Middle School: Passover Seder Set by Ludwig Yehuda Wolpert (Art Card)

About the Artist

Ludwig Yehuda Wolpert was a Jewish metalworker who was born in Germany, immigrated to Jerusalem during the rise of Nazism, and moved to the United States in the 1950s. He was the first maker of Jewish ceremonial objects to use modern styles.

About the Art

This is a seder set that would be used for the ceremonial dinner at the beginning of the Jewish holiday Passover, which commemorates the exodus, or departure, of Jewish people from ancient Egypt following their enslavement. The artist was inspired by art deco design, a style popular in the 1920s and 1930s that featured sleek lines and geometric shapes and was used in architecture, furniture, and home goods.

Look Closely

• What materials did the artist use to create this seder set?
• What do you see that looks like it would be used as part of a meal?

Discuss

A seder is a ceremonial meal that includes symbolic references to slavery and freedom. It takes place at the beginning of Passover.

• How is participation in ceremonies and rituals part of a religious identity?
• What have you learned about the history and traditions of Judaism?
• How does Wolpert honor the traditions of Judaism with this seder set?

Reflect

• Wolpert was influenced by teachers trained at the Bauhaus, a German design school that emphasized a relationship between form and function, minimal ornamentation, and mass production of fine design. How does Wolpert’s seder set reflect the time and place in which it was made (in Germany, about 1930)?
• What else was happening in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s? Read the information about Wolpert on the card. How was his art and life influenced by historical events?

Learn More

Visit the “Learn More” sidebar to find more information about the work of art and artist and find other works of art that relate to the subject matter, media, and techniques used by the artist.