ZAGREB'S JEWISH COMMUNITY STAGES EXHIBITION OF SACRAL OBJECTS

ZAGREB, April 17 (Hina) - The Croatian public had the chance on Tuesday to view for the first time 52 of the most valuable and most beautiful sacral objects of the Judaica collection of Zagreb's Jewish Community, which were displayed as part of the "Treasure of the Holy Kehila of Zagreb" exhibition.#L# Community president Ognjen Kraus said the exhibition marked the beginning of preparations for the establishment of a Jewish museum in Croatia, to be built in Praska Street in downtown Zagreb on the site of a synagogue demolished in the Second World War. Explaining the exhibition's name, Kraus said kehila means community in Hebrew, more specifically the type of community that kept the Jews in the diaspora together. Judaica, on the other hand, refers to art defined by Jewish customs and religious traditions, said Mira Wolf, who staged the display which contains exhibits from various Jewish communities in Croatia. Wolf reminded that part of the Croatian Jewish community's artistic heritage was stored in Belgrade's Jewish museum, and was hopeful it would be returned in time for the establishment of the Jewish museum in Croatia. Kotel Da-Don, the head rabbi in Croatia, said the exhibition testified to how beautiful and rich the life of the Croatian Jewish community once was. The exhibition is an important cultural event in Croatia as the Jews not only contributed but built Croatian culture as well, said Snjeska Knezevic, who is the author of the catalogue. The exhibition is open until May 17. (hina) ha