Rembrandt and the Jews: An Interactive Exploration

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) was one of a tiny handful of artists of the pre-modern era who depicted contemporary Jews. Why was he so interested in Amsterdam’s Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish communities? What attitudes do his images reveal? Art historian Jennifer Stern will present selected paintings and etchings to suggest answers to these questions in view of Rembrandt’s life and the history of Amsterdam’s Jewish community. Jennifer will also discuss how Jews (and non-Jews) have reacted to Rembrandt’s Jewish imagery over the centuries. Participants are encouraged to ask questions in the Q&A session in the last part of the program.

When: Sunday, October 5, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PT ( 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CT, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the UK, 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. in Central Europe).

Where: on Zoom

Cost:

Early bird: $18 (if registered before Saturday, September 20, 2025)

Regular admission: $25

Instructor: Jennifer Stern

Jennifer Stern is an art historian and Yiddish enthusiast. She began studying Yiddish in 2018. Her articles about Jewish art and life have been published in The Forward and In Geveb. Her original Yiddish poetry has been published in Grine Medine and Afn Shvel. She loves sharing her passion for Yiddish and the beauties of Jewish culture.