More than 150 rarities

Lviv History Museum has opened an exhibition entitled “Rarities of Jewish Heritage.” This exhibition marked the start of the 9th International Festival of Jewish Music “LvivKlezFest-2017.” This year’s festival will be the first to last a record long time – three weeks until June 4.

The exhibition features Judaic items from private collections and funds of local museums. These things have rarely been put on public display. The organizers dedicated the exhibition to the memory of Maximilian Goldstein. He was the man who drew public attention to the historical and cultural significance of Jewish culture monuments, the issue of their preservation, and the role of museums in this case. Goldstein lived in the first half of the 20th century and created the first collection of Judaic items in Lviv.

The exhibition features more than 150 items of cult and religious purpose and of everyday life of the Jewish community. In particular the display includes: the Lion-Jews, wooden sculpture of late 17th – early 18th centuries that adorned Torah Ark in the Golden Rose Synagogue in Lviv; an etching by Rudolf Menkitsky donated to Goldstein; a bookplate of Goldstein’s daughter, Lilia; portraits of prominent figures of the city’s Jewish community, such as Rabbi Isaac Schmelkes, founder of the Mauricio Lazarus Jewish Hospital, and Emil Byk, head of the Jewish religious community in Lviv in 1898-1906; a self-portrait of the artist Helena Mieses; and graphics by Jan Piwarski.

Among the unique exhibits are ketubot, decorated Jewish marriage contracts. They all come from Italy and are dated by the 18th century.

“LvivKlezFest-2017” will traditionally finish with a marvelous open-air gala concert “Mazl Tov!” which is to be held on June 4 at Rynok Square during the day. The viewers will enjoy a costume course, a dance workshop and performances of renowned klezmer musicians and singers, coming to the city from all over Ukraine and abroad: Israel, the US, the UK, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and Russia.