Out in the World

Belgium Brazil Canada France Germany Switzerland

United States - New York United States - Los Angeles Honoring Jack Nash Palm Beach Israeli Friends in Paris Ron Arad Special Edition

Belgium

The Belgian Friends of the Israel Museum, Co-Chaired by Herman Tob and Avi Keitelman, held its first ever event in Brussels on February 8, 2009, at the auction house of Pierre Bergé and Associates. Two hundred and forty younger Belgian friends and their families enjoyed a private preview of highlights from the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, prior to their auction at Christie’s Paris two weeks later. James Snyder, speaking about the Museum and its international circle of friends, congratulated the cochairs and the organizing committee led by Valerie Palacios Keitelman and Catherine Weiser Tob, noting the remarkable phenomenon of extended family participation among our Belgian friends. The previous evening, Emmy and Herman Tob hosted veteran Belgian friends for dinner at their Antwerp home; and on the evening following the event, Valerie and Avi Keitelman hosted new friends for dinner at home in Brussels.

Brazil

Fifty-one participants from eight countries enjoyed a very full International Executive Council program in Brazil from February 27 to March 4, 2009, superbly organized by Evelyn Ioschpe and Chella Safra. During two days in Rio de Janeiro, the group enjoyed visits to private collections, a retrospective exhibition of the work of Vic Muniz at the Museum of Modern Art, and Shabbat dinner at the Fundacion Eva Klabin. The program culminated with the color and excitement of the Carnaval at the Sambodromo, the climax of each year’s Carnaval festivities. The participants then traveled on to São Paulo where they enjoyed viewings of private art collections, a visit to the studio of the Campana brothers, and warm home hospitality provided by the members of our Brazilian Friends’ Executive Committee: Moise and Chella Safra, Isaac and Silvia Rossett, Katy Borger, and Sheila Mann Hara. The closing dinner, attended by many local friends and leaders of São Paulo’s cultural community, was hosted at home by Evelyn and Ivoncy Ioschpe. The official meeting of the International Executive Council was hosted at the Safras’ residence on March 3, co-chaired by Maureen Cogan and Marion Naggar.

Canada

In October 2008, the Canadian Friends of the Israel Museum (CFIM), in association with Christie’s, celebrated “Israel @ 60” in Toronto and Montreal with two outstanding evenings entitled “In the Loupe,” showcasing gems, jewels, and watches from Christie’s December sales. Funds raised by these events support free Museum admission for Israeli children. Special guests included Israel’s Consul General Amir Gissin; Maureen Cogan and Marion Naggar, Co-Chairs of the Museum’s International Council; CFIM National Co-Chairs Wendy and Elliott Eisen; Suzanne Davis, President of Christie’s Canada; and James Snyder and Daniel Ben-Natan from the Museum.
In Toronto on October 28, patrons spanning three generations enjoyed a two-tiered evening at the opulent Casa Loma. An elegant dinner for CFIM’s Annual Partners was followed by a stimulating lecture on jewelry and watches. Later in the evening, CFIM’s Young Associates joined to celebrate a night of “Royalty and Riches” with a dessert reception, live entertainment, and a breakdancing troupe of jesters, kings, and queens

On October 30 in Montreal, CFIM hosted cocktails at the home of Senator E. Leo Kolber, where Christie’s jewels and watches were again on display. Festivities continued at the mountaintop home of Herbert Black, where Annual Partners and event Patrons enjoyed an elegant dinner overlooking the lights of Montreal. Suzanne Davis conducted a lively auction of items that included a uniquely designed necklace by award-winning jeweler Gloria Bass; a portfolio of photographs by five prominent Israeli photographers; and a private luncheon and guided tour of Christie’s, New York.
On March 26, the CFIM’s Young Associates celebrated their first anniversary, launching the 2009 season at the Edward Day Gallery in Toronto with an art lottery entitled “Spin Booze or Draw.” The event, chaired by Jamie David Greenberg, Laurence Payne, and Natalie Shapiro, featured the work of eighteen of Toronto’s leading contemporary artists, and attracted 200 young patrons.

France

Our French Friends held their annual gala in the special ambience of the Louvre Pyramid on November 25, 2008. Organized by Co- Presidents Mimette Drommelschlager Klugman and Philippe Cohen, the event drew 400 guests, including a group from the Association of Israeli Friends led by Co-Chairs Susie and Dan Propper. Henri Loyrette, Director of the Louvre Museum, welcomed the guests, graciously opening all of the museum’s galleries for gala participants and reflecting on the collegial resonances between the Louvre and the Israel Museum. Among the international participants were IMJ Director James Snyder; International Council Co-Chairs Maureen Cogan and Marion Naggar; British Friends Honorary President Janice Atkin; and IMJ Vice President for Development and International Relations Danny Ben-Natan. The glittering event raised $350,000, earmarked for the newly designated French Pavilion at the Museum entrance.

