The Art of Hanukkah

The Art of Hanukkah, through its selection of forty-eight masterpieces of holiday ceremonial and fine art, tells the story of the desecration of the holy Temple, its subsequent reclaiming and rededication, and the miracle of the single, tiny cruse of oil that miraculously provided light for eight days.
This volume visually documents the ways this holiday has been celebrated over the centuries. The menorah used in the celebration is testament to the ingenuity of design and variation. From an assemblage of individual oil lamps gathered together, to medieval creations echoing the crenelations of castle-tower architecture, to the sumptuous flourishes of Baroque decorations, these Hanukkah lamps are a direct reflection of the adaptability of Jewish culture throughout the Diaspora. As the modern age approached, more fanciful and naturalistic forms of menorahs appeared. The "Oak Tree" menorah, from early nineteenth-century Poland, is pure delight; a rotund, well-fed bear hungrily climbs the trunk of an oak tree to reach a pot of luscious honey precariously perced on a branch.
The Art of Hanukkah goes far beyond exploring only the menorahs used in the celebration of the holiday. The story of Judith, wife of a Maccabean soldier, who beheaded Holofernes, a general in Antiochus's army, is depicted in manuscripts, paintings, and statuary. On a lighter note, delightful folk art depictions of the kindling of the Hannukkah lights are also included, as are children's colorful and playful dreidels.

Nancy M. Berman was the curator of the Herbre Union College Skirball Museum from 1972 to 1977. She subsequently became the director of the Museum in 1977.