No. 8 Spring/Summer 2002 Center Launches Joshua Plaut Named New Series: Executive ‘Jews And Justice’ Director Inaugural Event Features Lecture on Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo Photographer, teacher, author, By Andrew Kaufman of Harvard Law School scholar, and soon to be Dr., Joshua Eli Plaut has been ith the generous support of the David Berg Foundation, the appointed executive director of Center for Jewish History has launched a new series of lectures the Center for Jewish History, and colloquia that will explore “Jews and Justice,” the Jewish effective September 1, 2002. contribution to the development and practice of law and legal Mr. Plaut succeeds Dr. Lois institutions. Co-sponsored by the Louis Stein Center for Law Cronholm, the Center’s first and Ethics of Fordham University Law School, “Jews and executive director, and Joseph WJustice” was inaugurated May 2, 2002, with an address by Andrew L. Kaufman, D. Becker, founder of a distin- Charles Stebbins Fairchild Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, speaking on guished law firm in New York “The Jewish Influence on Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo.” City and member of the Center’s Professor Kaufman’s address was followed by three responses from, respectively, Board of Directors, who served Rabbi Marc Angel of Congregation Shearith Israel (the synagogue to which Justice as interim executive director Cardozo’s family belonged); Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action during the search for Dr. Center of Reform Judaism; and Suzanne Stone, professor of law at the Benjamin N. Cronholm’s replacement. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University. Additionally, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, a former student of Professor Kaufman at Harvard, introduced “I greatly admire all that has the series, and David Rudenstine, dean of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, been accomplished to date by introduced Professor Kaufman. the Center supporters and the Continued on page 2 individual partner organizations,” Continued on page 4 Save the Date! “Jews and Justice” contin- ues on Monday evening, September 9, 2002, with a lecture by Aharon Barak, New York State Attorney General President of the Supreme Eliot Spitzer (left) and Court of Israel. Watch the Professor Andrew L. Kaufman (right) prepare to address mail for further details. “The Jewish Influence on Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo.” Marty Heitner Continued from page 1 The Center for Jewish History News ‘Jews and Justice’ Published by the Center for Jewish History 15 West 16th Street While stating that Justice Cardozo, “Judaism is a legal system as well as a New York, NY 10011 212-294-8301 who once described himself as a hea- religion,” she noted. “A case can be made Fax: 212-294-8302 then, “abhorred the notion that he, as a that Justice Cardozo’s legal decisions Website: www.cjh.org Jewish judge, should behave in a particu- had a strong affinity with Jewish law.” Board of Directors lar way,” Professor Kaufman noted that The evening was moderated by Russell Bruce Slovin, Chair “the notion of duty and honor are writ G. Pearce, professor of law at Fordham, Joseph D. Becker, Vice Chair large in Cardozo’s jurisprudence.” who serves as curator for the “Jews and Kenneth J. Bialkin, Vice Chair Erica Jesselson, Vice Chair “Where did that come from?” Justice” series. The program on Justice Joseph Greenberger, Secretary Professor Kaufman asked. Cardozo was presented in association with Michael A. Bamberger The first respondent, Rabbi Angel, the American Sephardi Federation. ■ George Blumenthal took a somewhat different view. He Marlene Brill believes that Justice Cardozo did not Eva Cohn Henry L. Feingold make a break with Judaism and that it Michael Jesselson influenced his work to a greater extent Leon Levy than Professor Kaufman allowed. Sidney Lapidus Theodore N. Mirvis Rabbi Saperstein, in his response, Nancy T. Polevoy posed the questions, “How do you Robert Rifkind prove one philosophical system affected Board of Overseers another? One legal system affected Stanley I. Batkin Burton P. Resnick another?” He went on to consider the Kenneth J. Bialkin Robert Rifkind difficulty of these questions in terms of Leonard Blavatnik Arthur Samberg Cardozo’s work. George Blumenthal Bernard Selz The final respondent, Professor Stone, Arturo Constantiner Bruce Slovin Mark Goldman Mary Smart claimed that “Jewish law may not have Sidney Lapidus Edward Steinberg influenced Justice Cardozo, but Justice Leon Levy Joseph S. Steinberg Cardozo influenced Jewish law and Ira A. Lipman Roy Zuckerberg Theodore N. Mirvis Jewish legal thinking.” The Center for Jewish History Joseph D. Becker Executive Director Joshua Eli Plaut Executive Director (as of September 1, 2002) Ira Berkowitz above and left: Professor Suzanne Stone Associate Executive Director and Rabbi David Saperstein respond Chief Financial Officer to Professor Andrew L. Kaufman’s presentation on Justice Cardozo. Suzanne Maltz Director of Development