A HANUKKAH PROJECT: DANIEL LIBESKIND’S LINE OF FIRE

The central focus of the installation is the Line of Fire, a jagged structure in brilliant red that diagonally bisects the gallery and serves as a pedestal for the Hanukkah lamps. The Line of Fire, a recurring feature in Libeskind’s work, symbolizes the continuity of Jewish existence through sudden changes in circumstances, some of them catastrophic. In this installation, it also represents the flames of the lamps kindled on the holiday, and the spiritual and regenerative power of fire. The selection of Hanukkah lamps on view will exemplify the diversity of the Museum’s collection, from an 18th century work made from the helmet shield of a Hessian soldier who fought in the American Revolution to Karim Rashid’s 2004 Menoramorph, made from neon green silicon.