Mon, 28 May 2012 00:25:28 +0700WeeblyTue, 22 May 2012 02:45:08 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2012/05/dvar-omanut-stitching-the-torahs-precepts-together.htmlBy Fern Allen

For artist Andi Arnovitz, sewing always had been an integral part of her upbringing. So it was natural for her to take essential principles of the Torah, such as the commandment to be charitable, and create vibrant artistic garments made – literally – from traditional Jewish texts.

Her “Vest of the Giver of Charity”, for example, weaves together the biblical injunction “to open your hand to your brother and to the destitute” and “not to harden your heart”, with the quintessential symbol of the hamsa – an open hand, which in her piece represents unrestricted sharing.

“Clothes are an important metaphor for me,” says Arnovitz, whose grandmother was a seamstress, and whose father owned fabric stores in Kansas City, Missouri, near where she grew up. “There are many layers of meaning and intent to clothing. There is the superficial aspect of what you initially see, and there is the more hidden intent of what is underneath it all.”

For inspiration, she turned to traditional Jewish sources, such as the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (a summary of Jewish law) to learn how Judaism categorizes the needy. She then attached cards with thin threads at the bottom of the colorful vest, and labeled them with the different types of people
and institutions that should be supported: the Jewish poor, the hungry, synagogues, mikvahs, clothing the unclothed, the non-Jewish poor, the oppressed. 

Her work dramatically drives home the point that the needy literally have to “hang on by a thread” to the giver of charity.

Many of Arnovitz’s pieces are comprised of small wrapped scrolls, made from Jewish books that were sold or discarded on the streets of the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea She’arim – including prayer books, the Talmud, and the Book of Psalms.

 “Andi rescued sacred and time-worn pages from ritual burial, revitalizing them and breathing new life into them,” observes curator Dvora Liss, in the catalog for Arnovitz’s exhibition “Tear/Repair”, held at Brandeis University, and at the Yeshiva University Museum, in 2010.

Wrapping, Arnovitz notes, is an essential part of many Jewish practices – for instance, wrapping the Torah scroll after it has been read, and wrapping oneself with tefillin. As a modern Orthodox woman, she has found a way to incorporate aspects of what are typically male practices into her own personal art. The result is her “Vest of Prayers”, made up of verses from Psalms and passages from the siddur, which she wrapped and meticulously stitched together.

Arnovitz conceived this piece as a Jewish response to suicide bombers, who pack their explosive-laden garb with nails and other hard, sharp items, in order to cause as much injury as possible to innocent bystanders.

 “This vest, however, is made of soft things – words, paper, string. As Jews, our weapons often have been our words and our prayers,” notes  Arnovitz, who made aliyah with her family in 1999.

The dearth of female voices and opinions in traditional Jewish texts, such as the Talmud, also deeply dismayed Arnovitz, who became religiously observant as an adult. To graphically demonstrate how the Talmud could have had “a woman’s touch”, she scanned pages from various Talmudic tracts, and had them printed in 42 different colors.

She then carefully cut the texts and painstakingly wrapped 4,000 of them into small scrolls. They were sewn into a rainbow-like garment, with colorful threads protruding from the work. Color, she says, plays an important symbolic role in her feminist Jewish message.

“Jewish law would have been much more vibrant if women had been involved in writing it,” she says.

 With each piece – whether its message is social, political or feminist – Arnovitz weaves her viewpoint of Judaism into a distinctly modern and artistic commentary. And she’s determined to express it,even if she has to do it one stitch at a time.







Dvar Omanut – Musings on Jewish Art – is a monthly feature focusing on the
deeper meaning of Jewish art.]]>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:28:38 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2012/04/dvar-omanut-all-who-are-hungry-come-and-eat-when-art-imitates-life.htmlBy Fern Allen
It’s one of Judaism’s best-known slogans, with its perennial cry for social justice and redemption: the haggadah’s HaLachma Anya passage – “This is the bread of affliction our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry come and eat”. For centuries, haggadah illuminators have found this ancient declaration– which intertwines generosity with a compact retelling of Jewish history and yearning – a compelling message to illustrate.

The classic Sarajevo Haggadah is a prime example. Created in the mid-14th century in Barcelona, the illuminator of this exquisite work depicted a scene that could be considered a precursor to the modern soup kitchen. Here, the master of the household is seen scooping out haroseth from a large clay vessel, as people line up patiently for this seder delicacy. In another panel, a man sits on a chair, distributing matzah to the needy.

