Bernard Museum of Judaica
Welcome to the Temple Emanu-El Bernard Museum of Judaica. The exquisite artifacts of community and ceremonial life that make up the Bernard Museum’s permanent collection offer a vivid perspective on the diversity of Jewish culture through the ages.
The museum is currently closed to in-person visitors for the summer season and will reopen on September 15. In the interim, we encourage you to explore our collection virtually via Bloomberg Connects.
Our Judaica Collection
With pieces dating back to the 14th century, Bernard’s permanent collection features ritual and household objects both precious and humble, along with memorabilia from diverse Jewish cultures and eras.
Explore the Museum on Bloomberg Connects
The Bernard Museum of Judaica’s digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app is now available. It gives visitors access to behind-the-scenes insights, curator talks, artists’ commentary and collection highlights, all from their mobile devices. We encourage you to download the Bloomberg Connects app to explore the museum and discover our rich portfolio.
Past Exhibitions
All About Herzl: The Exhibition
The All About Herzl exhibition will showcase a wide array of original Herzl documents, ephemera, artifacts and memorabilia. Drawn from the collections of the Theodore Herzl Archive at the World Zionist Organization, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and from David Matlow – owner of the world’s largest private collection of Herzl memorabilia – the display will lead visitors along Herzl’s extraordinary journey, from his youth as an ardent Germanophile to his experiences with the rising tide of European antisemitism that led him to conclude that Jew-hating would neither be defeated nor cured, leaving the establishment of a Jewish state as the only route to safety.
Etrog: The Wandering Fruit
The etrog is a curious fruit, rarely seen in grocery stores or used in kitchens. Yet the citron, as it is called in English, is an indispensable part of the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot that has accompanied the Jewish people on long twists and turns.
The fruit is so rare that medieval Jewish communities appointed special emissaries to locate and acquire it. Wealthy connoisseurs commissioned ornate boxes of wood and precious metals to protect it for the seven days of its use. Even today, just one man grows the etrog commercially in the US — and he’s a Presbyterian!
The artifacts, manuscripts, fine silver and ephemera on display present the story of this small object as a tale of home-away-from-home, of wandering and belonging, tradition and innovation, climate and commerce, a symbol of the peculiarities of Jewish peoplehood.
Violins of Hope
As we mark the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the haunting strains of the Violins of Hope will echo throughout our Main Sanctuary during a special Shabbat service and concert in conjunction with the Violins of Hope: Every Violin has a Story exhibition.
More Past Exhibitions
Exploring art, history and even pop culture, click to view some of the unique exhibitions we have proudly hosted over the years.
Temple Archives
Cataloging and preserving documents, papers, minutes and memorabilia related to the congregation and its members. Archives are available for scholarly use only. Contact the curator for more information.
