The Jewish Historical Museum of Belgrade was founded after World War II by survivors of the Holocaust who felt it their duty to collect material on the crimes against the Jews, to list the Jewish monuments which had been destroyed, to record those who had been killed or had fallen in battle and to participate actively in the search for the war criminals.
Later the collection was expanded to present a panorama of 2000 years of Jewish life in the region which, after the first World War, became the modern state of Yugoslavia, and to portray contemporary Jewish life in the country.
The museum occupies a large hall in the building of the Federation of Jewish communities and is divided into several sections. The first section, to the left of the entrance, is devoted to the early Jewish settlements in territories—part of modern Yugoslavia—which were then under Roman rule. Photographs and replicas of archeological finds illustrate the descriptions of the early communities.
The next sections depict Jewish life in the Middle Ages and in modern times. Here are displayed documents, ceremonial objects and photographs as well as artistic representations of Jewish life and personalities.
Other sections show the fate of Yugoslav Jewry during World War II. The annihilation of the Jewish communities and the prominent role played by Jews in the resistance and in the war of liberation. The part of Jews in the political transformation of the country following the end of World War II is also illustrated.
Finally there is a section dedicated to the reconstitution of Jewish communal life after the War and to the present activities of the Federation of Jewish Communities.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum has featured several displays devoted to specific themes. Last spring on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the museum, an exhibit of “Embroidered Fabrics from Jewish Collections in Yugoslavia” was held.
Among the objects displayed were curtains for the Ark, Torah mantles, Bima covers, chuppahs, tallith and tefillin bags, Torah bands, as well as matzoth covers, covers for Sabbath challoth, embroidered towels and pillowcases, anteriyas and tokados—gowns and headdresses, respectively, worn by Sephardi women in Bosnia and Herzegovina—and other garments and articles.
The museum which serves as a center for Jewish historical and artistic studies published a richly illustrated catalog of the exhibition.
Other publications of the museum include “Zbornik,” a miscellany of Jewish studies which appears about once in two years, each issue being devoted to a specific topic. Thus far three issues have appeared. The first contained studies about the Jewish community of Dubrovnik. The other two dealt primarily with the history of Yugoslav Jewry during World War II.
Two interesting books about Sephardi folklore and Ladino (Judeo-Espanol) were published in recent years by the museum. “Proverbs and Sayings of the Sephardi Jews of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” which appeared in 1972, was published by the museum in cooperation with the Ben Zvi Institute of Jerusalem. The book is based on material collected by the late Dr. Samuel B. Pinto and Rabbi Daniel Danon, by Mr. Avram Pinto, and by several others whose names are not known.
Last year the museum published “Proverbs, Sayings and Tales of the Sephardi Jews of Macedonia” by Zamila Kolonomos.
Both books, in addition to the Ladino texts, contain introductions in Serbo-Croation, Hebrew and English. Z. Kolonomos, whose book is richly illustrated, describes in her introduction the history of the Jews in the Yugoslavian part of Macedonia, their decimation during World War II and their part in the struggle against the occupying forces. Zamila Kolonomos, now on the faculty of philology of the University of Skopje, was herself a resistance fighter and has been the recipient of high decorations and awards. She has played a prominent role in public life and is now a member of Council of the Republic of Macedonia. She is the author of studies in the field of Ladino (Judeo-Espagnol).
The museum has also published picture postcards showing various items of the exhibition. These include photographs of ceremonial objects, of the Sarajevo synagogue and of a corner of the section showing the martyrdom of Yugoslav Jewry during World War II and a reproduction of Daniel Kabiljo’s painting “”Sephardi Women in Sarajevo.”
The museum is administered by a professional staff. Luci Petrovic, now secretary of the Federation of Jewish communities served for may years as curator. Dr. Vidosava Nedomacki, professor of Middle East Archeology at Belgrade University, has been associated with the museum for a long time and now chairs the Federation’s Commission for the Museum.
Here in New York we met Nikola Vizner who for four years was curator of the museum. He studied history of art at Belgrade University and is now preparing for his Ph.D. at the City University of New York. He specializes in modern art and would like to work in a New York museum or art gallery. He filled us in on important details about the development of the musem and about the life of the Belgrade Jewish community.
By Tovia Preschel
Jewish Press
January 12, 1979