This haggadah’s journey over the centuries from Spain to Sarajevo is in itself a story of benevolence of spirit and redemption. It is believed that the magnificent work was taken out of the country in the wake of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, and resurfaced in Italy later in
the 1500s. It eventually found its way in 1894 to the National Museum in Sarajevo, after a Jewish boy – whose father had died, leaving the family destitute – had brought it to school to be sold.

But the story of this illustrious Sephardic haggadah doesn’t end there. During World War II, it was hidden from the Nazis by the museum’s chief librarian, Dervis Korkut. At great personal peril, he smuggled the haggadah out of Sarajevo, and gave it to a Moslem cleric in Zenica, where it was safely hidden until the war ended. This artistic treasure is now in the National Museum of Bosnia Herzegovina.

OTHER MEDIEVAL haggadahs also depict scenes of bounty and kindness. The Yoel ben Shimon Haggadah, illuminated in the middle of the 15th century in Germany by the scribe for whom it is named, shows a group of people feasting at the Passover meal. Here, a regally clad husband and wife cheerfully host an assortment of colorful local characters at their table.

In contrast, the Birds' Head Haggadah (illuminated in southern Germany circa 1300, and renowned for the bird-like faces attached to human bodies) paints a more depressing scene. The husband sits at one end of a long table; his wife at the other end. There is no one else around it, and the table is conspicuously empty, save for the haggadah, with the words HaLachma Anya visible. The viewer can’t help asking themselves, “Who exactly are the needy ones here?”.

In the contemporary Moss Haggadah by artist David Moss, there are three pages where seder hosts can record the names of their guests each year. “I wanted to convey the connection between the table and the commandment to welcome guests. The table is not only a place where the
family gathers, but one where it reaches out beyond itself,” says Moss, whose acclaimed work has been hailed by the London Jewish Chronicle as the greatest haggadah ever produced.

Moss, a Kol HaOt co-founder, will be explaining the artwork from his famed haggadah to the public at the Kol HaOt center, 7 Emek  Refaim, German Colony, Jerusalem, on Chol HaMoed Passover, Tues., April 10 and Wed., April 11. (Read more details of the free event.)

 Moss emphasizes the talmudic comparison between a table and the ancient altar, where in the time of the Temple, Jews brought sacrifices to atone for their sins. In the center of one page, Moss places a commentary by the 11th century sage Rabbenu Gershom, who noted that inviting guests to one’s table is the equivalent of bringing a sin offering to the altar.

“Once I was giving a slide presentation of my haggadah to a group of women from kibbutzim around the country,” Moss recalls. “When I got to this page, I proudly announced that it was intended to keep a list of seder guests over the years and through the generations. A woman in the back quipped, ‘I don’t think there would be enough spaces for us for one year!’”

Clearly, HaLachma Anya’s ancient messages of hospitality and generosity of spirit have found their rightful place at the seder table… and beyond.

Dvar Omanut – Musings on Jewish Art – is a monthly feature focusing on the deeper meaning of
Jewish art.]]>Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:50:27 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2012/03/dvar-omanut-redrawing-a-tale-of-two-diasporas.htmlDvar Omanut – Musings on Jewish Art – is a monthly feature focusing on the deeper meaning of Jewish art.

By Fern Allen
Flip through artist Eliyahu Sidi’s Scroll of Esther, and you’ll soon realize that you are absorbing two stories in one – the text of the ancient Purim plot detailing Queen Esther’s brave actions to thwart Haman’s plan to destroy the Jews, interwoven within a colorful, humorous storyboard of the Nazi scheme to decimate European Jewry.

Sidi is a seasoned master at inserting biting comic relief to his oversized, whimsical characters and scenes. He pokes fun of King Achashverosh, whom he depicts with a repulsive wart protruding from his chin. This is a king who sits on a chamber pot that passes for a throne, and dons a lopsided kettle cover for a crown. But Sidi also makes sure the reader is aware of Achashverosh’s deadly nature, stamping the decree calling for the destruction of the Jews with the king’s odious face and a Nazi insignia.

In one scene, Mordechai and the Jews of Shushan – clad in jagged-edged potato sacks – ponder their impending annihilation. To drive the point home, Sidi includes a sign in Yiddish announcing “Juden Kaputt” (Jews are doomed) echoing the Jews’ recurring despair throughout their sojourn in the Diaspora.

To differentiate the “good guys” from the “bad guys”, Sidi employs vibrant graphic colors to the primitive, one-dimensional figures in the story. Here, Queen Esther is reshaped into a seemingly innocent bird-like figure with a soft, blue body and purple hair. In contrast, Haman is portrayed as a dark, sly wolf sporting the Nazi emblem on his arm.

