Name of artist: Kate Lenkowsky Location of artist: Bloomington, IN Artist website: https://www.katelenkowsky.com/ Instagram: @katelenkowsky Kate Lenkowsky is a textile artist, printmaker, and book author living in Bloomington, Indiana. In the 1990s, she began making quilts, and in 2008 published Contemporary Quilt Art: A Guide for Collectors (Indiana University Press). She has taught and lectured at Indiana University, and served as a juror for national quilt exhibits and as co-curator for a regional quilt exhibit at the Newfields - Indianapolis Museum of Art. Her quilts are on display at Congregation Shaarey Tefilla in Carmel, IN and at Indiana University. She is currently co-curator for art exhibits at Beth Shalom Congregation in Bloomington, Indiana. Kate exhibits her work regionally and nationally. Recent honors include the selection of Remembrance of the Fallen in Sacred Threads, a national exhibit of quilts devoted to spiritual themes and Morning in Jerusalem in an exhibit of Hoosier Women Artists; participation in the Religion, Spirituality and the Arts Seminar in Indianapolis for which she created The Torments of Jonah. Kate was also among the first J.A.W. artist Fellows of the Amen Institute and made and presented Miriam’s Song.
Does the Jewish religion influence the approach you take to your art ? If so how ? I converted to Judaism some 50 years ago, became involved in my children’s Jewish education and served as a board member of our synagogue. But Judaism as inspiration for my art came when my children were grown. An art seminar focused on the Book of Jonah made me aware of the kind of spiritual life I could have and art I could make, based on study of Torah, the commentaries and writings. I learned, to my astonishment and delight, that there were hundreds and hundreds of midrashim written through the ages, interpreting ancient texts in ways that can help guide us through difficulties in our own time. I have also marveled at the visual imaginations of the writers of poems and prayers that are read on the Sabbath and holy day services. These too, are a rich trove of art ideas and inspiration.
Name of art piece: The Voice of the Lord Shatters the Cedars of Lebanon: Psalm 29 Medium: Pieced, embroidered and quilted cotton fabric Size of art piece: 27”x 31” The cedars are shattered; the mountains dance like lambs.
Name of art piece: Miriam’s Song Medium: Pieced, embroidered and quilted cotton fabric Size of art piece: 45.5” x 24.5” Piece available for sale The Israelites cross over the mud and through the murky waters. The faith, confidence and leadership of Miriam among the women are highlighted and timbrels raised to celebrate victory over Pharoah. The well on the right is a reminder of the midrash: it appeared whenever the Israelites thirsted, so long as Miriam lived. The gradual change in attire of those crossing the sea alludes to later generations of Jews who also took great risks to be free.
Name of art piece: Jacob: The Journey Home Medium: Pieced, embroidered, commercial and hand-dyed cotton fabric Size of art piece: 17” x 30” (framed) Piece available for sale After leaving his father-in-law Laban, Jacob embarks on his journey home. He crosses the Jabok River with Leah, Rachel, and the rest of his entourage, then returns alone to the other side. He has much on his mind. He must confront his brother Esau soon. What will he say? How should he behave? His own behavior has been far from exemplary. He wrestles through the night with a stranger. Who is he? Maybe Jacob’s struggle is with himself. What kind of person is he going to be? A liar and deceiver or a good and righteous man?
Name of art piece: The Torments of Jonah Medium: Pieced, embroidered and quilted hand-dyed and commercial cotton Size of art piece: 26”x36” Piece available for sale I think of Jonah as everyman/everywoman, attempting to understand God. Knowing of the destruction and exile of the northern kingdoms by the Ninevites not so many years before this text was written, how would we have responded to God’s incomprehensible demand to tell them to repent or be destroyed? Fearfully? Perhaps irrationally? But there is no way for Jonah to escape. Angry and bewildered, he argues with God but doesn’t ask the question I think was really on his mind. How can he trust God?
Name of art piece: Morning in Jerusalem Medium: Pieced, embroidered and quilted cotton fabric Size of art piece: 39”x29” Morning in Jerusalem was inspired by memories of a visit to the old city. Overlaying stone and sky is an embroidered drawing of the Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and Al Aksa Mosque, innumerable arches and byways, and the marketplace. Layered and crowded structures jostle one other just as residents and tourists will jostle one another in those byways when the sun is fully risen. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem . . . Psalm 122.
