Currently on display in the permanent collection: The Guerry Columns by Georges Jeanclos, first floor, Chambre du Duc
the mahJ is now open again
After a closure due to the CORONAVIRUS-COVID 19 from 13 March to 6 June, we are happy to inform you that the mahJ is open in compliance with the health rules in force including wearing a mask.
Please also notice that the cloakroom is currently closed.
We thank you very much for your support during these weeks of confinement: your donations to the mahJ, the transformation of reservations into donations as well as your messages of solidarity helped us to prepare for the reopening of the museum.
News
Group guided tours in several languages
Available from 1st september 2020, with specific measures linked to Covid 19 epidemic, for a safe visit. Book now online
Discover the Fondation Pro mahJ
It supports the museum’s activities, particularly its exhibition and publishing programmes and the enrichment of the collection.
The foundation promotes the work of artists from the Paris School and has a collection of exceptional works illustrating the heritage of Jewish cultures in Europe and around the Mediterranean rim.
mahJ's collection related to synagogues
comprises rare objects collected since the 19th century, as the most ancient wooden Torah ark still in existence, coming from Modene, Italy, 1472, made of sculpted, inlaid and painted walnut wood. Attributed to a renowned artist who worked for the Este family, it's an evidence of the integration of the italian Jews of that time.
Contemporary art in mahJ's collection
The mahJ works on a long-term basis with Jewish and non-Jewish artists, always in a spirit of open-mindedness, to create resonances with the objects and themes in the permanent collection. The key works give an insight of mahJ's collection in contemporary art.
French Jewish history in mahJ's collection
One of the key works, Homage to Captain Dreyfus, a sculpture by Tim, welcomes visitors in mahJ's main courtyard. This monumental portrayal of Captain Dreyfus has particular significance for the mahJ because the Dreyfus Affair marked a hiatus in the process of integration of French Jews, unparalleled in the world, initiated by their emancipation by the French Revolution in 1791.
Jewish daily life in mahJ's collection
Beautiful objects describe daily life of Jews living on Mediterranean rim and Eastern Europe or Alsace, cloths for ritual bathing, spice boxes, traditional costumes in 19th or early 20th century, but also an exceptional oil lamp from the 3rd century...
Festivals and ceremonies in mahJ's collection
mahJ's collection comprises numbers of magnificent objects linked to festivals and ceremonies. One of our must see is a painted dismantable hut for the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkah), a masterpiece of Jewish folk art coming from Austria or southern Germany, mid 19th century. It's the oldest and most elaborated of the three surviving examples of sukkot preserved in museums.
Modern art in mahJ's collection
The museum displays numerous Modern artists in its permanent collection, such as Joseph Budko, Marc Chagall, Alice Halicka, Jacques Lipchitz, El Lissitzky, Simon Mondzain, Chana Orloff, Abel Pann, Jules Pascin, Chaim Soutine, Hermann Struck.
