The Rabbis and Uppity Women
Richard McBee - 2004
Uppity women are often thought of as the bane of the contemporary orthodox establishment. All manifestation of feminism is considered in many right-wing orthodox communities as threateningly disruptive and frequently heretical, simply the first step…
The Mystery of the Sassoon Torah Shields
A set of Torah shields recently exhibited by Sotheby’s isn’t just beautiful—it also contains a hidden biblical portrait of the court Jew’s inner conflict.
There's Plenty of Significant Contemporary Jewish Art Hiding in Plain Sight
You won’t find much of it at the Jewish Museum, but a vibrant Jewish art culture does exist—and needs support.
Laura Kruger at the Hebrew Union College Museum
Laura Kruger has done an extraordinary job for the Jewish people. Through vision, determination and discrimination she has in the past 24 years carefully nurtured the struggling prospect of contemporary Jewish Art. For most of that time…
Tosafot at Ein Harod
Tosafot: Women Drawing the Talmud at the Mishkan Le’Omanut in Ein Harod, Israel showcases the cutting edge work of two women artists significantly contributing to the lively and disparate Jewish cultural scene we are fortunate to inhabit.
“All This Has Come Upon Us…” – Mark Podwal at Terezin Ghetto Museum
“Sanctuary, sanctuary sanctuary…” proclaims Quasimodo as he rescues Esmeralda, the gypsy girl unjustly accused of murder, and whisks her into the protection of the looming Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The 1939…
Lincoln Square Synagogue Sanctuary Designed by John Cetra
“Sanctuary, sanctuary sanctuary…” proclaims Quasimodo as he rescues Esmeralda, the gypsy girl unjustly accused of murder, and whisks her into the protection of the looming Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The 1939 film, Hunchback of Notre Dame,…
Off Label: Dov Abramson & Ken Goldman
After the shock of recognition that the artists are speaking our language, but with a slightly different accent, the well-informed observant audience will recognize that a serious thought-provoking Jewish art can easily also put a smile on your…
Medieval Echoes
Rushing in from the Boston airport on a bright Sunday morning, I breathlessly rolled into Boston College’s Gasson Hall, surprised by the sumptuous kosher lunch set out, and settled into the first of a series of PowerPoint Presentations delivered about illuminated medieval Jewish…
Faces: Indian Jewish Narratives of Siona Benjamin
Jacob Elijah, 2012-2013, photo-collages with gouache and acrylic paint on paper, 35" x 35" by Siona Benjamin, courtesy Flomenhaft Gallery
Siona Benjamin has mounted a remarkable exploration into the complex and multilayered identity of Indian Jews, simultaneously tracking the…
Silverstein’s Heroes
“Every philosophy resolves itself into autobiography in the end” - Friedrich Nietzsche
Jo-El/Jore-El, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 48” x 60” by Joel Silverstein, courtesy the artist
Exactly how is an aspect of Jewish identity expressed in the mid-20th century phenomena of comic book Superheros? Aside…
Biblical Space: Recent Works by John Bradford
John Bradford is back with a dozen masterful paintings that deliver a powerful reassessment of Biblical narratives, served up in a revolutionary new painterly format. Last seen in these pages in November 2010, Bradford’s new work, Biblical Space at…