Germany

A very successful program was organized on April 3–4 by the Association of German Friends under the leadership of its new Chair, Sonja Lahnstein-Kandel, Honorary Executive Director Jürgen Seidel, and Deputy Chairman Bernhard Elias, marking the opening of the exhibition Woman with a Camera: Liselotte Grschebina, Germany 1908 – Israel 1994 at Berlin’s Martin-Gropius-Bau, following its showing at Ticho House in Jerusalem (see page 8). The weekend program began with a press conference hosted by Gereon Sievernich, Director of the Martin-Gropius-Bau, and attended by Sonja Lahnstein-Kandel; IMJ Director James Snyder; and IMJ Senior Curator of Photography, Nissan Perez, each of whom addressed the group of fifty invited journalists. On Friday evening, a welcoming reception for Association members and guests was hosted by Ingrid and Hendrik Berinson at their Berlin home, which features a superb collection of vintage modern photography. On Saturday, guests enjoyed visits to the Camera Work Gallery and other collections. Following a private reception for Association members and guests, the exhibition opened formally on Saturday evening in the presence of some 200 guests, including Israeli Deputy Ambassador Ilan Mor, who toured the exhibition in the company of its curator, IMJ Associate Curator of Photography Yudit Caplan. Completing the program, the following morning a group of German Friends enjoyed a visit to the private collection of committee member Dr. Erich Marx.

Switzerland

Following on the heels of the Canadian Friends in Canada, the Swiss Friends held their own “In the Loupe: A Gemstone Masterclass” event on November 3 at the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich, where participants learned about colored gems and how to decipher diamond certificates. The event, attended by fifty-eight women, was sponsored by Christie’s and featured highlights of their November Geneva Jewels Sale. The event was organized by Adrienne Biberstein, Karen Rom, and Yvette Merzbacher.

The Dolder Grand Hotel, recently redesigned by Sir Norman Forster, was also the venue for the annual Gala of our Swiss Friends on March 12, ably organized by Dr. David Jeselsohn and Bianca Simon. The evening, which was extensively covered by the local media, attracted 160 guests. The theme of the Gala was “Museum Design: Space for Time,” with keynote remarks by architect Richard Meier on the “Architecture of Light.” Soprano Noemi Nadelmann performed Gershwin songs, while Sotheby’s conducted a silent auction. Guests included Marion Naggar, Co-Chair of the International Council, and James Snyder and Danny Ben-Natan from the Museum.

United States

New York
On October 27, 2008, the American Friends of the Israel Museum held its Annual Gala at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, this year on the theme of Israel at 60!. Attended by 620 guests, the gala celebrated the 60th anniversary of Israeli Statehood and the history of modern Israeli art. Against a visually stunning backdrop of works from the Museum’s holdings screened on a continuous loop throughout the evening, the Gala placed particular emphasis on the last decade in contemporary Israeli art, echoing our 2008 exhibition Real Time: Art in Israel 1998–2008, the exhibition that represented the Museum’s contribution to the cultural celebration of the State’s 60th anniversary. Co-chaired by Phyllis Mack, Barbara Floersheimer Rothschild, and Meredith Lane Verona, the event raised close to $2.8 million.

Our grateful thanks to the National Underwriters: The Annenberg Foundation, Arison Arts Foundation, Christie’s, and Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert; as well as to Gala Underwriters: Judy and Ron Baron, Linda and Peter Berley, Emily and Len Blavatnik, Edye and Eli Broad, Charles Bronfman, Ann Loeb Bronfman, Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond Learsy, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, Phyllis and Paul Fireman Foundation, Mario J. Gabelli/Gabelli Funds, Mimi and Peter Haas Foundation, Janet and Arthur Hershaft, The Leon Levy Foundation, Leonard Litwin Foundation, Lauren and Ezra Merkin, Martin Peretz, Barbara and Richard Rothshild, Clarice and Robert H. Smith, Speyer Family Foundation, Liz and Kent M. Swig, Merryl and James Tisch, Alice and Thomas Tisch, and Barbara and Marty Zweig
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Los Angeles

On September 6, 2008, the West Coast Associates held their first “Fall for Art” party at the home of Danny First. More than 110 young people – including many new friends – attended the event, enjoying the local art band Cabinet of Curiosities.

The West Coast Art Acquisitions Committee, co-chaired by Vicki and Don Berghoff, had another successful season, including a kickoff event on September 21 at the home of collector Tom Morgan; an “Art and Wine” bus trip to the Santa Barbara wine country on October 18, with lunch hosted by Janice and Robert Atkin at their Sanford Winery; a dinner in honor of IMJ Chief Curator of the Arts Suzanne Landau on November 12, hosted by Francine and John Leipsic at their home; and a visit on December 8 to the home of Jacquie and Clarence Avant, where Jacquie presented her extensive collection of 17th–19th-century Japanese lacquer ware. At the annual art selection meeting on November 13, hosted by former WCAAC Co-Chairs Karen Richards Sachs and David Sachs, the Committee.

