Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation
Description
This paper examines how synagogue décor was tailored to enhance the resilience of local Jewish communities facing existential challenges. It focuses on three depictions of ostriches in three early modern synagogues—one in Ukraine and two painted by Eliezer-Zusman of Brody, Ukraine, in German territories. Each showcases unique features that address the self-image and psychological needs of the local Jewish community while connecting to regional legends and traditions. In Hvizdets, Ukraine, an ostrich gazing at three eggs illustrated a sense of security and conveyed shared moral values among local Jewish and Christian Orthodox communities. After being transferred from Ukraine to the smaller and more vulnerable communities of Horb am Main and Unterlimpurg in German territories, the depictions of ostriches were customized to represent common legends about the Shamir’s role in constructing the Temple, thus embodying the hope for miraculous redemption.
Period
4 Jun 2025
Event title
New perspectives and works in progress on Ukrainian Jewry