Irvin Ungar
Irvin Ungar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1948 Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Former pulpit rabbi, antiquarian bookseller, curator, author |
| Known for | Authority on artist Arthur Szyk; President and Curator of The Arthur Szyk Society; founder of Historicana |
Irvin Ungar (born 1948) is an American former pulpit rabbi and antiquarian bookseller, widely acknowledged as the foremost authority on artist Arthur Szyk. Often described as “the driving force behind the Szyk revival,” Ungar rekindled public and scholarly interest in Szyk’s oeuvre through nearly thirty years of dedicated research, exhibitions, and publications, successfully restoring the artist’s prominence after a period of neglect.
Early life and education
Born in 1948 in Trenton, New Jersey, Ungar completed his secondary education at Trenton Central High School in 1966. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington & Jefferson College in 1970. Subsequently, he received Rabbinic Ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion and earned a Master of Arts in Education from New York University in 1974. During his tenure as rabbi at Temple Sinai in Forest Hills, New York (1974–1980), Ungar pursued further studies, earning a Pastoral Counseling Degree from the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health as well as a Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) from New York Theological Seminary. In 1980, he relocated to Burlingame, California to lead Peninsula Temple Sholom and contributed opinion articles to the San Mateo County Times.
Historicana
Ungar established Historicana (initially named Holy Land Treasures) in 1987, focusing on historic Judaica. By 1991, Historicana had become a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America. Among the significant artifacts Ungar managed were Anne Frank’s “Forget Me Not” autograph; a handwritten 1939 letter by Martin Buber addressed to Mahatma Gandhi advocating a two-state solution; an exceptional 1900 letter from Theodor Herzl outlining his strategy to present Zionism before the English Parliament; and a 1492 royal decree signed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella concerning the confiscation of Jewish property and expulsion from Spain. Historicana also produced specialized catalogues such as The Birth of a Nation, commemorating Zion's anniversary, and the Collector’s Haggadah Catalogue: 1695 – Present, which documents nearly 1,500 Haggadot editions.
Ungar’s increasing dedication to Arthur Szyk influenced Historicana’s evolution. In 1999, it transitioned into a publishing imprint to reissue the exhibition catalogue for “Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk,” which Ungar curated at the Spertus Museum—the first major exhibition dedicated to Szyk in decades. Historicana subsequently released several publications on Szyk, while Ungar assembled what is recognized as the largest private collection of Szyk’s artwork. In 2017, this collection was acquired by the University of California, Berkeley, facilitated by philanthropist Tad Taube.
Arthur Szyk
Ungar’s initial exposure to Arthur Szyk’s work occurred in 1975 when he purchased a copy of the Haggadah illustrated by Szyk from the Bloch Publishing Company in New York. At that time, Szyk remained relatively obscure following his death at age 57 in 1951.
Ungar’s engagement deepened during the late 1980s after acquiring prints from Szyk’s Holiday Series at an antique store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Subsequently, he met antiquarian Hallam Webber at a book fair in Washington, D.C., who introduced him to George Gooche—the founder of The Arthur Szyk Society and fellow collector. Gooche had obtained Szyk’s personal archives from Alexandra Szyk Bracie, the artist’s daughter, which included memoirs authored by Szyk’s wife Julia. In 1997, Gooche transferred ownership of these archives to Ungar.
The Arthur Szyk Society
Established in 1991 by George Gooche in Orange County, California, The Arthur Szyk Society operates as a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the legacy and principles of the artist. In 1997, leadership transitioned to Ungar, who moved the Society’s base to Burlingame and formed a new Board of Trustees. Over the next twenty years, as President and subsequently Curator, Ungar significantly broadened the Society’s influence through a range of activities including lectures, newsletters, academic publications, and exhibitions like the touring display “Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk.”
