Menashe Kadishman

The new premises of the Shorashim Art School & Auctioneers, located in Tel Aviv at Habima Square, add another cultural dimension to the existing musical and theatrical life that already exists there.

I paid a recent visit to this gallery and upon entering noticed a great deal of activity taking place in the two main gallery rooms.  

Shimon Leumi, the founder of this gallery was talking to a room full of art enthusiasts who were studying catalogues that were held in hand while following his discussion. His lively address to this audience concerned fine details and explanations about the items on display in the gallery that were going to go up for auction that week. Looking around I saw walls covered with paintings by Israeli artists, past and present, and a glass topped case with a lovely display of period jewelry pieces. Near another wall stood an antique cupboard filled with silver channukiot and other small silver pieces. Many items of Bezalel objets d'art and pieces of ritual Judaica in silver were also on display. Bezalel objets d'art are decorative items crafted at the Bezalel School in its earliest days. Many such items were made by craftsmen, who trained in Europe but came from Yemen, where a history of fine craftsmanship in the metals, silver and gold, prevailed. Decorative items made in wood, leather and fabric also belong to this particular category.

Having noticed me come into the gallery, a young woman kindly handed me a catalogue regarding the upcoming auction which listed both a description and colored photograph of each of the items to be sold, as well as suggested beginning prices for the would-be buyer.

Generally speaking, and as this writer understands it, the traditional art gallery here in Israel focuses on featuring and selling the works of a particular artist or group of artists.

Sima Simon, Leumi’s partner in the gallery, welcomed me in to sit with her while she discussed the gallery and how it differs from the traditional art gallery. She stated that the Shorashim Art School & Auctioneers “is unique”. It offers several diversified services to the art-minded public which the traditional gallery does not.

According to Simon, Shorashim holds four to five public auctions a year, and some auctions are held for charitable purposes in which donations are received and converted to moneys for charitable purposes. Simon also said that “we are the leading auction house for Jewish art, Judaica and silver objets d’art, where jewelry and other collectible items are being sold.” Buyers and collectors come to these auctions from Israel and abroad. When I asked her why people from Europe come to Israel to buy art she explained that some things found here in Israel, such as the collections of silver and Judaica are much larger than elsewhere, therefore the prices for this type of art can be lower than in Europe.

 The gallery employs a full staff of appraisers who can offer their expertise regarding the fine and decorative arts as well as carpets, furniture, books, jewelry and other valuables to insurance companies, collectors, attorneys, institutions and individuals who have need to know, either for personal or commercial reasons, how to evaluate the artistic or market value of their belongings.

The gallery also has an in-house curator. As such, Simon mentioned that they organize exhibitions for young, contemporary artists and can provide for them “stylish openings and wide exposure” both at the gallery and in public spaces such as banks and corporations.

Since 1987 when the gallery was founded by Shimon Leumi, they have been offering courses, given in Hebrew, on a variety of art subjects providing the students tools to both appreciate and evaluate fine and decorative art. Leumi explained to me that over the years there has been an increased interest in and focus on art as an investment, resulting in those who are thus inclined to become more knowledgeable on the subject of art. Participants in these courses acquire the “skills for educated evaluation of antiques and collectables, get a rare inside look at the business of art, while developing connoisseurship”. He said that over time there have been “many requests for these courses to be given in English.”

Responding to this, starting in February 2010 the Shorashim Art School and Auctioneers will be offering a program of courses in English, by leading lecturers and specialists. The subjects to be given will focus on Israeli art and leading artists, Judaica, decorative arts such as metal, porcelain, glass, jewelry, the art market and more. There will be 10 meetings offering some of the subjects with the possibility to attend another 10 or more meetings for the rest of the subjects. Simon maintains that “the tools given in these courses can be used for starting a new career or acquiring knowledge in order to become a more sophisticated buyer/seller/collector”.

Every year Shorashim gallery organizes five guided tours for students, their families and all art enthusiasts to art markets, antique fairs, museums and galleries in Europe. And lastly, I was very curious to know how the auction that was held the week of my visit to the gallery went. Simon wrote to me to say that “the auction went very well, over our expectations”. She mentioned that the “Israeli ‘old-masters’ paintings, especially from the 30s-40s-50s were “fought” over, and the other items, such as silver, Judaica, Bezalel objets d’art, as well as gold and diamond jewelry, were “hot items in this auction”.

Having succumbed to the quieter suburban Tel Aviv life, I found my visit to Habima Square, with all of the changes now taking place there, and my visit to the Shorashim Art School & Auctioneers stimulating. A visit there is highly recommended. I am certain that Leumi and Simon, who are generally on hand, will be more than pleased to host you and talk to you about your particular art interests.

For more information regarding their activities and upcoming English courses please

email: sima.shorashim@gmail.com cell: 054 466 3199 or email: shoresh@netvision.net.il, tel: 03 685 0001