Word and World: Hebrew Illuminated and Illustrated Manuscripts

This film is conceived both as an exuberant celebration of the art of Hebrew manuscript illumination, and a reflection on what these books tell us about Jews and their lives in the medieval and early modern world. Word and World is a visually stunning and emotionally compelling documentary that raises essential questions for Jews and non-Jews about the function of sacred art and the distinctively Jewish marriage of word and world these works embody. In this film, 700 years of illustrated and illuminated manuscripts are brought together by art historian Dr. Sharon Mintz, exploring the rich and diverse visual culture of Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish art traditions in Bibles and Passover Haggadoth.

Executive Producer: Karl Katz
Producer: Andrea Simon
Director: Andrea Simon
Scholar: Dr. Sharon Mintz
Studio:  MUSE Film and Television, Inc.
60 min. / DVD / Color