This exhibition at the Ackland was one of the most significant exhibitions of contemporary Israeli art ever seen outside of that nation at the time. It featured nearly 55 works by 21 artists and was the most ambitious international loan exhibit undertaken by the Ackland at this point in its history. The show was affiliated with the Israel/North Carolina Cultural Exchange, a statewide initiative chaired by Gov, James B. Hunt Jr. and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The cultural exchange featured exhibitions and programs highlighting Israeli culture at more than 20 arts organizations throughout North Carolina.

The central theme of the Ackland's show "Ketav" dealt with the historical tension for Jews making visual art vs. adhering to strict biblical instructions against image-making as laid out by the Second Commandment. The Hebrew word "ketav" means "text." The exhibition argued that the appearance of the written word within the image is one of the most characteristic, identifiable, and important themes in contemporary Israeli art.