Name of art piece: The Golan: March 2008 Medium: Pieced and embroidered cotton and linen. Size of art piece: 58” x 32” The Golan was inspired by memories of a trip to northern Israel in early spring. A pale blue sky, grassy slopes and sun-bleached rock interrupted by barbed wire, a Syrian tank, bunkers with wildflowers. Armed Israeli soldiers with maps and binoculars joined us at the outpost. The structure of this work was inspired by the weaving of Anni Albers, Bauhaus textile artist and German refugee.
Name of artist: Karen Kassap Location of artist: Connecticut Artist website: http://karenkassap.com/ Instagram: @karenkaassap Karen Kassap is a mixed media collage artist based in New Haven, Connecticut. Her works explore ideas of female empowerment, and the dichotomy between the freedom and confinement of the idealized woman. Her work grows out of her experiences as a woman, mother, wife and a Jew. She considers the idea that duality and struggle are beautiful and interesting through the medium and materials of collage. The many layers of her work are sometimes barely visible to the viewer, but knowledge of their existence is a mystery that draws one in. Patient observation may be rewarded with a glimpse of what lies beneath the surface, just as intimacy makes visible the hidden layers of oneself. Kassap had a solo show at the BEKI synagogue gallery in New Haven, she was awarded the Best Story prize for the Black Wedding, at the Milford Arts Council Show, Story of Women, in Milford Connecticut. She is a member of the Jewish Art Salon and presented a her Quarantine Series a the JAS Open Studios: Creativity in an Uncertain Time. She has had one woman shows at the Koslowe Gallery in Westchester, NY and the Worcester JCC gallery, and several group shows on line and in person. She is also 2021 Hopper Prize Finalist. She is member of the Connecticut Bar and the Pennsylvania Bar. When she is not in her studio she volunteers on the advisory board of Apostle Immigrant Services in New Haven, and works as a facilitator for the ADL Words to Action program.
Does the Jewish religion influence the approach you take to your art ? If so how ? My Jewish identity is important and and has shaped me and my life. The beauty of the Jewish religion, the conflicts and questions that I struggle with, the structure of the calendar of holidays and observances, the daily prayer and rituals, and the continuous learning give meaning to my life and influence and direct my art. The awesomeness of nature and the divinity within the unknown, motivate me to create work that expresses those thoughts and emotions.
Name of art piece: Building a Life Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 24"x32" Inspired by Hours of Devotion, by Fanny Neuda. Name of art piece: Rosh Chodesh Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 24"x18" Piece available for sale The queen of the moons, celebrating the lunar cycle and the winter solstice.
Name of art piece: For a Bride Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 32.5" x 24" Piece available for sale Inspired by Hours of Devotion by Fannie Neuda; For a Bride on Her Wedding Day: "I know that from now on my life will assume another form, That I am accepting new, sacred duties That are often difficult to fulfill, And that the life I am about to enter Will be. uneven and uncertain."
Name of art piece: Black Wedding Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 32" x 24" Piece available for sale This depicts an Eastern European superstition of marrying an unmarriageable couple in a cemetery as a way of warding off the plague. It presents a duality of ideas: Does the Chupah provide protection or not? Is the hand delivering plague or shelter? Is the marriage a sacrifice or a blessing?
Name of art piece: Ki Tisa Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 24" x 32" With visual hints of the incipient pandemic, twin sisters celebrate their bat mitzvah with an illuminated scroll. Name of art piece: Ready for Rosh Hashanah Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 12" x 9" Piece available for sale Preparation for a celebration can be both onerous and joyful. The pomegranate is a symbol of the 613 commandments as well as the seeds of fertility.
Name of art piece: Renewing the works of creation Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 24”x18” Piece available for sale Inspired by a blessing of thanks recited upon seeing a natural wonder. The dark rectangles represent headstones for graves, as do the letters in the far right corner. However, the the divine feminine also known as the Shechina is delivering light and hope. Name of art piece: Simchat Torah Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 24" x 18" Finding your place in the torah.
