ABOUT Judaica in Context's principal,
Elizabeth Kessin Berman, AAA
​​​Ms. Berman is a certified member of the Appraisers Association of America (AAA). She is certified in Judaica and residential contents. She is USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) compliant since 2006.
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In her own words:
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​I've been an archaeologist, an art historian, a university lecturer, an educator and a ​museum curator, interpreting the cultural treasures of Jews throughout the world and during every age of their existence. I'm thrilled to be engaged in a new chapter in my career: focusing on helping individuals and institutions understand and assess the value of Jewish art and artifacts. I do this with great joy and with a great deal of professional dedication and experience.
​Elizabeth Kessin Berman, Nahant, Massachusetts
Ms. Berman is originally from the Boston area. But she has wandered the world for art's sake. She attended art school at California College of Arts and Crafts and then turned to the academic study of the history of art. Ms. Berman graduated Boston College and then went off to Israel to work on an archaeology degree at Hebrew University. While in Israel, she made her living as a field and research archaeologist with both the Israel Department of Antiquities and Hebrew Union College. She has worked on many historic sites including Tel Dan, Tel Aro'er, Magen and Capernaum, and in England, at York and in Turkey, at Sardis.
Back from Israel, Ms. Berman earned a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School in the languages, religions, and history of the Second Temple period. She then continued in the Ph D. program at Harvard University's Fine Arts Department (ancient art). She has traveled extensively in Europe, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Europe.
In 1983, Ms. Berman turned her attention to the then emerging world of Jewish museums. From her residence in Washington D.C, she played an important role in the development of Jewish museum collections. She worked with Dr. Grace Cohen Grossman on the pioneering catalogue of the Smithsonian's Judaica collection. Soon after, she became the inaugural curator at the Jewish Museum of Maryland in Baltimore. In 1991, she was invited to join the development team of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and she became a member of its founding staff. She was the research curator of the inaugural special exhibition: Assignment Rescue: The Story of Varian Fry and the Emergency Rescue Committee and the Guest Curator of Hidden History: The Story of the Kovno Ghetto. From 1998 - to 2003 Ms. Berman was the Director/Curator of the B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. She has been a curator of major collections and exhibitions of Judaica, modern, and contemporary art, and ancient art objects and has written and lectured on these topics for over 30 years.
ABOUT Judaica in Context
Judaica In Context was founded to offer expert advice and accredited appraisals
of Judaica and Jewish art. ​The company also provides appraisals of modern art, contemporary art, and antiques and certain ethnographic artifacts, archival collections, historical documents, and books. For appraisals of general estates, fine arts, antiques, estates, and residential contexts, visit the websites of our associate companies, Collections In Context and Appraisals In Context.​​
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ABOUT ​fees
Our fees for appraisals are based on an hourly rate plus any related expenses, travel time, mailing and shipping. We offer reduced rates for non-profit cultural, religious or educational institutions and for clergy.
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ABOUT the appraisal report
Written appraisals reports include a description of each object, its dimensions, and an assessment of its condition. Photographs of each object are included in each report. All reports are provided in hard copy and also, if requested, electronically as a PDF file. CDs of photos can be provided for an additional fee​. For IRS non-cash charitable donations, a qualified report will include a signed Form 8283.
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Please note, we do not, under any circumstance, provide complimentary answers to "what is this worth" questions. If you found something at a yard sale or if you simply want an informal assessment, contact your friendly dealer or local auction house or look for an "antiques roadshow" event in your locale.
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