A Is for Jewish

Journeys through Now in 22 Letters

Music and youth culture, commemoration and traditions, languages and homeland – 22 impressions depicted the everyday life of secular and religious, long-established and newly arrived Jews in Germany.

Using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the exhibition explored keywords, concepts, and what is “Jewish” in Germany today. In the process, light was shed on very different aspects of the German-Jewish present and perceptions of norms were critically examined.

past exhibition

Gebäudeplan mit Markierung des Libeskindbaus

Where

Libeskind Building, lower level
 Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin

Where, when, what?

Sample a Few Stations from the Exhibition

A woman in front of a circle made of letters — א
For the first letter, “Aleph” the exhibition was dedicated to the “aleph-bet” itself, for example, with Victoria Hanna’s video art Twenty Two Letters, Israel, 2015; copyright: Victoria Hanna.

א
For the first letter, “Aleph” the exhibition was dedicated to the “aleph-bet” itself, for example, with Victoria Hanna’s video art Twenty Two Letters, Israel, 2015; copyright: Victoria Hanna.

A young girl at a lectern, a man in orthodox clothing adjusting the microphone — ב
In the exhibition, “Bet” stood for bat mitzvah. The photo shows Mussi Bistritzky during her bat mitzvah speech. Her father, Shlomo Bistritzky (an orthodox Landesrabbiner of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, as well as leader of the Hamburg Chabad Center), is adjusting the microphone; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Gesche M. Cordes.

ב
In the exhibition, “Bet” stood for bat mitzvah. The photo shows Mussi Bistritzky during her bat mitzvah speech. Her father, Shlomo Bistritzky (an orthodox Landesrabbiner of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, as well as leader of the Hamburg Chabad Center), is adjusting the microphone; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Gesche M. Cordes.

Postcard with the slogan “Keine Juden mehr für Deutsche!” (We're not Jews for Germans' sake) written in cut-out and pasted-on letters — ד
The letter “Daled” stood for “disintegration” which describes a provocative movement of a new generation of Jewish artists who no longer want to be considered victims by German remembrance culture. Postcard from the festival “Disintegration: A Congress for Contemporary Jewish Positions” at Studio Я of the Maxim Gorki Theater in Mai 2016; conception Max Czollek, Sasha Marianna; design: Deniz Keskin

ד
The letter “Daled” stood for “disintegration” which describes a provocative movement of a new generation of Jewish artists who no longer want to be considered victims by German remembrance culture. Postcard from the festival “Disintegration: A Congress for Contemporary Jewish Positions” at Studio Я of the Maxim Gorki Theater in Mai 2016; conception Max Czollek, Sasha Marianna; design: Deniz Keskin

Kippot with magen David — נ
Who knows the “Jewrovision?” – for the keyword “Youth,” the exhibition presented the largest Jewish song and dance competition for children and young people, at which around 1,200 participants presented their interpretation of the Jewish Circle of Life at the beginning of 2018. Kippot memorabilia Jewrovision 2018; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März.

נ
Who knows the “Jewrovision?” – for the keyword “Youth,” the exhibition presented the largest Jewish song and dance competition for children and young people, at which around 1,200 participants presented their interpretation of the Jewish Circle of Life at the beginning of 2018. Kippot memorabilia Jewrovision 2018; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März.

Green kippah with the words “Plant me and watch me grow - Katarina - Mazel tov - Rachel - 2-21-15” — ק
For the letter “Kuph,” the exhibition explored the topic of weddings. It also playfully reinterpreted the museological concept of the “contact zone”: the Jewish Museum as a place where visitors can encounter the love of life—as the musician Daniel Kahn and his wife Ewa Lapsker did; they also held their wedding here at the museum. The kippah containing seeds (pictured) is from the wedding of Katarina and Rachel; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März.

ק
For the letter “Kuph,” the exhibition explored the topic of weddings. It also playfully reinterpreted the museological concept of the “contact zone”: the Jewish Museum as a place where visitors can encounter the love of life—as the musician Daniel Kahn and his wife Ewa Lapsker did; they also held their wedding here at the museum. The kippah containing seeds (pictured) is from the wedding of Katarina and Rachel; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März.

Black and white photograph of a couple — ר
Along with new ideas brought by Russian-speaking immigrants, Jews who have long been based here were also part of the exhibition. This photo by the famous photographer Leonard Freed from our photography collection (more at our website) belonged to the letter “Resh” because the couple’s last name is “Rubinstein.” Leonard Freed, A Young Jewish Couple from Düsseldorf. From the series “German Jews Today,” Düsseldorf 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin

ר
Along with new ideas brought by Russian-speaking immigrants, Jews who have long been based here were also part of the exhibition. This photo by the famous photographer Leonard Freed from our photography collection (more at our website) belonged to the letter “Resh” because the couple’s last name is “Rubinstein.” Leonard Freed, A Young Jewish Couple from Düsseldorf. From the series “German Jews Today,” Düsseldorf 1961; Jewish Museum Berlin

Ein Roboterarm schreibt mit einer Tintenfeder — ת
For the last letter of the “aleph-bet,” “Tav,” the exhibition engaged with the Torah, for example, with the installation bios [torah] by the artist collective robotlab, in which a robot wrote a Torah here in the museum in 2014/2015 (read more on the installation); photo: robotlab.

ת
For the last letter of the “aleph-bet,” “Tav,” the exhibition engaged with the Torah, for example, with the installation bios [torah] by the artist collective robotlab, in which a robot wrote a Torah here in the museum in 2014/2015 (read more on the installation); photo: robotlab.

View of an exhibition hall with vitrines in form of huge Hebrew letters — As this view of the exhibition A Is for Jewish shows, there were many more informative and entertaining stations. In the letter כ (“Kaph”) for “kosher,” for example, you could find a vending machine with kosher gummi bears (for the meaning of the term “kosher,” see the topic “Kashrut” on our website); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Yves Sucksdorff.

