Meet Curator Abigail Rapoport "The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt"

at the Jewish Museum for a Private Curated Preview Tour and Noshes @ Lox inside The Museum

List of guests will be provided by March 4th 2025, otherwise tickets can be purchased here

In the age of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 – 1669), the biblical Book of Esther was a key source of inspiration for diverse communities in Holland, both Jewish and Christian. Traditionally, the Story of Esther is read annually on the Jewish holiday of Purim. For immigrant Jewish communities living with new freedom in more tolerant Amsterdam, celebrating Purim—notably through finely produced Esther scrolls and theater productions—became meaningful expressions of Jewish culture. For the Dutch, Queen Esther’s heroism came to represent their emerging nation’s identity. Rembrandt and his contemporaries depicted essential scenes of Esther’s story in paintings, prints, drawings, and decorative arts. This exhibition expresses…