Detail

Left: Picking Apples, oils on canvas by Julie Held, 1998.

Quin Parker, whose Time To Be Born was some time ago, went on a journey into London to check out a top show.

A Time To Be Born, at the Jewish Museum until September 21, mixes both ancient and contemporary imagery to show the role of marriage, sex, birth and childhood in Judaism.

It also delivers many little-known facts - for instance, did you know that, according to the Talmud (the book of Jewish law), 'Abstinence is forbidden. A man is expected to perform for his wife … once a month if a camel driver, once a week if a scholar and every day if a man of independent means…'?

Right: Another Baby, charcoal drawing by Anita Klein, 2003.

And that, in the 18th century, Jewish midwives were sometimes preferred to Christian ones because in a difficult birth only they concentrated on preserving the life of the mother as well as that of the child?

The myth-busting show was curated by Dr. Michele Klein, and was based on her award-winning book.

"Most of the exhibitions at the Jewish Museum have dealt with only historical issues," she said. "So I wanted an exhibition that was all about her-story - not his-story."

Left: silver gilt circumcision set, Salonika c.18 century.

The show contains religious pieces, modern art, sculpture and literature. A programme of events also include workshops for children and talks by lecturers about subjects as diverse as the Pill, eugenics and ancient birth customs.

Although the exhibition is small, it is intense and makes good use of the limited space available.

A wooden sculpture, Pregnant Woman by Gisella Held, stands in the centre of the floor. It has a label on its base reading, "Please Touch". "When women see it they always go straight over and rub the tummy," said Dr. Klein.

Right: Pregnant Woman, wood by Gisela Held.

Any museum that actively encourages you to touch its display has got to be a little special.

But the exhibition is also concerned with the place infertility has in Jewish life. One painting, Woman With Pomegranate by Julie Held, dominates a wall of the room.

The pomegranate, with its multitude of seeds, is a powerful ancient symbol of fertility. The painting depicts the sorrow and frustration of the artist at not being able to bear children.

Left: Woman with Pomegranate, oils on canvas by Julie Held, 1999.

"For most of history, women usually felt that being a mother was their raison d'etre. Rachel in the Bible said, "Give me children or I will die." Women have expressed their feelings about not being able to have children through prayer," explained Dr Klein.

"Now women put their energies into sculpture and painting. We want to show both kinds of experience."

Reviewer Quin Parker is participating in the 24 Hour Museum / Museum and Galleries Month Arts Writing Prize.