An auction of the 500-piece Judaica collection owned by philanthropist Michael Steinhardt was the "most valuable auction of Judaica ever held," Sotheby's said. Monday's auction of nearly all of the Michael and Judy Steinhardt Judaica Collection brought in more than $8.5 million, Sotheby's wrote in a statement, exceeding the pre-sale estimate by $6 million. Some 92.6 percent of the 381 lots were sold, the New York auction house added. Prior to the auction, Sotheby's announced that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem …More

A new exhibit in the Library of Congress looks to honor National Jewish Book Month, showcasing a collection established exactly 100 years ago. “Words Like Sapphires” is a presentation of rare Jewish literature and prayer books, featuring 60 artifacts from the Library’s 200,000-piece collection of Judaica. “By creating an Hebraica/Judaica collection, the Library of Congress was granting recognition to America’s Jewish community…and likewise highlighting the importance of …More

A new art gallery opened to much acclaim this spring in Brooklyn, a venue with a decidedly Hebrew twist. The Betzalel Gallery in Crown Heights is something of a Jewish treasure trove, offering up clients and spectators a taste of Hassidic art from the past to the present. Jspace recently caught up with Shmuel Pultman, director at Betzalel, to get the inside scoop on how the Jewish art world operates. Jspace: What makes this gallery unique compared to other Jewish galleries? Shmuel Pultman: The art we carry and …More

The books are in the back at J. Levine Books and Judaica. Before finding the volumes of Jewish titles at the midtown Manhattan store, customers encounter a rotating display of mezuzahs on the left, followed by shelves of kiddush cups and a rack featuring a Hebrew-language version of the wordplay game Bananagrams. Sitting on the colorful shelves to the right are kippot, tallitot and assorted Jewish toys. Finally, one reaches the tractates of Talmud, prayer books, commentaries and modern Jewish novels. Due to the …More

Israeli businessmen have launched a website to help counter calls to boycott products made in Israel. The campaign, called Shop-A-Fada, a play on the word of the violent Palestinian uprising, the intifada, was launched Monday. It encourages the public to counter anti-Israel boycotts with the purchase of merchandise manufactured in Israel. Shop-A-Fada was developed by a team of Israelis who own and operate the website JudaicaWebStore.com, an online clearinghouse of more than 8,000 Israeli gifts and Judaica …More