Exhibition 'Faith. Doctrine. Law. The Religious Culture of the Jewish People'

About exhibition

The exhibition introduces the traditional material culture of Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews who lived in the 19th and early 20th centuries in the western territories of the Russian Empire. The display includes copies of the Talmud and Torah, a mantle and a crown, as well as rimonim — finials used to adorn the sacred scroll in which it was kept in synagogues — finely crafted pointers used for its reading, and other Judaic ritual objects used both in synagogue services and in religious ceremonies. A special place in the exhibition is given to items used in the rituals of major Jewish holidays such as Sukkot, Passover, Hanukkah, and others, many of which are works of Jewish decorative and applied art. The exhibition also presents objects and photographic materials related to the religious upbringing and education of Jewish children, which, along with other exhibits, serves one of its main objectives — to be included in a guided-tour program introducing the basics of world religions and designed for primary and middle school children. The exhibition features at least 30 artifacts from the 19th and early 20th centuries from the collection of the Russian Ethnographic Museum.