Name of art piece: Tikun Olam 2 Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 18”x24” Piece available for sale Name of art piece: Release My Eye Medium: mixed media Size of art piece: 18" x 24" Tikun Olam is an expression in Hebrew that translates as heal/repair the world. Working with the metaphor of a tear in the fabric of the world to describe the anguish of current times, I contrast the healing power of women and "the womanly arts" such as sewing. This work is part of a series. Inspired by Hours of Devotion, by Fanny Neuda. At Morning 1. You have once again released my eye From slumber's shade So it can freely perceive the beauty of nature And awaken me to renewed energy and purpose, To a new delight in life, and to love. *Honorable mention in the Rhode Island Watercolor Society art show
Name of artist: Karen Bardash Location of artist: Great Neck, New York Instagram: @Karen_Bardash I have always had a great appreciation for all of the fine arts. I am an avid theater-goer, I love dance and classical music, going to museums, and (pre-pandemic) traveling. In “my youth” I contemplated being an art major in college, but a 1978 trip abroad inffuenced a change of path. After a 35-year career as a secondary-school Spanish teacher, I retired in the spring of 2021. With new-found free time on my hands, I started taking adult education art classes and began exploring my creative side. Does the Jewish religion influence the approach you take to your art ? If so how ? I consider myself a more spiritual/cultural Jew vs. a religious/ practicing one. Thirty-eight years ago, when I started to find a need for particular Judaica items for my life and home, I set about making them. I started with designing and creating my marriage Ketubah, and then made the mezuzot for our house as well as gifts for others, a seder plate, a matzoh plate, and the tallitot for my daughters. Only recently, references to Torah seem to appear in my work. This has actually pleasantly surprised me.
Name of art piece: Re’eh #1 Medium: mixed medium collage Size of art piece: 11”x14” Piece available for sale When it came time for my three children to become B’Mitzvot (over the course of 5 years), we opted to have each chant an Aliyah from the Torah portion, Re’eh. The intention was that by the third child, our family could read most of the Parashat with my husband and me each reading a section as well. When I saw the picture that is central to this collage in a magazine, Re’eh popped into my mind.
Name of art piece: Re’eh #2 Medium: mixed medium collage Size of art piece: 11”x14”
Name of art piece: No Escaping Your Deeds; Temptation in the Garden of Eden Medium: Collage Size of art piece: 10”x10”(framed) Piece available for sale This surreal piece is reversible and can be viewed/hung in any of 4 ways!
Name of art piece: Tallitot – Miriam and Malka Medium: Embroidery/Applique/Paint For the occasion of their Bat Mitzvot, I made personalized tallitot and bags for my two daughters (in 2006 & 2011). The tallit of my oldest, Marina, (Hebrew name Miriam) contains an image of her namesake and reflects the prophetess, sister of Moses, with her timbrel and the parting sea and the Atarah contains the priestly blessing. The theme of the tallit for my youngest daughter, Malka, is “l'dor v'dor” (from generation to generation). The Atarah of this tallit contains part of that prayer which I embroidered. Her name, Malka, is a mixture of paint and embroidery, and the Hebrew names of her ancestors on my side of the family (from my husband/myself up to and including what would be Malka’s great-grandparents) are painted on the prayer shawl as well.
Name of art piece: Birkat Habayit (House Blessing) Medium: Mixed Medium; Drypoint print with chin colle, and hand-painted details Size of art piece: 8” x 10” (matted for 11” x 14” frame) Piece available for sale These drypoint etchings are from a series of 13 prints. Each contains different tissue paper and hand-painted elements. I’ve included two prints here. There are others available if interested.
Name of art piece: The Season of Rebirth and Hope Medium: Mixed Medium Collage Size of art piece: 28” x 12” In 2019 I wrote a poem, “The Season of Rebirth and Hope” that was inspired by the fluttering flower petals of a tree outside my acupuncturist window. I lay down for my needle treatment, and when I got up half an hour later, the poem was formulated in my mind. In March 2022, my father passed away and I read the poem at his funeral, altering just one line. Subsequently, I wanted to memorialize my dad with a piece of art so I made this collage with the poem included. This is a close-up detail of the collage that includes the poem.
