Photos of Jewish sports history at Leon Family Art Gallery

by | Mar 31, 2017 | What’s Happening

Through Wednesday, April 26, Sandler Family Campus

A Jewish Sports Photography exhibit from the collection of Beit Hatfutsot, The Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, and the Bernard H. and Miriam Oster Visual Documentation Center, is now on display in the Leon Family Art Gallery.

This unique photo exhibit of Jewish sports events and Jewish sports teams from the 1920s through the 1980s, represents only a fraction of the museum’s vast collection of more than 400,000 black and white images depicting Jewish history, heritage, and communal life.

The exhibit offers snapshots of the Jewish athletic associations across the globe that joined to form the Maccabi World Union in 1921 as an integral part of the World Zionist movement.

The goals of the Maccabi World Union were lofty; they sought to inspire the whole of the Jewish people. Maccabi’s official goal was “the physical and moral rejuvenation of Jews for the sake of restoration and existence of the Jewish land and people.”

This exhibit is part of an initiative by Beit Hatfutsot to offer Jewish institutions and organizations ready-made curated photo displays to reinforce and build worldwide connections celebrating 4,000 years of Jewish life, culture, and history.

More than a museum, Beit Hatfutsot is dedicated to telling the entire story of the Jewish people, on site in Israel, online, and around the world, through exhibits, innovative technology, and creative programming. The Bernard H. and Miriam Oster Visual Documentation Center is also systematically collecting photographs and films documenting Jewish life, heritage, and history throughout the centuries.

Beit Hatfutsot would appreciate any assistance in acquiring additional materials for their collections. The call is open to contribute historical photographs and films to ensure that memorabilia is available to the public for generations to come. For more information, visit dbs.bh.org.il.

– Sherri Wisoff