This past year, Sidi’s artwork was part of a group exhibition on naïve art at the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv; in 2009 his works were featured in a major exhibition at Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem. Over the years his artworks, which blend Jewish and contemporary themes with a healthy dose of humor, have been part of some 25 shows at museums in Israel and throughout the world.

While his formidable works reflect the naïve art tradition, Sidi nevertheless has a lot to say visually about Jewish history and tradition. “Sidi’s domain is folklorist, his paintings are friendly and avoid
intellectual arrogance, even while rich in wisdom,” observes Gideon Ofrat, an art historian and curator, in the catalogue for Sidi’s Beit Avi Chai exhibition.

Born in Paris in 1936, Sidi and his family trudged by foot to the mountains of central France during World War II, and spent the war years there. He settled in Israel with his parents soon after the creation of the State of Israel. Yet he draws on his French roots in his Scroll of Esther, which he created 20 years ago: Sidi’s Jews of Shushan sport thin, savvy, curled mustaches; the king’s courtiers are clad with French berets, and the king’s military guards peer out from their distinctive French visor hats.

References to the modern Jewish state are sprinkled throughout Sidi’s Esther scroll. The lots cast for the fateful day of Purim are distributed from a modern Israeli Lotto booth. And the “Shushan
Tribune” proclaims triumphantly: “500 killed by I.D.F.; Nuremberg trial – 10 hanged”.

Throughout Sidi’s Scroll of Esther, there is plenty of visual comic relief to soften the narrative of near-disaster for the Jews. Perhaps Sidi intuitively knows it’s the only way to redraw the Jewish people’s painful 2,000-year trek through the Diaspora.




]]>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:36:27 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2012/01/young-judaeans-begin-9-week-artistic-journey-on-kol-haots-the-art-of-judaism-course.htmlTwenty two participants in the Young Judaea Year Course are enrolled in a pioneering, cutting edge class designed by Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz (an Young Judaea alumnus!) and the team
of Kol HaOt: Illuminating Jewish Life Through Art.  Founded two years ago, Kol HaOt showcases Jewish history, values and texts through a synthesis of the performing, visual and culinary arts. 

The curriculum focuses on the visual and materials arts and is entitled "The 'Art' of Judaism."  Among the topics covered include ceremonial art, ketubot, haggadot and  journaling.  Students are given an introduction and survey of the topic, meet with a guest artist and then engage in a 'hands on' project in each session. Though we always begin our class at the Young Judaea campus in Jerusalem, the past two sessions have continued at the new Kol HaOt home on Jerusalem's Emek Refaim Street -- in a  cool, magical, enchanted space called the Martef. 

During our first session, which focused on ceremonial art, we learned about the concept of Jewish art and 'hiddur mitzvah' (beautifying ceremonial objects in the tradition).  This  lead up to a fascinating trip to Jerusalem's Huzot HaYotzer -- where students  divided into three groups meeting with Yaakov Greenvercel (sterling silver),  David Moss (who taught on The Tree of Life Shtender) and Oshrit Raffeld (paper and manuscript artist).  Each spoke about the creative and spiritual
influences on their work-- and how their work reflects Jewish ideas and values. 

We concluded our trip together in the studio of Sari Srulovich, a talented and animated sterling silver artist who showcased some of her best pieces.  Students were amazed by the breadth and depth of these artists.  It was an energizing way to begin this new adventure. ]]>Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:02 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2011/12/fountainheads-concert-dec-31-tickets-are-going-fast.htmlTickets to the upcoming Ein Prat Fountainheads concert, sponsored by Kol HaOt, are getting zapped up in record time! Kol HaOt is delighted that their music, ladden with Jewish content (and quite catchy as well!) is such a hit with people of all ages!

There are just a few seats left for the performance Dec. 31, at 9 pm at the Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem! Click here to order online!

]]>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:09:52 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2011/09/kol-haot-sukkot-artists-fair-at-the-inbal-hotel-oct-16-17.htmlDon't miss this year's Kol HaOt Sukkot Artists' Fair at the ballroom of the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem, Oct. 16 & 17, from 5:30 pm -10:30 pm, during Chol HaMoed. Five leading Israeli artists will share their inspiring works with the public at the free 2-day fair, on the theme “Jerusalem in the Eyes of the Beholder: Contemporary Artists Portray their Jerusalem”.

Participating in the fair are Maty Grünberg, Avner Moriah, David Moss, Yoram Raanan, Archie Granot, and Yitzhak Greenfield. The works of many of these artists are part of the collections of such prestigious institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the British Museum, the Israel Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The public will be able to meet the artists, and hear first-hand how they intertwine traditional and modern Jewish themes into their art.