The Season of Rebirth and Hope In the crisp clear sky Of cerulean blue Cumulus clouds Like teased cotton candy Dreamily soar Ovaloid leaflets On nimble twigs Flutter in the wind Like gossamer butterfly wings Kissed by the sun Tiny white tree blossoms Take to the air Spiraling and dancing Like misplaced snowflakes On a warm spring day The wondrous beauty of nature The unfettered freedom Of the season Oh that I were so buoyant Able to float, flutter, fly
Name of artist: Judy Shechter Location of artist: Tel Aviv, Israel Artist website: www.judy-art.com Instagram: @judyart My name is Judith (Judy) Shechter - Israeli artist. I am engaged in mosaic art with an emphasis on Jewish motifs. I break and reassemble special plates in difierent shades. Among my works you can ffnd Mezuzah houses, Hamsots, combined Kabbalistic letters, Star of David and more. Does the Jewish religion influence the approach you take to your art ? If so how ? Absolutely yes. The mosaic art I create in the field of Judaica includes Jewish symbols: Mezuzah houses, Stars of David, combined Kabbalah letters, Chanukahs and Hamsots. I grew up in Israel and was educated in a religious home. I received from my late father a great affinity for Judaism and the Jewish people. I engage in spiritual studies - Kabbalah and Tanya certainly contribute to my inspiration.
Name of art piece: Star of David Medium: Bukharian plate fragments Size of art piece: 26 cm length, 23 cm width Piece available for sale
Name of art piece: Mezuzah House Medium: Bukharian plate fragments Size of art piece: 27 cm length, 6 cm width Piece available for sale
Name of art piece: Mezuzah House Medium: Bukharian plate fragments Size of art piece: 17 cm length, 3 cm width Piece available for sale
Name of artist: John Thomas Location of artist: Bahrain Instagram: @zerabavel Name of art piece: Rav Chaim Medium: Charcoal pencils and 300gsm paper Size of art piece: 60x50 cm
Name of art piece: Rav Avigdor Medium: Charcoal pencils and 300gsm paper Size of art piece: 60x50 cm
Name of artist: Jeane Vogel Location of artist: St. Louis, MO Artist website: www.vopelpix.com Instagram: @jeanevogelart Jeane Vogel is an award-winning, fiber and photographic artist who adds a sense of comfort and warmth to her weaving and stitched photographs through practices that attempt calm meditation. She is keenly aware that fiber artists stand on the shoulders of thousands of generations of grandmothers who provided the basics of life, but didn't forget to add the beauty to their cloth. She produces work in tapestry, shirbori dyeing, sashiko stitching, embroidery, and woven cloth. Issues of Jewish cultural & religious identity, justice, feminine strength, and connection to antiquity are central to her art practice. Her work often responds to the world about her. Her work has been recognized, exhibited, and collected all over North America and Europe. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Jewish Museum of Brooklyn, the Union of Reform Judaism, Central Reform Congregation, Nicolet College Museum of Art, and private and corporate collections. She is a juried Fellow in the international Jewish Art Salon, and a member of the American Tapestry Alliance, the British Tapestry Group, the American Guild of Judaic Art, Women’s Caucus for Art, and Weavers Guild of St. Louis, and Missouri Fiber Artists. She has been invited to artist residencies at the University of Zhongshan, China; Athlone, Ireland; and the Lillian Smith Center in the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains. Her studio is in St. Louis, MO. Jeane is married to Steve Sorkin, her partner of 34 years. They have two adult children: Chani Dev; and Aaron, an adult with disabilities who lives with them. Does the Jewish religion influence the approach you take to your art ? If so how ? Whether my work appears to be secural or is clearly idenified as Judaica, all my work is informed by Jewish principles of justice, compassion, and equality among peoples, including gender, skin color, sexual idenity, and spiritual practice.
Name of art piece: Three Blessings and a Warning Medium: Woven Tapestry (wool warp & weft) Size of art piece: 19”x24” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 In Jewish thought, a hamsa with fingers pointing down suggests divine blessings. A hamsa with fingers pointing up is a "stop sign," and suggests protection or a warning. Red is a color that protects, and here represents the lives of people who struggle today. The hamsa or hand is a universal symbol, and used often in Jewish, Islamic, and Indian symbolism, among other cultures.
Name of art piece: Blood on Our Hands Medium: Woven Tapestry (wool warp & weft) Size of art piece: 12”x8” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 Blood on Our Hands is a commentary on loss, confusion, disorientation, and loss of security we felt community as we entered the second year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Name of art piece: Hole in Our Hearts Medium: Woven Tapestry (wool warp & weft) Size of art piece: 12”x10” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 Hole in Our Hearts II, 7th in the COVID series. No other commentary needed; there are holes in our hearts.
