The Jewish Museum of New York was the heaviest purchaser here this weekend at a public auction of the Michael M. Zagayski collection of rare Jewish ritual objects. The auction, which was held at the Parke-Bernet Galleries here, brought a total of $347,640. Mr. Zagayski is known as one of the outstanding collectors of rare Jewish religious art.
Ben Heller, chairman of the board of the Jewish Museum, said that the purchase, which totaled $33,000, was financed by friends of the museum. Among the items acquired were a cast bronze “cholent” pot (used for the preparation of the traditional Sabbath meal) for $4,500; a pair of wrought and repousse silver Torah finials for $9,500; a pair of wrought and gilded silver Toran finials for $5,000; a pair of parcel-guilded Ajoure silver crown-form Torah finials for $8,000; and a wrought and repousse parcel-gilded silver Hanukah menorah for $6,500.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
