Wolloch Haggadah: a portfolio of 36 hand-printed lithographs
The Rubin-Frankel Gallery
Apr. 30, 2024 - Jun. 22, 2012
The Rubin-Frankel Gallery has, as part of its permanent collection, the entirety of The Wolloch Haggadah: a portfolio of 36 hand-printed lithographs, the artist’s original signed prints, from which there is a published book. Commissioned by the Wolloch family, the images within this collection link the ancient redemption from Egypt with the Holocaust in memory of their family members who perished during World War II. The Wolloch Haggada will be displayed during Passover as well as Yom Ha’Shoa (the day of remembrance of the Holocaust). The powerful images it contains juxtapose images from the Holocaust with the traditional text of the Haggadah, resonating not only with Israel’s ancient enslavement but with the catastrophe of the recent past. It has been shown at Duke University and has been featured in the New York Times. The artists, illustrator David Wander and calligrapher Yonah Weinreb, juxtapose the themes of the Exodus and the Holocaust by emphasizing the common histories of slavery, violence, and burning books, and the Star of David along with the traditional Hebrew text of the Haggadah. He also includes beautiful borders, flowers, and the Israeli flag to symbolize the coming freedom of the Jewish people. The drawings contain no human figures, signifying the absence of those who perished during the Holocaust.