Contemporary Jewish Museum Opens New Building Sunday

Designed by Daniel Libeskind, the new Contemporary Jewish Museum building in San Francisco is filled with light, angular lines, and creative energy, seemingly streaming through the 36 diamond-shaped skylights. With plenty of air, eggshell-white walls, and prismatic reflections playing on shiny surfaces, nothing is random in this treasure trove of meanings. “I was inspired by this space—the power station,” said Libeskind at the press opening. “I had a vision of L’Chaim [To Life]. This is the most positive idea that Jewish people have contributed to the world. I was inspired by San Francisco, by Yerba Buena. We remember the Holocaust, but unlike Jewish museums in Europe, this place is about America, about the West Coast. It celebrates the Jewish life, humanity, and diversity.” To reflect this concept, the architect based his design scheme on the two Hebrew letters—“chet” and “yud” pronounced in the blue steel-covered modern extension of the Willis Polk’s historic main building, whose original entrance portal and interior features remained intact or carefully restored. The Grand Lobby spells out PaRDes—a Hebrew expression “garden beyond,” which is a combination of four levels of meanings—literal, allegorical, allusive (moral), and secret, and also is a predecessor of the word “paradise.” The 36 skylights are consistent with the letter “chai” and number 18, both referring to “life.” Combined, all those fascinating facets of meaning reflect the non-collecting museum’s philosophy of embracing diversity and multiple interpretations through artistic and educational programs. For the Grand Opening coming this Sunday free to the public, there are several remarkable art exhibits on view. “In the Beginning: Artists Respond to Genesis,” includes Rodin and Chagall artwork; “From The New Yorker to Shrek: The Art of William Steig” presents the classic cartoonist’s oeuvre, and “Being Jewish. A Bay Area Portrait” is compiled of amateur photographs on the subject, including Hasidic surfers’ and lesbian wedding pics. Upcoming shows: Andy Warhol’s “Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century,” “Chagall and the Artists of the Russian Jewish Theater,” and “Seeing Gertrude Stein” among many others. “Education is at the heart of our museum,” said Janine Okmin, the Director of Education—and free family programs, free admission under 18 y.o., free public tours, classrooms, and teen docents’ programs are on offer. Target Family Day Grand Opening is on Sunday, June 8 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Contemporary Jewish Museum is located at 736 Mission St., SF. To order free times tickets for the opening, go to http://www.thecjm.org/.