Art Talk: The Art of Remembrance

In 2025, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) Judaica and Art of the Americas departments collaborated to acquire a painting by renowned painter Nathaniel Jacobson called “Bread of Affliction.” Nathaniel painted this in 1940 in response to the persecution of Jews in Europe—a rare subject for an American artist, especially before the United States had entered the war.

Now, join us for a special conversation between Nathaniel’s son, Josh Jacobson, and MFA curators Simona Di Nepi and Ethan Lasser as they explore Nathaniel’s life, Holocaust experience, and what this work means for their collection.

This special conversation will be recorded to air for International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, 2027.

About “Bread of Affliction”

At the center, a Passover ritual is observed against the backdrop of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. The Seder table is a place of sorrow rather than joy—note the female figure hunched over her meal. To the right, a modern refugee fleeing a burning synagogue behind him, Torah scroll in hand, is left in despair at the edge of an abyss.

A recent gift from the artist’s family, the work is currently receiving treatment in the MFA’s Conservation Center before it goes on display in the MFA Art of the Americas Wing.

Ethan Lasser

Ethan Lasser is Chief of Curatorial Affairs and Conservation at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Prior to the MFA, Lasser held curatorial positions at the Chipstone Foundation in Milwaukee and the Harvard Art Museums. He received his doctorate from Yale University and graduated from Williams College, where he is currently a trustee.

Simona Di Nepi

Simona Di Nepi is the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Curator of Judaica at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, responsible for building and displaying the museum’s Judaica collection. Originally from Rome, she curated at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and other institutions, and in Israel before establishing the MFA’s first dedicated Judaica gallery.

Joshua Jacobson

Joshua R. Jacobson is the son of painter Nathaniel Jacobson. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in music from Harvard College, a Master’s in choral conducting from the New England Conservatory, a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati, and a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa from Hebrew College. Before retiring in 2018, Dr. Jacobson served 45 years as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Northeastern University, including nine years as Music Department Chairman and six years as the Bernard Stotsky Professor of Jewish Cultural Studies. He is also Visiting Professor and Senior Consultant in the School of Jewish Music at Hebrew College. He is also the founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a world-renowned ensemble specializing in Hebrew music.

Information on getting to The Vilna Shul [view map]