Barbara Goldberg Professor Russell G. Pearce (right), Director of Public Relations curator of the “Jews and Justice” series, Michael Winter talks with participant Rabbi Marc Angel Director of Operations of Congregation Shearith Israel (left). Lynne Winters Program Coordinator American Jewish Historical Society Michael Feldberg, Executive Director American Sephardi Federation Vivienne Roumani-Denn, Executive Director Leo Baeck Institute Carol Kahn Strauss, Executive Director Yeshiva University Museum Sylvia Herskowitz, Director YIVO Institute For Jewish Research Carl J. Rheins, Executive Director The Center Newsletter is made possible, in part, by The Liman Foundation. Jessica Weber Design, Inc., NYC Design All photos this feature by Marty Heitner 2 Pittsburgh Artist Diane Samuels Awarded Great Hall Art Commission ollowing a The Steinberg Great Hall Center’s collections, and A resident of Pittsburgh process of is a familiar site to everyone will be visiting the Center for more than 30 years, Ms. more than a visiting the Center, as all throughout the summer and Samuels was born in New year, the visitors must pass through early fall to gather hand- York. She attended Carnegie Center has this elegant, versatile space writing samples and other Mellon University, where awarded Diane to gain access to the Lillian materials for possible she received both a bachelor’s FSamuels, a prominent artist Goldman Reading Room, inclusion on the wall. degree and master’s degree and sculptor, the commis- the Genealogy Institute, “The arrangement of the in fine arts. She also holds a sion to create an original, exhibition halls, the Leo and text will be determined tile diploma from the Institute permanent artwork for the Julia Forchheimer Auditori- by tile before the artwork is in Arts Administration at two-story-high wall in the um, and staff offices. It also built,” Ms. Samuels contin- Harvard University. Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg frequently is used for ued. “Assembling the thou- In December 2000, Great Hall. Described as an dinners and receptions. sands of small tiles in the she was awarded the artist “absorbed with the As described by Ms. correct pre-determined Westmoreland Society’s embodiment of language,” Samuels in her proposal, order will require care not Gold Medal in ceremonies Ms. Samuels submitted a the stone and glass tiles unlike the care shown by the at the Westmoreland winning proposal that com- arranged on the wall will be Center itself in ordering its Museum of American Art bines literal elements from rectangular in shape and in collections.” in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. the Center’s collections with shades of white, off-white In addition to the actual The award, which was insti- a wall-size “mosaic tablet” of and cream, some polished, artwork, Ms. Samuels also tuted in 1986, is given to a approximately 15,000 stone some matte. The background plans to prepare a “hand- person who has made a and glass tiles, suggestive of will be made of rubbed, pol- book” guide, cross- “significant contribution to a page of the Talmud. ished plaster that is darker referencing locations in the the arts.” The Center’s Art than the stones and glass. artwork and the source for It is estimated that Ms. Commission has been made “The dark floor of the each element. Copies of the Samuels’ artwork will be possible by a grant from Great Hall (inlaid terrazzo handbook will be placed in completed and installed at The Joseph S. and Diane H. designed by artist Michele the Great Hall and on the the Center for Jewish Steinberg Charitable Trust. Oka Doner) glimmers like a balcony near the wall for use History in 2003. ■ Ms. Samuels, who resides in night sky,” Ms. Samuels as reference books. Pittsburgh, was selected explained. “The wall will be from an original pool of like a day sky full of light some 80 prominent artists, and bright reflections. The nominated by a distinguished visitor will get an overall selection committee com- impression of the image, posed of representatives of but to read the details, the Artist Diane Samuels the Center as well as mem- text, he or she will have to bers of the museum and art approach the wall.” communities. The Center’s Each tile will bear one Art Commission is coordi- alphabet letter or will be nated by independent cura- blank. The source of the tor Dara Meyers-Kingsley. letters will be text Ms. “The heart, the soul of the Samuels plans to extract Center,” Ms. Samuels noted, from manuscripts, diaries, “are the collections, the letters, documents, and archives, the libraries, and books in the collections of the people who use them. the Center and from work For visitors, the Great Hall created by the many is like a table of contents groups of children who and preface. It is the begin- visit the Center for art ning, the introduction to the workshops. Center and to its mission to Ms. Samuels hopes to preserve and illuminate his- include the entire variety tory, culture and language.” of alphabets and writing systems found within the 3 Continued from page 1 Joshua Plaut Mr.