Carved Memories: Heritage in Stone from the Russian Jewish Pale [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

~ David Goberman (Author), Robert Pinsky (Introduction), Gershon Hundert (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For more than a century, Russian Jews were restricted to residence in the western provinces of Russia, the so-called Pale of Settlement. In this fascinating volume, 125 duotone photographs document the carved tombstones of this region, specifically present-day Ukraine and Moldova. The stones are poignant memorials to the lost world of the shtetl and practically all that remain of a major Jewish art tradition. They are also unique genealogical records for Americans descended from Russian Jewry. The photographs, made by the artist and photographer David Goberman from the 1930s through the 1960s, are in many cases the sole documentation of tombstones that have been effaced or destroyed.

An introduction by Robert Pinsky resonates with the once-vibrant culture of Eastern Jewry. Essays by Goberman and Gershon Hundert, an expert on the history of Jewish life in Russia, place the tombstones in their artistic and cultural setting, and explain the Jewish traditions surrounding their creation. The images are organized by the regions where the cemeteries are located, and captions include translations of the Hebrew and Yiddish inscriptions on the stones. Published to accompany an exhibition organized by The Brooklyn Museum of Art, this book is an essential contribution to the history of Jewish art and culture.

About the Author

David Goberman has published widely in Russia on folk art traditions.

Robert Pinsky is the Poet Laureate of the United States.

Gershon Hundert is Chairman of the Jewish Studies Program at McGill University, Montreal.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications; 1st Edition. edition (January 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847822567
• ISBN-13: 978-0847822560
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,689,724 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jewish Folk Art in Stone, January 11, 2000

By	Steven E. Halliwell (New York) - See all my reviews

There are over 100 photographs of tombstones from Jewish towns (shtetls) in Ukraine and Moldova taken by a Russian photographer surreptitiously during the 1950's and 1960's in the Soviet Union. The images range from lions and dragons to seahorses and rabbits -- Jewish stonecarvers used the stones for artistic expression, as well as text to describe the deceased (translated in detail on many stones). The book was published to coincide with an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum that opens on January 13 and runs through April. Many of the stones shown here were torn up during the Stalin regime and used to make factory steps or fish ponds, so this is the only historical record.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Records of beauty of a lost world, January 31, 2000

By	Larry Mark, editor of MyJewishBooks.com (Scranton, PA) - See all my reviews

In conjunction with the show at The Brooklyn Museum of Art this Winter, Rizzoli has published the photos by the Russian photographer, David Goberman, aged 88, which he took from the 1930s through the 1960s of Jewish gravestones. The photos document the vanishing art of stone carvers and highlights themes of folk art and spiritual belief. The photos also provide a timeless record of Jewish tradition in the Ukraine and Moldova. Intricately carved motifs include crowns of the Torah, signs of the Kohanim (split fingers), birds, fallen fruit, a single candle, a broken tree and three small chicks (for the mother who dies leaving three young children), fish, deer, unicorns, bear, lions, and fighting lions. Those with menorahs, grapes and water jugs usually represented Levites. Peacocks represent paradise. An excellent book to cherish and learn from.