Dwelling in a Time of Plagues: Sukkot

“There is a certain pleasure — rare in our socially distanced moment — of experiencing stories in public, communally, albeit at a distance from other onlookers…” — Hyperallergic

“Dwelling in a Times of Plagues: Sukkot” launched in October 2020 with installations by artists Mirta Kupferminc, Adam W. McKinney, and Tiffany Woolf at the Jewish History Museum and Holocaust Center in Tucson, Ariz.; Oregon Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in Portland; Holocaust Museum Los Angeles; and the 14th Street Y in New York City.

Each artist was asked to develop an artwork that took into account the themes of Sukkot, while considering safety realities per the pandemic, the outside spaces available, special opportunities at each museum, and themes of justice.

This constellation of exhibits drew thousands of in-person and virtual viewers, and was featured widely in the media. Below are some highlights:

Drawing on Jewish Tradition, a Filmmaker Gives Voice to Elders
(Matt Stromberg, Hyperallergic)

Amidst Continued Protests in Portland, Adam McKinney’s New Show Explores His Black and Jewish Identities
(Chava Lansky, Dance Magazine)

Sukkot, the Pandemic and a Lynching Come Together in a Multiracial Jewish Dancer’s New Art Installation
(Josefin Dolsten, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Artistic Sukkot-Inspired Exhibition: ‘Ushpizin of the Silver Screen’
(Esther Kustanowitz, Los Angeles Jewish Journal)

Reimagining Sukkahs in a Time of Plague
(P.J. Grisar, The Forward)

Jewish Arts Institutions Respond to Racial Injustice—and Covid-19
(Robert Goldblum, Hadassah Magazine)

Clamor in the Desert: A Shelter for Anyone Who Feels Forlorn
(Mirta Kupferminc, Lilith)