The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art & Life

06/16/2026

Our head preparatory is hard at work this summer, deinstalling Flowing through Time and Tradition, and readying the main gallery for our new exhibition!

06/10/2026

🌈 My Light, My Conscience: Celebrating Ori Sherman

This we are celebrating the legacy of artist and illustrator Ori Sherman (1933–1988). With a first name that literally means “my light” in Hebrew, Sherman’s life and art burned bright, even when swimming against the tide. ✨

“I realize how much my early upbringing created the climate which allowed me, later in life, to swim comfortably against the tide both in my artwork and in my personal life... The [Rabbinic] dictum, ‘Where there are no men, be a man yourself,’ appeals to me greatly and I try to honor it.”
— Ori Sherman

Born in Jerusalem and raised in Brooklyn, Sherman’s creative journey took him from New York's High School of Music & Art to the Rhode Island School of Design. After being discharged from the US Army for being gay, he found his home and community in San Francisco in 1958, where his career as an artist and illustrator flourished.

Sherman’s deeply rooted Jewish identity beautifully intersected with his lived experience. This is nowhere more evident than in his breathtaking, whimsical, and color-drenched illustrations for The Four Questions (published in 1989).

Through his distinct, intricate style, Sherman brought the Passover Haggadah to life with vivid animals, rich texturing, and a profound sense of joy and liberation—a testament to his resilience and spirit before he passed away from HIV/AIDS complications in 1988.



Images) Ori Sherman (1933-1988), Illustrations for "The Four Questions," San Francisco, 1980-1988. Gouache on paper. Museum Purchase with funds provided by Bruce Burnam, 2000.32.13, 2000.32.22, 2000.32.20, 2000.32.15. Photos by Sibila Savage

06/08/2026

The Magnes was filled with laughter, learning, and crafts as we welcomed the Olamim Family School to the museum in May!

Working on their capstone project - Escudos Familiares (Family Shields), families toured the museum for inspiration and then created family shields. Surrounded by columns from an Indian Torah ark, Judean coins, Italian silver menorahs, and so much more, families created their own Jewish artifacts for the home that held unique meaning and purpose in building a resilient sense of self and peoplehood.

Thank you Olamim: Latin Jewish Belonging for Families for stopping by!

06/05/2026

🗞️ Check out What's On at the Magnes in our June newsletter!

Get a recap of the 2026 Jewish Arts & Bookfest, summer at the Magnes, and the latest exhibition news.

🔗 https://mailchi.mp/berkeley/magnes-newsletter-june-2026

Get the latest news from the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life in our June 2026 What's On issue!

06/03/2026

Happy World Bicycle Day! 🚴🏻‍♂️ 🚴 🚴‍♀️



Williamsburg Postcard Co, NY. Printed in Germany. Gift of Solomon L. Gluck 73-43-75

06/02/2026

Curious about what punk subcultures can teach us about resisting hate? In the latest episode of Berkeley Talks, film director Jacob Kornbluth, civil rights strategist Eric K. Ward, and activist Dion Garcia explore how the tactics of 1980s West Coast movements offer a vital blueprint for countering antisemitism and modern political polarization. The conversation was featured during The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art & Life's 2026 Jewish Arts and Bookfest at UC Berkeley. Special thanks to Reboot.

🎧 Listen, read the transcript, or watch the video >> https://news.berkeley.edu/2026/05/29/berkeley-talks-what-punk-subcultures-can-teach-us-about-resisting-hate/

05/31/2026

Installed at the official Washington, DC residence of former Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff from September 2022 to January, 2025, this sterling silver mezuzah is a rare example of a ritual object steeped in Jewish American history, having touched the lives of several women in service.

The Mezuzah was gifted to immigrant, World War II US Women's Army Corps veteran, and Israeli Embassy translator Alice Grossman by Yitzhak Rabin's wife, Leah Rabin, the day after he became the 5th Prime Minister of Israel in 1974.

Grossman and the mezuzah made their way to San Francisco, where, years later, Harris would get her political start.

.ucberkeley


Mezuzah case and scroll, gift of Leah Rabin (1928-2000) to Alice Grossman (1909-2007), Israel, 1974. Gift of Molly Grossman 2008.23.1

05/30/2026

As Jewish American Heritage Month comes to a close, we share this photo by Neil Foldberg of the Kleinman family making Havadalah as they mark the end of Shabbat and usher in the new week.



https://bit.ly/3RVcgp7 "Kleinman family making Havdalah; Brooklyn, New York 1974" from Portfolio One: We Are Thy People, by Neil Folberg, Berkeley, CA, 1975. Gift of Beverlee French, 2008.8.1.6

05/30/2026

In 1996, J. The Jewish News of Northern California, then known as The Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, commemorated a full century of Jewish journalism in the Bay Area with "Published Every Friday: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Jewish Bulletin," an exhibition at the Judah L. Magnes Museum.

The exhibition, open from July 28 to November 24, 1996, transformed thousands of pages of the publication's copy into a comprehensive visual timeline highlighting changes in Bay Area Judaism and the vital role of the press. Visitors were invited to use notebooks in the reading room to record their own memories, family histories, and personal ties to the stories featured in the issues on display.

The J was first published in San Francisco in 1895 by Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger of Congregation Emanu-El. With the "History is Calling" event in March at the Magnes, the J celebrated 130 years this year with more memories and family histories shared!



https://bit.ly/4nUlL3L The Jewish Bulletin of Northern California. Celebration of 100 years of Jewish Journalism (1896-1996). San Francisco, California, 1996. Offset lithograph. Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund memorabilia 2012.16.1

05/27/2026

Join us tomorrow for an introductory user training session and learn all about Maven, the new digital collections catalog at the Magnes!

Developed by Terentia—a leader in next-generation integrated collections management and digital asset management software—this platform provides improved access to the diverse collection of Jewish material culture at the Magnes.

Whether you are a scholar conducting research, a student writing a paper, or a visitor exploring Jewish ritual objects from across the diaspora, Maven offers a seamless online experience.

In person this Thursday, May 28 from 3:00–4:00 pm

🧑‍💻 Bring your own device!

Learn more and RSVP for the training at https://bit.ly/4uEqA3U

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UC Berkeley Library Center for Jewish Studies GTU Center for Jewish Studies UC Berkeley