Hard at Work in the Matzah Bakery
I based this illustration off a photo I took at the matzah bakery in Kiryat Sanz (Netanya, Israel). The bakers were being timed by a rabbi with a stopwatch (not pictured), to ensure the entire process, from beginning to end, doesn’t exceed the strict 18-minute time frame required for kosher matzahs.
Miriam Stood From Afar
Miriam had such faith in Hashem! She sent the only gateway to redemption down the river to be taken by literally the daughter of the other side, Pharaoh. Yet she still had faith that G‑d would take care of her brother.
Moses in the Basket
Moses, as an infant, cast into the Nile in a basket, on his way to becoming the greatest leader in history.
Moses Stands Before the Burning Bush
This original oil painting shows Moses standing before the Burning Bush. The landscape is taken from a mountain valley in the Sinai Desert, where I came across a walled garden set among enormous boulders. Beautiful fruit trees were growing, and there was a pool of cool water for the animals. In the painting, I imagine the fiery bush of G‑d at night, with Moses looking on, a tiny figure dwarfed by the enormity of the Divine Presence as revealed in the fire. In the distance, there is a campfire, and its denizens are unaware of the miracle taking place across the valley.
Moses at the Burning Bush
By Yoram Raanan
The burning bush, sometimes identified as an acacia tree covered with red flowers and fruit, creates the impression of being illuminated but not consumed. Here in the painting the bush looks like a tree of life with golden light and jewel-like colors. Actually, the burning bush is a metaphor for the tree of life, and both are symbols of miraculous energy and sacred light.
Here in the painting, as Moses approaches the bush to investigate its special lights, his figure is overshadowed by the greatness of the vision. “I must turn aside,” says Moses when he sees the burning bush, humbled by the vision and aware of his smallness. He is engulfed in the heat of revelation as everything around the bush glows red hot. Tradition tells us that for seven days and nights Moses pleaded with G‑d before accepting the mission to redeem the people of Israel and bring them to Sinai to receive the Torah on a mountain that was also ablaze.
The Exodus
By Yoram Raanan
The Jewish people begin their journey out of the darkness of Egypt at the first light of dawn. The red frame conveys the blood on their doorposts, a sign of protection from the last plague which brought death to the Egyptian firstborns. Darkness hangs above the people as the night sky is slowly transformed by daybreak. The figures seem to be moving quickly towards the light which guides them to freedom. We sense the poignancy of the moment. The Jewish people have made this journey from darkness into light over and over since this first exodus.
Time for Passover
By Erik Kucera
This work represents the holiday and its meaning. On the bottom left you will see a representation of the afikomen, “hidden” just below the six sections of the Seder plate. The six circles are representative of the Seder plate, and foods found on the Seder plate are written in Hebrew.
In the middle is a clock of sorts. The clock shows when Passover starts—in the first month, Nissan, on the Jewish calendar, and between the third and fourth months on the Gregorian calendar.
Within the Star of David we see a depiction of the Exodus, including the pyramids and the splitting of the sea.
My intention was to depict images from the past with a modern flair, to symbolize that we should always remember the past, and always celebrate this day for generations to come.
Bedikat Chametz
Overflowing Blessings
“My Cup Runneth Over” is a familiar expression quoted from Torah. And indeed it is true—at least for my life. All we need to do is look around and count our blessings, to see all the wonderful things G‑d has provided for us and the great opportunities we have. Lift your cup and raise a toast—L’chaim to G‑d.
Al Netilat Yadayim (Blessing Upon Washing Hands)
This piece represents the ritual hand-washing and the accompanying blessing “al netilat yadayim”. I was inspired after searching for similar pieces and finding only instructional signs. Although many of them were beautiful and artsy, there was no art for art’s sake, and I saw a void to be filled. In creating this piece I aimed to fuse my modern, abstract and bright artistic style with a traditional subject matter to create a vibrant and exciting display of this important mitzvah.
Seder Plate
The Book of Exodus
One day in class, during a critique in which I displayed a Jewish-themed drawing, my professor said to me, “I Googled ‘Jewish art,’ and most of what I saw was Holocaust-related; that seems to be the ‘thing’ for Jewish artists. Are you going to work with that theme?”
Words cannot express the extent to which that bothered me. Why should the world’s view of the Jewish people be that of a formerly oppressed nation, not a culture that is rich in beliefs, traditions and Torah values? And how come the general population has no idea what Judaism entails? Why have we become “the people who died in the Holocaust” and “the people who don’t eat bacon”? With my art, I seek to change that perception, expand people’s horizons, and create works that encapsulate the Jewish culture and religion.
Hillel Sandwich
With Gratitude
By Naomi Cohen
“Even if our mouths were filled with song as the sea [is filled with water], our tongue with melody as the roar of its waves, and our lips with praise as the breadth of the firmament; and our eyes were radiant like the sun and the moon, our hands spread out as the [wings of the] eagles of the sky, and our feet as swift as [those of] the deer—we would still be unable to thank You, L‑rd our G‑d and G‑d of our fathers . . .”—From the Passover Haggadah
Next Year in Jerusalem
My poetic depiction of how Israel might feel includes a bold Magen David (Star of David) displayed with great pride. The painting has energy and movement; I hope you can feel it and more.
The Time for Redemption has Arrived
This is how I picture the Redemption.
The Splitting of the Sea
By Yoram Raanan
The painting began as a beautiful abstract landscape. Wanting to find something greater, the artist painted over the previous painting and a huge wave emerged, like a wall of water. This opened a new pathway through the sea. As a gentle light seeps in, illuminating the pathway, it parts and forms walls of water. Much depended on the artist’s willingness to reach deeper and break through the barrier of mere prettiness. The way it was painted reflects what it is. Every day is a spiritual crossing, searching for the gifts hidden within the sea. Even though the Israelites crossed the sea thousands of years ago, the parting of the sea remains a timeless metaphor for taking a leap of faith, forging forward to discover hidden treasures.
The Splitting of the Sea
The splitting of the Reed Sea as the Jews left Egypt.
Faith at the Sea of Reeds
When the Israelites came to the Reed Sea, G‑d required that they show their faith before the sea would split. Nachshon ben Aminadav of the tribe of Judah walked into the sea, deeper and deeper. When the water reached his neck, G‑d split it.
The Parting of the Red Sea
Moses Splits the Sea of Reeds
My rendition of the Splitting of the Sea, where the Jewish people achieved faith in G‑dand Moses.
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