Name of art piece: Finding Our Way Medium: Woven Tapestry (wool warp & weft) Size of art piece: 12”x17” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 Finding Our Way, 8th in the COVID series. Name of art piece: Fourth Wave Medium: Woven Tapestry (wool warp & weft) Size of art piece: 13”x19” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 Woven as the last in the COVID series in 2021, this tapestry speaks to the roller coaster of emotions, fear, rage, frustration, and hope of the year. The tapestry was Conceived before the appearance of the Omicron variant, but represents a common feeling as we ended 2021. Red has been showing up a lot in the works in this series. Red is anger, red is fear, red is frustration, red is danger, red is raising an alarm.
Name of art piece: Missing Medium: Woven Tapestry (cotton warp & hand-dyed weft) Size of art piece: 11”x19” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 Cut off the loom on the day — Feb. 4, 2022 — that the US recorded 900,000 COVID deaths. Each was someone’s child. Many were unnecessary. Name of art piece: Emerging from Isolation Medium: Woven Tapestry (wool warp & hand-dyed weft) Size of art piece: 13”x13” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 Weave within a weave suggesting the complications of re-entering the world in a time of Pandemic and when so many of our fellow citizens seem to ignore the welfare of others.
Name of art piece: Three Protections Medium: Woven Tapestry (cotton warp, wool weft) Size of art piece: 22”x15” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 The talisman we all were looking for. Name of art piece: Emerging from Isolation Medium: Woven Tapestry (wool warp & hand-dyed weft) Size of art piece: 13”x13” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 Shattered is suggestive of the creation myth of the broken vessel. Our worlds have been shattered and we are scrambling to put the shards back in place. But it is broken and mending takes care and cooperation.
Name of art piece: Divided Threatened Attacked Medium: Woven Wedge Weave Tapestry (wool warp & weft, glass mirrors) Size of art piece: 9”x20” Piece available to be reserved for purchase summer 2024 Woven in US flag colors, its stripes are disjointed, there are holes, it feels a bit out of control. Behind the slits are mirrors to encourage reflection on the state of our union. This work responds to attacks on reproductive freedom, transgendered people, out of control gun violence, racism, anti-Semitism, antiimmigrant, book-banning, drag performer-banning, pro-corporation and anti-consumer protection. What did the pandemic unleash upon us ?
Name of artist: Hesh Meister Location of artist: New Jersey, USA Artist website: www.TheHeshInc.com Instagram: @theheshinc Hesh Meister is the "nom de art" of singersongwriter-keyboardist Heshy Rosenwasser, who writes and performs songs about exile, redemption, self-actualization, and beach towns in the ofi season. He lives with his wife, Cheryl, amidst the stultifying suburban ennui of northern New Jersey. He arrived there after a long, strange trip commencing on the South Shore of Long Island and threading through places like the Borscht Belt, Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, Judea & Samaria, the Golan Heights, Boston, Philadelphia, the Jersey Shore, and Southern California, with "more stops along the way than the Israelites in the desert," as he likes to say. He works from home writing his songs, working on his novel, creating AI art, and making a living as an editor for a pharmaceutical advertising agency. His latest album is "Soul In Exile (Redux)," released January 28, 2022. Does the Jewish religion influence the approach you take to your art ? If so how ? I don't go out of my way to create "Jewish Music"; however, the simple fact that I am Jewish informs much of my artistic worldview. It is evident in my lyrics and stories even when I am not writing about a specifically Jewish subject. I have made over a thousand art images using AI, many of which are Jewish themed, but I do not limit myself to them. Portrait in colored pencil by artist Natalia Kadish.
