Eastern European Jewish Gravestones

PLEASE JOIN ME at the OPENING RECEPTION  Thursday, September 8, 2016,  6:00 – 8:00 PM PAINT BY NUMBERS Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum One West Fourth St, New York NY September 8, 2016- June 30, 2017 Numbers are integral to Jewish rituals, belief, significant historical dates, and daily life. Numbers and numerology have been at the core of Biblical understanding since the Bible was codified and possibly before. Inescapable, numbers are the global language of humanity. More than fifty contemporary artists illuminate the meaning of numbers and their symbolism through a broad range of artistic media. “Two Generations x Seven Emotions” Dimensions: 13.25H x 17.5W inches Framed: 20H x 24W inches Year Completed: 2016 Medium: Hot Press Bright Fine Art Paper with Archival Pigmented Inks I photographed my friends, Joanmarie and Faith, as they were teaching themselves to wrap their arms with the tefillin seven times. It is the mother’s hand that is the foundation for her daughter as they learn to follow the commandment to bind oneself to a higher power and channel the divine energies of the seven emotions. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.  Teach these words to your children. Recite them at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise up. Bind them on your arm and on your head and inscribe them on the door-posts of your house.” “Eternal Flame of the Shin” Medzhybizh, Ukraine c.1800 Dimensions: 12H x 18W inches Framed 18H x 24W inches Year Completed: 2008 Medium: Hot Press Bright Fine Art Paper with Archival Pigmented Inks “Eternal Flame of the Shin,” was photographed in the cemetery near the ohel protecting the Baal Shem Tov’s tomb. Outstretched hands, joined in a gesture of blessing, were symbolically carved onto the headstones of Kohanim, descendants of the Biblical priests. In Medzhybizh, the birth place of Hassidism and the Baal Shem Tov, I found the ritualistic gesture in the whitewashed hands inviting me to dig deeper into its meaning. The four fingers on each hand are customarily split into two sets of two fingers each,  forming the letter Shin (שׁ), the 21st letter in the Hebrew alphabet that also designates Shaddai, the Almighty Creator. The four stones poignantly placed on top of the gravestone serve to commemorate the life and enduring presence of the deceased. This image depicts my own mitzvot, uniting past and present, and the love and respect I have for learning from my ancestors. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9am-5pm,  Friday, 9am-3pm