Something to Hold On To:  A New Exhibition at Tel Aviv University Art Gallery Showcases Materials from the Rudi Lehmann and Hedwig Grossman Collection

Rudi Lehmann and Hedwig Grossman were two German-Jewish artists who immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in the 1930s following the rise of the Nazi regime to power. Both played a significant role in shaping the cultural and artistic life of Mandatory Palestine and, later, of Israel.

Their story is, first and foremost, a personal one – a story of creativity, human connections, and a cultural world shaped by life experiences, memories, and encounters. At the same time, it is part of a broader story of German-speaking Jewish immigrants, who brought with them traditions, knowledge, languages, and cultural legacies that continued to influence the development of Israeli art and culture.

The exhibition invites visitors to explore the relationships, life experiences, and sources of inspiration that shaped artistic creation, through artworks and archival materials that offer an intimate glimpse into the lives of the artists and the human networks in which they worked.

We are especially pleased that materials from the Rudi Lehmann and Hedwig Grossman Collection, preserved in the Archive for German-Speaking Jewry in Israel (Yekkes Archive), are presented in the exhibition and shared with a wider audience – continuing their journey from the archive, through preservation and research, into the realm of exhibition and contemporary cultural discourse.

The exhibition is the product of a collaboration between the Genia Schreiber University Art Gallery and the Ziffer House Archive: Documentation and Research Center of Israeli Visual Arts.

Curated by Hila Cooper, Director of Ziffer House Archive and Roni Kochavi, Assistant Curator of TAU Art Gallery

Curatorial Guidance: Dr. Tamar Mayer, Head Curator of TAU Art Gallery

TAU Gallery Director: Dana Golan Miller

Research Assistant: Liron Cohen