The Jewish Museum of Australia - Gandel Center of Judaica (JMA) - is currently showcasing the remarkable Chagall Windows, located at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem, and Marc Chagall’s lifetime work. The beautifully curated exhibition, dedicated to the museum’s visionary inaugural director, the late Dr Helen Light AM, opened earlier this month. It is a must see for those keen to be transported into the dream world of one of the 20th century’s greatest artists.
L-R Hadassah Australia Committee member, Harry Rosenberg, Dorit Jaffe, Ruth Rosen, Dr Larry Light (husband of the late Dr Helen Light AM)
The exhibition highlights the stunning Chagall windows throughout JMA’s permanent and temporary exhibition spaces and is, in the words of curator, Jade Niklai, an immersive experience. She notes: “Chagall is remembered for his highly personal visual language, and poignant consideration of universal and timeless themes such as joy, love and melancholy. Combining the Jewish folkloric painterly roots of his native Russia and the Parisian avant-garde, with fauvist, cubist, and expressionist styles, Chagall created a sensibility that was truly his own, with his name and influence held by many alongside Picasso, Matisse and Monet.”
The actual story of the windows is marvellous.
“What took you so long?” was the unexpected, yet most welcome, response to a request made of Marc Chagall. The world-renowned artist interrupted, mid-sentence, an appeal for him to create a piece of artwork for Hadassah. “I’ve been waiting my entire life to be asked to serve the Jewish people,” he continued.
This was the late 1950s. Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem was still being built. And people were still recovering from the aftermath of World War II and from the War of Independence in Israel.
Miriam Freund, national president of Hadassah USA at the time, had travelled to France with other Hadassah women to make the ask, armed with little hope Chagall would accept. To their surprise and elation, he not only agreed but offered to produce an entire series of artworks, if he had free rein on style and subject.
The end result: 12 magnificent stained-glass windows that dazzle the eye in what is now the Abbell Synagogue at Hadassah Ein Kerem.
These windows were Chagall’s window of opportunity to give back to his people — a source of hope and light, illuminating the road taking the Jewish people from difficult times to a brighter future. The windows adhere to his usual colour palette of vivid blues, reds, greens, and yellows and the subject of abstract biblical motifs, with each window portraying one of the twelve tribes of Israel from the Book of Genesis.
On March 28, Chagall’s yahrzeit, Hadassah celebrated the artist for his contribution — a gift of hope that will remain for future generations to see.
We encourage you to visit the JMA exhibition which celebrates Chagall’s work, including remembering Dr Helen Light’s first large-scale exhibition in 1995, Chagall and the Bible.
L-R Hadassah Australia Development Director Dorit Jaffe and Executive Director Ruth Rosen
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