This song uses the motif and prosody of the last of King David's Psalms, in which he exhorts all souls to praise G-d using a variety of musical instruments. I began writing it in the wake of a furor within the Jewish community some years ago regarding the desire for some in the rabbinate to exercise "oversight" over what was to be considered Jewish music. These lyrics speak out against such would-be censorship by declaiming that whether with the loud and clanging cymbals of the Psalm or with modern electric instruments, let all souls give thanks and praise to the One G-d as they see fit, musically. By extension, this song is also in response to all those who would say that our Jewish religion is archaic and must be replaced, superseded, or otherwise updated. PSALM 150a (HALLELUYAH / HALLELUHU) Halleluyah, a psalm to be played and sung Halleluhu, whether in holy or common tongue Halleluhu, up there in the celestial height Halleluhu, with all our power and all our might Halleluhu, whether inadvertent or intentional Halleluhu, unorthodox and unconventional Halleluhu, in ways that can’t be fathomed Halleluhu, down to our molecules and atoms Halleluhu, both subtle and conspicuous Halleluhu, through paradox and bad influence Let all souls give praise, Halleluyah Let the whole soul give thanks, Halleluyah. And to all who hold by replacement and supersession The original is the real—no further question. Halleluyah, a psalm to be sung and played Halleluhu, with all the music to be made Halleluhu, give thanks and give praise Halleluhu,, in our rough and rowdy ways Halleluhu, with all the means at our disposal Halleluhu, whether instrumental or vocal Halleluhu, with booming drums and mighty sax Halleluhu, with Les Pauls and Marshall stacks Halleluhu, with thundering bass, Fender P Halleluhu, with Rhodes piano and Hammond B-3 Let all souls give thanks, Halleluyah Let the whole soul give praise, Halleluyah. And to those who would threaten us with sanctions or even violence Well, let all who would silence us, themselves be silenced.
Name of art piece: "Halleluhu, with Rhodes piano and Hammond B-3" Medium: AI, generated via the Wombo Dream app Piece available for sale Companion image to "Psalm 150a" song lyric
I TOO WAS THERE I was there, I fought and I died there I bled and I cried there, I too was there. I was there, I won and I lost there Paid the ultimate cost there, I too was there. I was there, all the way back at the very start In the earliest of the colonies, I too played a part With my life, my fortune, and my honor I served Helping create and defend this brave and free new world. I fought in the revolution, to throw the yoke of King George I crossed the Delaware and I froze at Valley Forge At the lowest point, in a dark December night I gave hope to my general with my lone dedication light. I was there, I fought and stayed alive there I suffered but survived there, I too was there. I was there, it was mine to fight for To shine the light for, I too was there. In the rematch of 1812, I was also there With the defenders of Baltimore under the rockets’ red glare I carried ammo to Andy J. in the thick of New Orleans I sailing-mastered in the Channel and privateered in the Caribbean. I was at the Alamo right there at Jim Bowie’s side Some say I escaped but I was also among those who died I was the Fighting Doctor at Chapultepec castle Stepping up to lead the troops when our commander fell in battle. I was there, I fought and I died there … I fought on both sides, with the blue and the gray I saw my brother through my sights and I threw my gun away With rifle, pen, and telegraph I served my country with pride I stood by my president and was his link to the world outside. I was aboard the Maine, at Santiago, at San Juan Hill First to volunteer, first to reach the top—first to be killed I charged up that hill and I stormed the position Riding rough with Teddy, in revenge for the Inquisition.
I was there, I fought and stayed alive there … I went ‘over there’ in 1917 with Black Jack to fight the Huns A quarter million strong, for liberty, Yankee Yankels get your guns I had escaped the Russian Empire to avoid conscription by the czar But for my adopted homeland I was proud to wear the star. A generation later I went back to Europe, and to the Pacific as well More than half a million strong this time, to extinguish the fires of hell I stormed the beaches, hopped the islands, and battled through bulges and swamps And I liberated those left of my brutalized brethren from the horrors of the camps. I was there, I fought and I died there … And then war turned cold, but I continued to serve Facing down the Communists in a protracted war of nerves And when it turned hot, as it did in Korea and Vietnam I went through it just the same as my fellow fighting man. I was shot down flying a mission over the enemy zone Five years a guest at the Hanoi Hilton before I made it home But for all of us fortunate to get back safe and sound Let’s take time to remember those who’ll never be found. I was there, I fought and stayed alive there … I went to the desert for shield, storm, and freedom What irony to return again to the land of the Chaldean I stood in the gates of Babylon and felt the weight of my history I was gathered unto my people before any hope of victory. I was as stunned and shocked as anyone when I saw the towers fall I rallied to the flag to heed my nation’s call To fight terror and tyranny, the choice to me was clear And so long as my country needs me, I’ll continue to volunteer. I was there, I fought and I died there …