As this view of the exhibition A Is for Jewish shows, there were many more informative and entertaining stations. In the letter כ (“Kaph”) for “kosher,” for example, you could find a vending machine with kosher gummi bears (for the meaning of the term “kosher,” see the topic “Kashrut” on our website); Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Yves Sucksdorff.

The post of a young Israeli who justified his move to Berlin with the cheap chocolate pudding prices at a German discounter made it from Facebook to the museum – and thereby triggered a debate in Israel. And where to find Berlin’s best hummus definitely belongs in a show on the German-Jewish present.

Anyone who is interested in contemporary Jewish culture in Germany of course comes across the new and interesting ideas that the new generation of Russian-speaking Jews bring to the Jewish community.

Russian-Speaking Jews in Germany

Three band members in front of a backdrop of firewood and coal — The founders of the band ROTFRONT; photo: Stephan Pramme

The founders of the band ROTFRONT; photo: Stephan Pramme

Photo: a man sitting on a tree trunk in front of trees and trailers sprayed with graffiti — The author and journalist Dmitrij Kapitelmann; photo: Stephan Pramme

The author and journalist Dmitrij Kapitelmann; photo: Stephan Pramme

Photo: a woman in a fur coat in front of a dark veneer panel — Student Julia Kildeeva; photo: Stephan Pramme

Student Julia Kildeeva; photo: Stephan Pramme

Photo: a woman in a red coat in front of the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park in the snow — The film director Tatjana Moutchnik; photo: Stephan Pramme

The film director Tatjana Moutchnik; photo: Stephan Pramme

Photo: a man in a corduroy jacket with a camera in his hand — The photographer Valentin Lutset; photo: Stephan Pramme

The photographer Valentin Lutset; photo: Stephan Pramme

Photo: a woman sitting at a wooden table in front of the wall of a building with crumbling plaster — Student Greta Zelener; photo: Stephan Pramme

Student Greta Zelener; photo: Stephan Pramme

The exhibition was developed with Berlin school students, whose work was on show. At the special request of the students, there was also a “Chill Corner” with four bean-bag chairs and a Jewish pop playlist, as well as six interviews with musicians.

View of an exhibition hall with Hebrew letters and bean-bag chairs — View of the exhibition; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Yves Sucksdorff

Some Videos of our Jewish Music Playlist

Song: Berlin - Tel Aviv [feat. Sophie Hunger]
Artist: Max Herre
Composer: Roberto Di Gioia
Album: MTV Unplugged Kahedi Radio Show (Deluxe Version)
2013
Genre: Rap & Hip-Hop

Song: Beltz, Mayn Shtetele
Artist: Jewdyssee
Composer: Alexander Olschanetzky
Album: 5773
2012
Genre: International

Song: Berlin
Artist: Shmemel
Komponist: Shmemel
Album: 2011–2014
2014
Genre: Pop

Song: Es gibt nur einen
Artist: Ben Salomo
Composer: Ismail-Hakki Koray
Album: Es gibt nur einen
2013
Genre: Rap & Hip-Hop

Song: Oy Vey
Artist: The Disorientalists
Composer: Yuriy Gurzhy
Text: Yuriy Gurzhy / Daniel Kahn
Album: Who Was Essad Bey?
2016
Genre: Folk

Presentation video for Jewrovision 2018 from the children and youth center LevEchad, Osnabrück

Song: Butterfly Effect
Artist: Sharon Suliman
Composer: Dario Allerga, Sharon Suliman
Published on: YouTube
2017
Genre: Rap & Hip-Hop

Song: Haleluye
Artist (& Yiddish translation): Daniel Kahn
Composer: Leonhard Cohen
Published on: YouTube
2016
Genre: Singer/Songwriter

With the support of the Friends of the Jewish Museum Berlin

Exhibition Information at a Glance

When
26 Nov 2018 to 19 Apr 2020
Where
Libeskind Building, lower level
Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin
See Location on Map
Hashtag
#jewstoday

JMB Journal 20

Accompanying publication

Publication
2019

Jewish Power

What is Jewish Music?
By Fabian Schnedler

JMB Journal 20
2019

How the exhibition came about

Article by Léontine Meijer-van Mensch, Miriam Goldmann, Christiane Lindner, and Fabian Schnedler

JMB Journal 19

Further information on the exhibition

Press Release
from 26 November 2018

Deutschlandkarte mit Zahlen zu jüdischer Lebenswirklichkeit

A Jew Is Not One Thing

The curator Miriam Goldmann about the exhibition A Is For Jewish

JMB Journal 20
2019

Online Platform Jewish Places

This interactive map of Jewish life in Germany is also presented in the exhibition.

Project

Tours: Public and Bookable Tours through “A Is for Jewish” (2)

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Public and Bookable Tours through “A Is for Jewish”

Dates, and information on booking and participation for the several guided tours through the exhibition A Is for Jewish: Journeys through Now in 22 Letters

A Is for Jewish (in German)

Every Sunday at 11 am
Public tour through the exhibition. We recommend that you book tickets in advance online.

JMB in 60 Minutes (in German)

In addition to the museum architecture and the role of the museum for the German self-understanding, this tour also deals with the exhibition A Is for Jewish .

Guided Tour
Every Saturday, 3 pm

Events Accompanying the Exhibition: A Is for Jewish (6)

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A Is for Jewish

Events related to the exhibition theme.

Upcoming events

Find the right ticket for you.

Jewish Museum Berlin
Lindenstraße 9–14
10969 Berlin
T +49 (0)30 259 93 300

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A Is for Jewish

Sample a Few Stations from the Exhibition

Russian-Speaking Jews in Germany