Portraits of Jews from Amsterdam next Touro talk

The third program of the Winter 2022-2023 Judah Touro Program Series features Dr. Samantha Baskind, a professor of art history. Dr. Baskind’s talk, “Picturing Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews in 17th & 18th Century Amsterdam,” will be offered via Zoom on Feb. 9 at 6 p.m.

Baskind will present the work of Rembrandt, Bernard Picart and several other artists who spent considerable time drawing and painting the Jewish residents of Amsterdam, both in the synagogue and as they went about their daily lives. Picart was one of the first to distinguish in his etchings between the Ashkenazi Jews of Germany and Eastern Europe and the Sephardic Jews of Portugal. The images produced and published by these artists give remarkable insight into the life and practices of the Jews who came to Newport in the colonial period.
Samantha Baskind is a Distinguished Professor of Art History at Cleveland State University. She earned a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of North Carolina. She has a wide range of expertise in topics ranging from how Jews were depicted in art to their role as artists in American culture and has written prolifically on most of them. She was editor for U.S. art in the 26-volume “Encyclopaedia Judaica,” and has lectured widely at universities, museums and congregations throughout the United States and abroad.

There is no fee to participate, but reservations are required to receive the Zoom login information. To reserve, visit the “Program & Events” page at tourosynagogue.org, where you may also view recordings of past presentations, or use this link: https://tinyurl.com/bdzcj85f. The program is presented by Touro Synagogue Foundation.

For more information, contact Meryle Cawley at 401-847-4794, extension 207, or meryle@tourosynagogue.org.