Press Release for Project “Holy Land”: Yaakov Benor-Kalter’s Photographs of British Mandate Palestine, 1923-1940

PRESS RELEASE
Media contact: Lisa Davis | 510-643-2526 | lisa.davis@berkeley.edu

The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at UC Berkeley presents Project “Holy Land”: Yaakov Benor-Kalter’s Photographs of British Mandate Palestine, 1923-1940

On View August 28–December 14, 2018 at The Magnes

BERKELEY— For nearly two decades, Yaakov (Jacob) Benor-Kalter (1897-1969) traversed the Old City of Jerusalem, documenting renowned historical monuments, ambiguous subjects in familiar alleyways, and scores of “new Jews” building a new homeland. Benor-Kalter’s photographs smoothly oscillate between two worlds, and two Holy Lands, with one lens.

After immigrating from Poland to the British Mandate of Palestine, Benor-Kalter soon found work as a photographer and graphic designer, employed by both the British government and several Zionist organizations. His photographs, taken between 1923 and 1940, established a new visual record, providing a romanticized glimpse into the British colonial endeavor while offering a contemporary view of the plans to create a modern Jewish State in the region.

This exhibition presents a complete photograph portfolio and a selection of postcards featuring some of Benor-Kalter’s most captivating images.

Visiting The Magnes
2121 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-6300. Gallery hours: Tuesdays–Fridays, 11:00 am–4:00 pm, August 28–December 14, 2018.

Tickets
All programs, events, and exhibitions are free and open to the public.

Exhibition Organization
This exhibition is organized by The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life. Presenting Sponsors: the Helzel Family Foundation, the Magnes Museum Foundation, The Magnes Leadership Circle, and The Office of the Chancellor at the University of California, Berkeley.

Exhibition Team
Curator: Zoe Lewin
Curatorial team: Francesco Spagnolo and Shir Gal Kochavi
Undergraduate Curatorial Assistant: Anna Tseselsky (URAP)
Registrar: Julie Franklin
Preparator: Ernest Jolly
Marketing and Publicity: Lisa Davis
Design: Chun Designs

Social Media
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#magnes | #themagnes | #ProjectHolyLand

About The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, UC Berkeley
The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life was established in 2010 following the transfer of the Judah L. Magnes Museum to the University of California, Berkeley. Its remarkably diverse archive, library and museum holdings include art, objects, texts, music, and historical documents about the Jews in the Global Diaspora and the American West. As one of the world’s preeminent Jewish collections in a university setting, it provides highly innovative and accessible resources to both researchers the general public.