose tail holds the feet of the crucified eagle. To the left there are two more crucified figures, whose crosses are on fire. In the far background, there is a vista of a large city.

Leopoldo Méndez
Lo que puede venir
woodcut on paper
12 in x 6 15/16 in (30.48 cm x 17.62 cm);14 ¼ in x 10 ⅜ in (36.2 cm x 26.35 cm);22 ⅛ in x 18 ⅛ in (56.2 cm x 46.04 cm)
Museum Purchase

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Leopoldo Méndez
The Train of Death
linoleum cut on paper
13 3/4 x 20 1/8 in. (34.92 x 51.12 cm);22 1/16 x 28 1/8 in. (56.04 x 71.44 cm);19 3/4 x 25 5/8 in. (50.01 x 65.09 cm)
Museum Purchase

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A photograph of a plaza surrounded by buildings. Men walk about in the plaza.

Arthur Rothstein
Jewish Refugees in Shanghai (View of Camp)
gelatin silver print on paper
8 in x 10 in (20.32 cm x 25.4 cm)
Gift of Thomas Wilson '79 and Jill Garling '80

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A group of Hassidic men standing over a body covered in a cloth. There are windows behind them.

Leonard Freed
Jewish Funeral, Jerusalem, Israel
vintage gelatin silver print on paper
8 x 10 in. ( 20.32 x 25.4 cm )
Gift of Thomas Wilson '79 and Jill Garling '80

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Image of a dark-haired boy with open mouth in a rubble-strewn stairway between buildings. Far in the background, a woman watches.

Leonard Freed
Arab boy in the old City of Jerusalem after the 6-Day War, Israel, 1967
vintage gelatin silver print on paper
8 in x 10 in (20.32 cm x 25.4 cm);6 ⅝ in x 9 ¾ in (16.83 cm x 24.77 cm)
Gift of Zoe and Yuri Gurevich

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