Preserving Jewish and Israeli Art: Our Purpose, Our Calling
The work we’ve done at ArtéQuesta to preserve and protect Jewish and Israeli art is not only engrained in our mission as agents of humanity, it is also a task that continues to develop as the world, politics and circumstances rapidly change amidst a challenging global landscape. When ArtéQuesta began researching, locating and purchasing artworks that were significant to the creation of the State of Israel, many people wondered why Israel’s history would need protecting. Essentially, history is but a compilation of events that are then documented, verified, and become facts. That being said, if history isn’t documented or verified, “history” becomes a fable; an un-truth, if you will. Then, if enough people believe history happened a different or opposite way of how the events actually took place, then these important events, important people, and important facts can be changed or rewritten. We see this today in much anti-Israel and anti-Semitic movements sweeping cities and communities across the globe.
Beginning 5776 years ago, Jewish people have been indigenous to what is known as modern day Israel and the Middle East. Known as the Mizrahi Jews, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizrahi_Jews ) they had a rich history of developing the arts and culture in every land in which they settled. Known for their contributions to the arts, museums, education, science and more, Mizrahi Jews helped to develop a thriving world in the Middle East and North Africa for thousands of years. Sadly, they were subject to persecution and expulsion, and were repeatedly forced to flee these countries with merely the clothes on their backs; leaving behind their cultural treasures and contributions.
“Today, ‘Revisionist’ history of the Middle East conveniently excludes the fact that over half of Israel’s Jewish population lives there not because of European atrocities during World War II, but because of Anti-Jewish Arab governments who dispossessed and displaced native Jewish populations. This happened before Israel became a state and continued after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.” –JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa) http://www.jimena.org/jimena-country-by-country/
While Israel faces many threats on a daily basis, threats that the world may frequently overlook, her rich heritage and culture is still very much alive through the story told through her visual arts. Much like a time period in history, the artworks of a specific age gives us a window into an event, the culture, human development, and achievements of that period of time. Artworks that originally hung in the Knesset, Yad Vashem, the Israeli President’s residence, Beit She’an, Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth, Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, The Western Wall and more tell the history of Israel’s journey to independence and the story of Israel’s rebirth as a sovereign Jewish State. This was and always has been a dream come true for Jews around the world. Without these artworks and treasures history can be retold, rewritten or changed. A false narrative of occupation, aggression, and other incorrect storylines can easily influence even those who mean well in its telling.
Why we preserve Jewish and Israeli art is a continuous race to preserve the history and existence of Jewry of what many extremists and well-intentioned people who remain unaware of the actual facts are trying to erase today. We are still locating, rescuing and restituting Nazi-looted art 70 years later. With those who are actively destroying historical sites, records, as well as the history of Jews having lived indigenously in the Middle East and North Africa, our efforts must become more fervent each day. We must do our part to save Jewish history, and the history of cultures all over the world who still have a voice and story to tell.
By Rayah Levy, Art Market Expert
LinkedIn, January 7, 2016:
https://lnkd.in/bGrHC6e