People seem to always forget who I really am I’m a lion of Judah, a child of Abraham I am Gideon’s sword, David’s sling, Solomon’s mighty warrior I am a man of Mordechai, a Maccabee, a Masada martyr I am Bar Kochba’s rebel, I’m the grandmaster of Abir There was a time I was regarded with both respect and fear 2000 years of exile may have trampled but didn’t trounce me The world may not like when I fight but they’d do best to not discount me. I was there, I fought and stayed alive there … And yet some folks keep saying things about me that I don’t deserve They make up all kinds of stories that I somehow didn’t serve These are just extensions of the web of lies they weave The facts bear out the opposite of what they’d have us all believe. Well, don’t let the bigots bear their poison message of hate I was there, everywhere, and with all I shared the fate And I’ll keep being there, till the day the bloodshed will cease With swords beat into plowshares, and we all will win the peace. I was there, I fought and I died there I bled and I cried there, I too was there. I was there, I won and I lost there Paid the ultimate cost there, I too was there. I was there, I fought and stayed alive there I suffered but survived there, I too was there. I was there, it was mine to fight for To shine the light for, I too was there. I make a point of mentioning every Memorial Day in social-media posts that WE WERE THERE TOO. All too often, there have been self-important, bigoted, false 'patriots' that spread the falsehood that "Jews don't fight, Jews don't serve," yet history, records, and statistics prove that Jewish soldiers have fought and died in every US war, from the Revolution all the way to Afghanistan. As a former soldier myself and as an aficionado of American history, I felt that I wanted to write something about this to declare it to a country and a world that may not be, or want to be, aware of it.
Name of art piece: "Chanukah at Valley Forge" Medium: AI, generated via the Wombo Dream app Piece available for sale Based on the story of George Washington being inspired by a lone Jewish soldier lighting a single Chanukah candle during the lowest point of the American Revolution. Companion image to "I Too Was There" song lyric.
FINALLY FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR I’ve climbed the highest mountains I didn’t find it there I’ve run through strange and different fields I didn’t find it there I scaled the mightiest towers I didn’t find it there I broke open gates that were sealed But I still didn’t find it there I have run and I have crawled I’ve hiked the ramparts of the old city walls But I never imagined while I did these and more That I’d finally find what I was looking for. From the Lives of Man in Boston To the Association in West Caldwell From liberal conservatives in Philadelphia To orthoboxes throughout Yisrael From every little shteeble in Brooklyn To the temple-mausoleums in the Towns In every synagogue I’ve ever been in What I needed just couldn’t be found I lived in cities throughout the northeast I rotted in suburbs where the ennui would never cease I worked on highways and chilled down the shore And I never thought that I’d find what I was looking for But once I crossed the desert in a test of my skills I found a chapel in the poorer part of Beverly Hills Down half a flight of stairs and through a basement door I finally found what I was looking for. A sort of response to the U2 song of similar title, about my own experience finding the one Jewish prayer venue ("synagogue" would not describe it) that fit what I was seeking but not finding spiritually.
Name of art piece: "The Happy Minyan of LA" Medium: AI, generated via the Wombo Dream app Piece available for sale The one shul/minyan in the entire world where I ever completely felt at home. Companion image to "Finally Found What I Was Looking For" song lyric.
Name of artist: Hamsas of Munkatch (Kenny) Location of artist: West Hartford, CT, USA Artist website: www.JewishJoy.co Instagram: @Hamsasofmunkatch In 2016, Channan Tzvi (Kenny) started collecting Hamsas and began his journey reconnecting to his Jewish Culture via the appreciation of this ancient symbol from a design based approach. The Hamsa symbols enriched Kenny’s life by providing a pathway that encouraged him to explore his Judaism and ancestry in a way he had not thought possible. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, while living in New York, he began utilizing common Hamsa charms as a meditative art form, gluing Hamsas together to create difierent sculptural objects. Hamsas of Munkatch was formalized in 2022, and the items on this website are further adaptations of that initial #JewishJoy. Does the Jewish religion influence the approach you take to your art ? If so how ? Hamsas of Munkatch is the design studio where we celebrate our Jewish heritage and culture as seen through the lens of crafted Judaica art & artifacts - to ultimately bring us and the world #JewishJoy.
Name of art piece: HamsaSphere Medium: Wood sphere, Metal charms, Resin, Acrylic case Size of art piece: 9” sphere presented in 12” acrylic case Piece available for sale on www.jewishjoy.co