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Jewish Object: Judaica Collection

Dreieckiger Leuchter aus Bronze mit einer reliefartigen, figürlichen Darstellung

Chanukah candelabra by Erna Weill, USA, according to signature 1936; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März. Further information about the object can be found in our online collections (in German).

Our collection of objects for religious use documents Jewish history and culture by way of ritual and everyday items. A central issue here is how these items reflect Jewish life in the past and present.

Scope and Spectrum

To date the collection counts about 1,500 objects. The heart of the collection is the private collection of Zvi Sofer, a cantor from Münster, which the Berlin Museum acquired in 1981. It also contains comparative pieces from other countries as well as a growing number of contemporary ceremonial objects.

The collection holds characteristic objects for religious use made of a wide assortment of materials, including various textiles, paper types, and metals. The breadth of craftsmanship ranges from ornate examples of eighteenth-century German silversmithing to simple folk art of the nineteenth century.

Who is Zvi Sofer?

Zvi Sofer (1911–1980), cantor, and collector, born in Podolia, 1929 Aliyah, academic studies in Vienna, in 1938 re-emigrated to Palestine, from 1959 dedication to the revival of Jewish communities in Germany

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How can I conduct research using the museum’s archive, collections, and library?

Our Reading Room is open to the public. You can also research using our library’s holdings and some of our collection’s holdings online. To view additional holdings, please contact the responsible curators.

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I would like to depict or borrow an object from your collections. Who should I contact?

Your contacts for photo permissions are Valeska Wolfgram and Birgit Maurer-Porat (T +49 (0)30 259 93 433, email: fotodoku@jmberlin.de). Please consider that it may take between four to six weeks  Please note that the processing time for requests can take between 4 and 6 weeks. We will be happy to provide you with further information on fees and reproduction conditions on request.

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How can I donate objects, photographs, and documents to the museum?

Interested in Contributing to Our Collections?

Do you own materials related to Jewish culture and history in Germany that could be of interest to us? We would be delighted to hear from you! 

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In this film, made as part of our exhibition on the First World War in Jewish Memory, Michal Friedlander, curator of Judaica and Applied Arts, presents two Torah pointers donated to a British and an Algerian synagogue.

Abstract painting in blue, black and yellow tones

Our Collection

Landing Page
Archive: documenting Jewish life
Audiovisual Media: historic sound recordings, family films and video art
Library: books about Jewish art, culture, and history
Fine Arts: Jewish history from the perspective of visual culture
Photography: art photography, historical press images and family photos
Jewish Object: Material Culture: objects and textiles for nonreligious purposes
Jewish Object: Applied Arts: objects produced by German-Jewish craftspeople and companies
Current page: Jewish Object: Judaica: ritual and everyday items of religious purpose
Digital Content
Online Collections: explore selected objects (in German)
Online Showcase: digital presentation of our past collections, video projects, and more
Object in Showcase: stories from our collection
See also
The History of Our Collections: learn about the initial inspiration and transition to today's museum
Our Collection Management: responsibilities and contact information
Sources of Collection Holdings: in publications of the Berlin museum (1978 to 1995)
Provenance Research: unveiling the origins of our objects
Conservation: how to presperve our objects for future generations

Links to topics that may be of interest to you

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