Converting an Inanimate Thing into Living Form

By the Grace of G-d
5th of Kislev, 5728
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Mr. ...
Detroit, Mich.

Greeting and Blessing:

I was very gratified to receive your letter of November 30th, in which you write that you have been honored with the chairmanship of the Sponsor's Preview of an Exhibition of Chassidic Art to be opened by Jacques Lipchitz under the auspices of Detroit Friends of Chabad Lubavitch.

In addition to my being gratified at the choice per se, I was especially pleased to note the warmth and enthusiasm with which you have accepted this task. I trust that this spirit will be reflected also throughout the Exhibition and in the guests and visitors.

The essential aspect of true Jewish warmth and enthusiasm is that it expresses itself in practical deeds. For, however important the inspiration and feeling, the essential thing is that these should be translated into practical accomplishments. All the more so since this Exhibition is intended to further the cause of the very important and vital institutions of Lubavitch in Detroit as well as in the Holy Land, to enable them to carry out their tasks and meet the ever-growing demands made upon them in these crucial times.

I would like to take this opportunity to make a further point, which I had occasion to mention to our very distinguished friend Mr. Chaim Yaakov Lipchitz who, I am glad to note, is going to open the Exhibition. I have known Mr. Lipchitz for many years, and know of his sincere interest in all good things, especially those connected with our people. The point is that those who have been Divinely gifted in art, whether sculpture or painting and the like, have the privilege of being able to convert an inanimate thing, such as a brush, paint and canvas, or wood and stone, etc., into living form. In a deeper sense, it is the ability to transform to a certain extent the material into spiritual, even where the creation is in still life, and certainly where the artistic work has to do with living creatures and humans. How much more so if the art medium is used to advance ideas, especially reflecting Torah and Mitzvoth, which would raise the artistic skill to its highest level.

Indeed, this is the ultimate purpose of the Exhibition, which hopefully will impress and inspire the viewers with higher emotions and concepts of Yiddishkeit imbued with the spirit of Chassidus, and make them, too, vehicles of disseminating Yiddishkeit in their environment, and particularly through the educational institutions.

May G-d grant that the Exhibition be a complete success in all its stages -- preparation, duration and lasting effectiveness. May the merit of it stand you and all concerned with this effort in good stead, to be blessed by G-d in a most generous measure, in all needs, materially and spiritually.

With blessing and esteem,

M. Schneersohn