Lectures and addresses
Ungar’s inaugural public presentation on Arthur Szyk took place at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1994, coinciding with the artist’s 100th anniversary. Since then, he has spoken multiple times at the Library of Congress and delivered keynote speeches at prominent exhibitions such as “Arthur Szyk — Drawing Against National Socialism and Terror” held at Berlin’s Deutsches Historisches Museum, along with the “Justice Illuminated” traveling exhibit showcased at Warsaw’s Jewish Historical Institute. His lectures have been well received at numerous universities and cultural institutions both within the United States and abroad.
Publications and media
Ungar’s first published essay on Szyk appeared in 1999 within Biblio magazine, co-written with biographer Joseph P. Ansell. His critical analyses explore Szyk’s artwork through lenses including Nostra aetate, Holocaust imagery, and political propaganda, featured in publications such as Moment, Washington’s Rebuke to Bigotry, and exhibition catalogs for venues like the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Under his Historicana imprint, Ungar has produced, edited, or published essential works related to Szyk: Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk (as co-publisher/author); The Szyk Haggadah along with its companion volume Freedom Illuminated (publisher/co-editor/contributor); Heroes of Ancient Israel: The Playing Card Art of Arthur Szyk (publisher); Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art (co-publisher/editor/contributor), which earned the 2017 National Jewish Book Award for Visual Arts; and Arthur Szyk Preserved (co-editor). Historicana has also collaborated with filmmaker Jim Ruxin to create documentary films about Szyk including “Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art,” “In Every Generation: Remaking the Szyk Haggadah,” and “Soldier in Art: Arthur Szyk—America’s Weapon Against Nazi Germany.”
Ungar’s deep knowledge has been showcased in various media appearances, notably a one-hour feature on the Jewish Broadcasting Service and profiles by design expert Steven Heller for the American Institute of Graphic Arts as well as The Atlantic.
Exhibitions
Ungar played a crucial role in bringing Arthur Szyk back into public awareness through several key museum exhibitions. He acted as guest curator or advisor for shows hosted by institutions such as Chicago’s Spertus Museum (1998–1999); the Library of Congress (1999–2000); the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. (2002); Berlin’s Deutsches Historisches Museum (2008–2009); San Francisco’s Palace of the Legion of Honor (2010–2011) and Contemporary Jewish Museum (2014); as well as New York City’s New-York Historical Society (2017–2018).
Byron Sherwin and The Szyk Haggadah
Rabbi Byron Sherwin, a prominent Jewish theologian and academic, worked closely with Ungar on several significant initiatives. Serving as Distinguished Service Professor at the Spertus Institute, Sherwin played a key role in the 1998 Spertus Museum exhibition titled “Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk,” where he authored the introductory text and panel descriptions for The Arthur Szyk Society’s traveling exhibit and educational guide.
Sherwin’s most prominent partnership involved the 2008 limited edition release of Szyk's Haggadah, originally issued in 1940. This edition was reissued in 2011 as a trade version by Abrams Books, produced by Historicana, which meticulously replicated Szyk’s original illustrations—the first faithful reproduction since the initial publication. Sherwin contributed a fresh English translation from Hebrew and provided detailed commentary. Additionally, he co-edited the companion book, Freedom Illuminated: Understanding the Szyk Haggadah. Both volumes are preserved in the special collections of renowned institutions such as the Vatican Library, Metropolitan Museum of Art, British Library, Library of Congress, and Princeton University.
Sale of the collection and Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art
In 2017, Tad Taube of Taube Philanthropies financed UC Berkeley’s $10.1 million purchase of The Arthur Szyk Collection from Ungar for inclusion in the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life. This acquisition, representing the largest single art donation in UC Berkeley's history, encompassed 450 original paintings, illustrations, and sketches covering the span of Szyk's artistic career, along with thousands of personal archival materials.
Shortly following this transaction, Ungar co-published Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art with London-based GILES to coincide with an exhibition at the New-York Historical Society. The exhibition, collection, and accompanying publication attracted widespread media coverage throughout 2017–2018, significantly enhancing Szyk’s visibility in the art market. The book received a National Jewish Book Award from the Jewish Book Council, signaling notable acclaim within Jewish cultural and artistic circles. As noted by the Jewish Review of Books in Winter 2018, Szyk’s “reputation is clearly on the rise again.”