Curated by Joel Silverstein, Richard McBee and Yona Verwer
The Jewish Art Salon and the Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art proudly present: Fallout – October 7 and The New Antisemitism.
The events of October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza represent a crucial turning point in the lives of the Jewish people. This is true, whether in the land of Israel, or in Diaspora communities across the globe. Attacks and criticism of Israel have become commonplace in the media, academia, and cultural spaces. Simultaneously antisemitism and its traditional tropes have skyrocketed, falsely linking Zionism with Colonialism and therefore assertions of political and religious illegitimacy, while subjugating Jewish people to implicit, or explicit threats and intimidation. This affects all Jews, regardless of their beliefs and political politics.
Simply describing or explaining these collective experiences seems woefully inadequate to the depth, profundity and moral complexity of the past two years. However, 28 Jewish artists have been moved to create visual artworks in a wide variety of mediums and emotional responses to this crisis. Some works are documentarian in nature, representing both Israeli and Diasporic points of view taken at actual sites using photography or digital mediums.
Others experiment with traditional materials in realistic, expressionistic or abstract styles, relying on the tradition of artist as social critic. The participants represent a wide range of responses: horror, anger, outrage and resignation. Also at play is a spectrum of critical thinking and attempts to simply make sense of this crisis. In many works there is the quest for spirituality, and ultimately, the longing for peace.
November 20, 6-8pm
Opening Reception 6-7pm; Panel Discussion 7-8pm
RSVP required HERE
Exhibition on view by appointment until March 18th, 2026
Contact Robin at rswitzenbaum@gmail.com or Hank at henry_bernstein@comcast.net
Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art
Congregation Rodeph Shalom
615 North Broad Street; entrance on Green Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123-2417
Panel Discussion 7pm
Moderator: Ruth Fine, former curator at the National Gallery, Washington, DC.
Panelists: Curators and Artists: Yona Verwer, Joel Silverstein, Richard McBee, Jenny Edwards Ber, Goldie Gross.
Participating artists:
Siona Benjamin, Leah Caroline, Dorit Jordan Dotan, Dena Eber, Jenny Edwards Ber, Micha Eden Erdesz, Caren Garfen, Goldie Gross, Debbie Teicholz Guedalia, Robert Hirsch, Julia Holt, Judith Joseph, Tobi Kahn, Yury Kharchenko, Carol Man, Phillip Maier, Richard McBee, Hana Mendel, Michelle Moore, Yigal Ozeri, Nancy Pantirer, Mark Podwal, Leah Raab, Archie Rand, Joel Silverstein, Yona Verwer, Avraham Vofsi, Gabriel Wolff, Billha Zussman.
CATALOG
“As the Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art welcomes its 50th anniversary this year, the organization is opening a new show that may very well be one of its most important installations yet.
Called “Fallout: October 7 and the New Antisemitism,” the show explores the effects of the terrorist attacks in Israel in the fall of 2023 and how the world has changed since. The exhibition is being put on in collaboration with the Jewish Art Salon. The museum is housed at Congregation Rodeph Shalom.”
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