A few years after I began working as director and curator of the Temple Judea Museum, I realized that among the KI membership were a number of formally trained, professional artists who were interested in the museum and were centers of influence in their own worlds. As an artist myself I am well aware that a special relationship exists between artists and material culture. Most love museums and this is especially true of KI artists. They are always the first to volunteer to help out with exhibitions, the collection and special projects. In 2006 the TJM Artists’ Collaborative was formed to give us a formal way to promote the presence of our member artists. Through their activities the entire KI community has drawn closer and our permanent collection has come to life in unexpected ways.

A peak achievement for the collaboration of our artists and the museum is the upcoming exhibition, “Unpacking the Jewish Journey,” a project of guest curator, TJM Collaborative artist, Leon Chudzinski. Almost two years ago I offered our artists the opportunity to curate an original exhibition. Leon came to me with the idea for an exhibition about the Jewish diaspora. Since that time he has been working steadily to research the history of the Jewish journey around the world and to explore the museum’s collection in depth to identify the objects that would help him tell the story. He met with both Rabbi Sussman and Rabbi David to gain their insights. He reached out to other TJM artists to find those who might want to be part of this journey into Jewish history through art. He created his own images, including an impressive 3-D, multimedia Independence Hall!

I know you will agree with me that the result – opening February 14th at Shabbat services – is impressive. Leon has reconfigured our gallery space into an exciting installation of art and artifacts. The story is so big that we are devoting much of the year – through November – to this one exhibition. A series of Curator Roundtable discussions will be held monthly so that you will have the chance to meet Leon and our artists to learn about their perspective on the Unpacking of the Jewish Journey.

Rita Rosen Poley

Director/Curator

Unpacking the Jewish Journey ~ Curator’s Message

The curatorial challenge to explore the Jewish Diaspora through an exhibition has been an inspired undertaking.  My personal journey started 35 years ago when I met my Jewish husband and then met his large extended family for the first time at a Yom Kippur break-fast. During the evening over a glass of orange juice, I naively asked two questions, “Is being Jewish a religion or a nationality and why do Jews have such a troubled history?”   The response was quick, “When you figure that out, let us know and we can solve a lot of problems.”

How to express this abundant, complex and emotional history in a 1,000 SF gallery space without the exhibition becoming “meshuggah” was the challenge.  It took a trip to Israel, over a year of daily research of everything Jewish, a deep dive into the TJM collection, and at times, difficult discussions as I strived to establish cross-examining messages between exhibits to aid in the storyline progression.   

The expressions of artists of the Temple Judea Museum Artists Collaborative are crucial to the success of this visual story. The artists’ works are their responses to my exhibit themes that chronologically carry the exhibition. Once their individual concepts were determined, I searched the TJM collection for objects that would enhance their messaging and complement the exhibition storyline.  The addition of targeted texts, graphics and narrative poetry further expands the experience.

Creating this exhibition has affirmed my love of the Jewish faith, culture and people and helped me gain a deeper understanding of the creative and historic influences that shaped the lives of Jews in both the Diaspora and Israel.   

I have nothing but gratitude toward the participating artists, the TJM Museum Director, Rita Rosen Poley, who invited me to create “Unpacking the Jewish Journey,” and the extended KI family for their support.  It has truly been nothing short of a life-changing experience for me and, hopefully this exhibition will provide a glimpse of a Jewish identity that inspires viewers to seek out a greater understanding of the Jewish diasporic experience.

Leon J. Chudzinski, Curator

February-November 2025. Stay tuned for more!

Select First Fridays Before Shabbat services 6:15 – 6:45: Remarks in the gallery with guest curator, Leon Chudzinski and some of the artists and, again during the Oneg Shabbat. 

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Marlene Adler
Irina Bakis
Leon Chudzinski
Rhea Dennis
Alina Dolitsky
Cheryl Harper
Doug Heath
Bonnie Kane
Jan Marshall
Paula Mandel
Robyn Miller
Joan Meyerson Shrager
Dana Perlman
Walter Plotnick
Karen Schloss
Linda Schwartz
Maxine Schwartz
Rob Sirota
Stan Singer