Clay Barr has had quite a hand in the first major gift of Judaica to the University of Virginia.
The Norfolk philanthropist and business owner will give her collection of more than 150 Torah pointers, or yads — Hebrew for hand — to the Fralin Museum of Art at UVA.
A yad, which often has a pointing finger at one end, is used to help readers navigate the lines of text in the Torah. It also prevents people from touching and damaging the fragile parchment.
Barr began collecting yads nearly 30 years ago in honor of her late husband, Jay Barr, who died in 1994. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from UVA.
The collection includes pieces crafted from various media, including ivory and the wood of a skateboard, to different lengths, from a few inches to nearly 2 feet. It includes work by artists and jewelers including Ghiora Aharoni, Wendell Castle and Yaakov Greenvurcel. One of the oldest yads dates to the 1700s.
The collection has been featured in museums around the country as “The Guided Hand” exhibition, including a stop at the Chrysler Museum of Art in 2022 and Christopher Newport University this year.
Several pointers will be on view in the Fralin’s Joanne B. Robinson Object Study Gallery. The university will produce an academic publication about the collection and create an exhibition for 2025. The collection will also travel to museums, synagogues and other venues.
“When a loved one has passed, it is Jewish tradition to keep them alive by speaking their name,” Clay Barr said in a news release. “By making this donation to The Fralin, I am ensuring that my husband’s name and legacy are kept alive and spoken in perpetuity. Additionally, I hope this gift inspires others to further enhance Judaica at The Fralin.”
Denise Watson, 757-446-2504, denise.watson@pilotonline.com