acquired works by artists Ori Gersht and Yasumasa Morimura. On the same evening, three works by emerging young Israeli artists were purchased by the West Coast Associates Acquisitions Committee. Host Tom Morgan (back row center), with past and present WCAAC Co-Chairs, l. to r.: Ron Goodman; Tony and Linda Rubin; Rita Goodman; Vicki and Don Berghoff; Karen and David Sachs l. to r.: Irwin Deutch, WCAC Co-Chair Vicki Berghoff, Dorit Kassoy, Jacquie Avant, Lynne Deutch The AFIM West Coast annual Gala dinner took place on February 3 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, attended by 220 guests, in the company of IMJ Director James Snyder and AFIM President Stephen Lash. Guest speaker was Israeli artist Sigalit Landau, who has major works in the Israel Museum collections and has been showcased in such Museum exhibitions as News: Recent Acquisitions in Contemporary Art and Real Time. Patty Finkel and Susan Gersh co-chaired the event, which raised $420,000 for the Museum. The previous evening, legendary Pop Art dealer Irving Blum and his wife Jackie hosted a cocktail reception and collection viewing at their Bel Air home for over one hundred leading supporters, followed by dinner for twenty-five guests in honor of Sigalit Landau hosted by Lynne and Irwin Deutch, Co-Chairs of our recently launched Ambassadors Program.

On April 19, Liza Lou, the Los Angeles artist whose installation Kitchen is a highlight of our current Bizarre Perfection exhibition, hosted West Coast supporters for brunch at her Topanga Canyon home and a viewing of her work-in-progress. The gathering, hosted by Dominique Lévy of L & M Arts, provided an opportunity for the attendees to meet the artist before her participation as a special guest at our 2009 International Council. The previous evening, Orna and Keenan Wolens hosted dinner at their Beverly Hills home in honor of Liza Lou for a group of our West Coast leadership, together with IMJ Director James Snyder and International Council Co-Chair Maureen Cogan.

On April 20, Alice Lainer and her daughter Nancy co-hosted a cocktail reception for fifty guests at the Lainers’ home to introduce Angelenos to our very active West Coast AFIM program, in an effort to extend the impressive reach of our West Coast circle. Maureen Cogan was guest of honor.

Honoring Jack Nash

At the fall Executive Committee meeting of the American Friends, the Committee noted with deep sadness the death of longtime friend and AFIM Co-Chair Jack Nash. In addition to adopting a special resolution recognizing Jack’s important roles in the growth of AFIM and the development of the Museum, Committee members decided to dedicate a Free Admission Day at the Museum on what would have been Jack’s 80th birthday – April 10, 2009. This day happened to fall during the 2009 Passover holiday, and Helen Nash, her daughter and son-in-law Pamela and George Rohr, and their children were in Jerusalem for the holiday and were able to witness the crowd of 3,500 who enjoyed that Friday morning in the Museum, an appropriate celebration of Jack’s loving commitment to the Museum’s vitality.

Israeli Friends in Paris

The Association of Israeli Friends of the Israel Museum (IFIM) visited Paris on November 21–24 in a trip organized by IFIM Director Lea Rotstein in coordination with French Friends Co-Presidents Mimette Drommelschlager Klugman and Philippe Cohen, and accompanied by IMJ Curator of European Art Shlomit Steinberg. The forty-two participants, including IFIM Co-Chairs Susie and Dan Propper, enjoyed visits to private collections, curator-led tours of exhibitions, and dinners hosted in the homes of French friends. A highlight of the visit was a private tour of the Picasso and the Masters exhibition at the Grand Palais, opened exclusively for the group and led by exhibition curator Marie-Laure Bernadac. Participants also enjoyed a private visit to couture houses with Mimette Drommelschlager Klugman and participated in the French Friends Gala at the Louvre.

Ron Arad Special Edition

In 2005, in honor of the Museum’s 40th anniversary, International Council Co-Chair Marion Naggar initiated a series of special editions of works by contemporary artists for sale for the benefit of the Museum’s operating fund. Following successful editions created by Damien Hirst and Yinka Shonibare, Marion has this year commissioned a special edition of designer and architect Ron Arad’s PizzaKobra light, which is being offered at a special price of $15,000 each. PizzaKobra is a small masterpiece of art and technology – at rest, it is a flat coil; in action, it is an intriguing object of fluid design whose hi-tech soft articulations can be formed into different configurations. Twenty-three units from this unique edition of forty signed and numbered works have already been sold, thirteen of them at the International Executive Council’s March 3 meeting in Brazil alone, raising a net total of $276,000 for the Museum’s operations.

Change of Guard
Sonja Lahnstein-Kandel recently succeeded Prof. Dr. Christoph Stölzl as Chair of our German Friends. We wish every success to Sonja in her new leadership role and thank Prof. Dr. Stölzl for his work on behalf of the Museum over the past five years. In Belgium, Avi Keitelman has joined longtime friends Herman and Emmy Tob as Co-President of our Benelux Friends, and we wish all three members of this triumvirate continued success.