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Considering Dura: Part II Dura Europos looms large in the history of Jewish Art not only because of its place as the earliest example of Jewish Art but also because its achievements are seemingly at odds with the conceptual and halachic problems it presents.  The…
Considering Dura: Part III The significance of the 3rd century Dura Europos synagogue murals paradoxically lies less in their historical importance as the earliest example of Jewish narrative art than in their role as a paradigm of what is possible for contemporary Jewish artists.  After…
Paintings by Lloyd Bloom Upon entering Lloyd Bloom’s exhibition at the Chassidic Art Institute one is confronted by a sweet beautiful image of a lamb skipping through the air in a puffy cloud landscape.  Right next to it is an image of a goat kid…
Sculpture and the Bible Ark of the Covenant, wood, metal, mixed media by Howard Lerner, courtesy the artist Walking into Howard Lerner’s studio is like falling headfirst into a Tanach made of sculpture.  Right near the door is a 10-foot-high Tower of Babel.  Partially hidden behind…
Rina Castelnuovo: Photographs Iconic images are rare, especially in the mundane world of photojournalism.  But when they happen their intense simplicity compresses a host of ideas and emotions in a single picture, making complexity seem transparent. Israeli photojournalist Rina Castelnuovo excels at this skill.  Her…
Modern Art / Sacred Space From the earliest synagogues preserved to the present, Jews have struggled with the role of art in their sacred spaces.  Decorative or contemplative, subservient to architecture or an independent aesthetic experience?  The Dura Europos murals (235 CE) and many early…
The 42 Letter Name by Robert Kirschbaum God’s Names.  What an odd notion.  And yet they provide us with a means of knowing Him better and, simultaneously, distancing us from the unfathomable enormity of His essence. The Bible ascribes approximately nine appellations, including "Lord," 'The…
To Serve My People: Part II Arthur Szyk saw the face of Haman. It was Hitler. And he knew what had to be done. His only tools were his art and he labored mightily against the terrible enemy.  In the early 1930’s Szyk took up…
To Serve My People: Part I Arthur Szyk believed that Art can change the world and he spent his life trying desperately to prove it. In 1934 he stated “…I am resolved to serve my people with all my art, with all my heart, with…
The Braginsky Collection Five hundred years of Jewish manuscript and printed book illumination are presented in Highlights from the Braginsky Collection scheduled to open at Yeshiva University Museum on March 17, 2010.
Ma’ayan: Zalman’s Suite Yisgadal v’yisgadash sh’mai rabba b’alma dee v’ra chir’usay. For many Jews a time will come when we will say these words in minyan every day, many times a day, for 11 months as part of mourning a parent.  We bravely declare, “May His…
Auschwitz: A Graphic Novel by Pascal Croci Pascal Croci's graphic novel, Auschwitz, begins with a question to a witness from Auschwitz-Birkenau; “How long have you been keeping all this to yourself?” The answer, “Fifty-two years,” is shocking. The novel that follows provides a glimpse into…

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