The mural at the center of a controversy at the soon-to-be razed Jewish Community Center of San Francisco is in no danger of being removed, says the center’s executive director.
The mural, which depicts a biblical wedding scene, has adorned the courtyard walls of the JCC for nearly 70 years. It appeared to be in jeopardy of falling victim to the wrecking ball, as construction crews tear down the remnants of the current building. They are preparing for a new $50 million JCC, which is due to open in 2003.
Nate Levine, executive director of the JCC, admitted that efforts to preserve the mural have slowed the construction process, but he said that the mural’s status was never in doubt.
“The mural is going to be saved — period,” Levine said. “It was never in jeopardy.” Levine added that he nonetheless has to balance other concerns, such as the timetable for tearing down the remnants of the old JCC.
“We’ve probably spent at least $50,000 in time and costs to save the mural at this point,” he said. “Quite obviously, then, we’ve made a commitment to it.”
That news probably comes as a big relief to the Zakheim family, the descendants of Bernard Zakheim, the Polish-born artist who painted the mural. Although not available for comment at press time, family members of the artist were quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle as saying the timetable for the mural’s restoration was uncertain. Zakheim family members want to clean up the mural and remove the 9-inch concrete wall in full before the wrecking ball expedites the process for them.
Acknowledging that the mural was to be removed last Friday, Nathan Zakheim, the artist’s son, persuaded Levine to extend the deadline until Monday, and then arranged to have the date moved until Thursday. However, Zakheim sounded dubious that the deadline extension would be met, and gave no concrete dates as to when the process would be complete.
“People say this isn’t rocket science — but it is rocket science,” Zakheim told the Chronicle, adding that it may take up to a full week to complete the necessary. Both Zakheim and his two sons, Dhanan and Kirti, have been painstakingly retouching fading colors and details on the mural over the past several weeks.
Bernard Zakheim, who died in 1985 at the age of 89, was a muralist whose work is featured in Coit Tower and the University of San Francisco. His work for the JCC was deemed “worth saving” by Allan Temko, the Chronicle’s art critic, adding that the muralist didn’t reside in the pantheon of artistic greats.
The 3,000-pound plaster slab will be temporarily stored in South San Francisco until next year, at which time it’s due to be installed on the roof garden of the new JCC. Until that happens, however, there is a looming deadline that is unleashing both filial pride and frustration.
“Destroying any art is bad,” Zakheim told the Chronicle. “It’s even bad to destroy bad art. But this is good art.”
Levine noted that the mural is costing the JCC nearly $10,000 per day, and wishes that this labor of love could get a move on.