Adult show-and-tell
All play and some work could make the Harry G. Friedman Society wet nurse to the next generation of Judaica collectors.
On a Sunday morning some 15 years ago, I learned that although it is part of growing up to accept ice cream isn’t copacetic breakfast cuisine, some childhood penchants are timeless.
I realized this while watching grizzled Judaica collectors engage in show-and-tell at a meeting of the Harry G. Friedman Society at New York’s Jewish Museum.
From the start, I knew this group’s fascinating story was first-rate New Yorker Talk of the Town fodder, but I’m thrilled to have a considerably-longer essay on the Jewish collecting group and the future of Judaica collecting publish in Mosaic magazine today.
I spoke at length with Dr. Ira Rezak, who leads the society, and Warren Klein, heir apparent. Both shared too many good anecdotes and observations to fit in the piece, which is always a good problem to have as a reporter.
One quote—a warning—from Rezak continues to stand out in my mind.
“American people in general, and young people in particular, have been trained generically to ignore the past and only look to the future,” he told me over the phone. “They don’t look back. Let bygones be bygones. Who gives a shit where you came from, I’m an American!”
I hope readers will take a look at the piece (and highly recommend subscribing to Mosaic, which consistently publishes analysis much smarter than mine). After giving this a good deal of thought, it’s clear to me that the Friedman Society will play at least as important a role as any other organization in incubating and cultivating the next generation of Judaica collectors. That really means the future of Jewish material objects and their stories rests on the shoulders of this fascinating group.
I also recommend Rezak’s published writings, particularly “Ozymandias in San Francisco: A Medallic Memorial of the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906.”
Thanks. Though I doubt the analysis is smarter than Mr Wecker’s.