The event will also feature a collage of the city’s distinctive musical sounds and sites in a screening of “Thru Jerusalem,” by video artist Kutiman, an internationally acclaimed musician and YouTube sensation, whose short film was originally commissioned by the Jerusalem Season of Culture. Storytellers will also present live performances about Jerusalem at the fair.

Save the date - Oct. 16 & 17! ]]>Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:54:41 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2011/07/podcast-when-art-meets-jewish-education.htmlListen to Kol HaOt co-founder Elyssa Moss Rabinowitz discuss how art can have a powerful impact on Jewish education. Here are some excerpts from her interview with Tera Greene of GenToGen during the recent ROI 2011 Summit in Jerusalem:  

“I would love for Kol HaOt to be a very successful venture and really become a hub of activity. I don't mean just a physical space but really a buzz where the idea of using the arts for Jewish content is sort of trickled out to the whole Jewish world via the kind of tools and education that we're building and creating.

“Art is a very strong and powerful way to bring people together, to make people consider their Jewish heritage and culture, not necessarily in a practicing way, but just in a value-based, identity aspect.

“If people had one ‘ah-ha!’ Jewish moment because of me, I would be very happy. Meaning that they'll remember that I helped them learn, experience, grapple with, something Jewish. That's a success for me.”

Tune into the full interview.

]]>Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:26:35 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2011/06/elyssa-moss-rabinowitz-heads-to-roi-summit.htmlElyssa Moss Rabinowitz, a Kol HaOt co-founder, heads to the week-long ROI Summit in Jerusalem on June 12, where she will be discussing Kol HaOt’s misson: How to use the magical power of the arts in transformative, interactive programs that convey Jewish ideas, texts and values.

Stay tuned for her reports! 

ROI is a global community of young Jewish leaders created by Lynn Schusterman. Its objective is to cultivate a prestigious international network of young Jewish leaders in their 20s and 30s who are at the forefront of local, global and virtual initiatives that offer innovative and diverse paths for connecting to Jewish life.

]]>Thu, 19 May 2011 20:00:29 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2011/05/detroits-hillel-day-school-students-create-visual-stories-at-kol-haot.htmlWhat does a Mentsch look like? What color represents the Children of Israel standing at Mount Sinai?

These were just some of the visual challenges a group of 80 eight-graders from the Hillel Day School of Detroit were confronted with at a Kol HaOt session on May 15 in Jerusalem, where they depicted both Jewish values and Biblical scenes. 

“It was remarkable to see how quickly the children engaged in serious learning and in the hands-on projects,” noted Rabbi Matt Berkowitz, one of Kol HaOt’s facilitators, and a founder of the organization. “Their enthusiasm and energy was contagious, and the experience demonstrates the transformative power of Kol HaOt’s programs.”

The group was divided into two; in the program “Mentschmaker, Mentschmaker, Make Me a Mentsch” the students explored the middot (qualities) of Compassion, Truth, Humility, Justice, Holiness, Gratitude and more.  Through paired and small group learning, they discussed a specific value, and the role it plays in their personal life.  By the time the session was done, the participants had created their own folder, identifying their own middah, with their own poem and visual collage. 

“The students took up the challenge with enthusiasm, grace, creativity and talent, and presented to each other their new and amazing creations, made in Jerusalem!” Rabbi Berkowitz recalled.

The second group immersed itself in the Kol HaOt program “From Text to Symbol.” During the session, they studied Exodus 19 and 20, in which the Children of Israel stand at Mount Sinai; then they identified the most important 10 elements in the story, and assigned them different colors. The result was a remarkable mural they created that reflected a powerful and animated visual interpretation of the story. 

By engaging in this hands on piece, the narratives of Exodus 19 and 20 became unforgettable experiences for the Hillel Day School students, who then presented their murals to the entire group. The response was both heartening and inspiring.

Noted Rabbi Berkowitz: “It was clear that it was a new, innovative approach for teachers and students alike. . . . and of course, the magic of this happening in Jerusalem makes the experience all the more invaluable!”

]]>Thu, 19 May 2011 19:50:40 +0700http://www.kolhaot.com/2/post/2011/05/winner.htmlArik Weiss is the winner of the Kol HaOt Raffle! By becoming a Facebook Fan of Kol HaOt, he won a magnificent print by artist Matt Berkowitz. If you want to be a part of our next raffle, be sure to "Like" our Facebook page! ]]>