‘Jew In The Box’ Exhibit Sparks Debate

An exhibit being referred to as “Jew in the Box,” has garnered mixed reactions since it opened at Berlin’s Jewish Museum earlier this month. Some consider the installation to be a bold and clever way to bolster understanding of the Jewish faith. Others have likened it to a “freak show” that mocks and demeans Jewish people.

Formally titled “Jew in the Showcase,” the exhibit features a Jewish male or female sitting inside a glass box. For two hours each day, the individual serves to answer questions — often considered inappropriate or taboo — about their religion.

“Jew in the Box” is part of the museum’s larger exhibit, called The Whole Truth – What You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Jews.

The installation was reportedly designed to provoke discussion and break down barriers. While Germany boasts a population in excess of 80 million people, fewer than 200,000 of those are Jewish.

“A lot of our visitors don’t know any Jews and have questions they want to ask,” Tina Luedecke, an official with the Jewish Museum explained. “With this exhibition we offer an opportunity for those people to know more about Jews and Jewish life.”

When they enter the exhibit, visitors are presented with an array of questions like “Is ‘Jew’ a curse word?” and “Are the Jews a chosen people?”

Other uncomfortably sensitive topics range from “Do Jews have big noses?” to “Can you make jokes about the Holocaust?”

Posted at the foot of the glass enclosure surrounding “Jew in the Showcase,” is the central question of the exhibit — “Are there still Jews in Germany?” Visitors who want answers to these typically unexpressed queries can often be found deep in thoughtful discussion with the current “Jew in the Box” volunteer.

However, the exhibit has reportedly sparked outrage among critics who chalk it up to exploitation. Stephan Kramer, a well-known figure in the Jewish community and a staunch opponent of “Jew in the Box,” expressed his disdain for the installation to The Associated Press this week.

“Why don’t they give him a banana and a glass of water, turn up the heat and make the Jew feel really cozy in his glass box,” Kramer explained. “They actually asked me if I wanted to participate. But I told them I’m not available.”

An opposing view was given by Dekel Peretz, one of the individuals who volunteers in the “Jew in the Box” question and answer sessions. According to Peretz, a doctoral student in German Jewish history, the experience has been positive:

“… my approach to it is to study the people just as they want to study me. I’m really intrigued to find out what sort of things they ask me. In many ways my everyday life is anyway a bit like living in a box, being one of few Jewish people living in Germany – your mere presence in a pub triggers debates about the Holocaust or Middle East politics – so I wasn’t fazed about taking part.”

Do you think controversial exhibits like “Jew in the Box” are offensive or do you feel they can be used to break down sensitive boundaries?

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