More details coming soon
Jewish Museum Milwaukee welcomes back artist Jac Lahav with a vibrant portrait series exploring modern Jewish identity in the Diaspora. The images of Jewish cultural icons painted in various styles celebrate contributions and challenge assumptions. From Elie Wiesel to Golda Meir and even Elvis Presley, the range of individuals portrayed in the exhibit invites visitors to reflect on the complex layers that comprise cultural identity across time, geography and experience. In engaging with these striking portraits, audiences are encouraged to consider how identity is determined, shaped and perceived, and can foster meaningful conversations about creativity and community.
Image Captions: All images created by Jac Lahav. Oil on canvas. 48 Jews series.
- Anne Frank – A young Jewish girl whose diary became one of the most powerful testimonies of life in hiding during the Holocaust.
- Harry Houdini – Born to a Jewish immigrant family and raised in Wisconsin, Houdini is the world’s most famous magician and escape artist.
- Golda Meir – Raised in Milwaukee, Golda Meir’s Jewish upbringing in Wisconsin shaped her path to becoming Israel’s Prime Minister.
- Elvis Presley – Though best known as the “King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis’s Jewish ancestry was part of his complex family heritage.
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg – A Jewish Supreme Court Justice whose lifelong fight for gender equality and civil rights made her an American icon.
- Elie Wiesel – A Holocaust survivor whose writings and activism gave voice to Jewish memory and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Organized and curated by Jewish Museum Milwaukee.