He was inspired by the Exodus story about the Angel of Death who passed over homes with lambs' blood swabbed on their doorposts. Despite the negative responses, which apparently came only from people who didn't personally view the installlation, museum officials said they didn't regret their decision to install the mezuzah. But Friedlander said she would love to hear equal amounts of community support, which she believes exists. It was inspiring. Bennett wasn't surprised by the negative reactions the museum received.
Ignorance takes a lot of forms.
Irrational fear is not particularly susceptible to rational explanations. Addressing concerns about a possible health risk, Friedlander said that the artist and museum did contact several doctors and health officials before finally installing the mezuzah. The glass vial, sealed with a rubber stopper and clasped in a brass mezuzah holder, was encased in a hard plastic cover. Dr. Jay Dobkin, director of the AIDS program at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, was among those Winn contacted beforehand. He added that the AIDS virus could not have survived for six months outside a human body.