Berger Collection
Gustav and Mira Berger are longtime friends of the Oregon Jewish Museum. When they learned that a new Jewish museum was beginning to collect objects, they felt their Judaica collection would have more impact in our fledgling collection than in the museum collection in New York City, their home. In 1994, they generously bequeathed to the museum several hundred pieces of Judaica from all over the world. Many of those pieces are already in Oregon and are displayed throughout the year to compliment our traveling exhibits.
Gustav grew up in a family of art collectors in Vienna. After escaping from Nazi oppression, he moved to Israel and New York City, pursuing his notable career as a chemist and world-renowned art conservator.
Mira, born in Vilna, Lithuania, shares her husband's passion for collecting Judaica. Her career has included translating works from the Yiddish and Hebrew, as well as years of teaching.
We are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of the Bergers' collecting endeavors and love of art.