My mother, Judith Kaufman Hurwich, would often say, “There are two kinds of Jews—those who are serious, and those who are not” What she meant by “serious Jews” were those whose Jewishness is not a separate thread of their existence, but, rather, is central to their identity and a significant facet of all they do. […]
One can scarcely do justice to the topic of Jewish women and leadership without discussing Devorah, perhaps the most famous female leader of the Bible. The Book of Judges tells us that Devorah was a judge and a prophet.1 She led the Children of Israel during a time of war, and under her leadership, the
From Under the Palm Tree: The Model of Devorah Read More »
Why do “religious” men refuse to cooperate in a religious divorce? In the best of all possible worlds, we would all live happily ever after and there would be no divorce. In that world, in the rare instance that divorce became a necessity, both parties would willingly and amicably cooperate in the proceedings. But we
Over ten years ago, two Pelech educators, Michal Irshai, head of Arts and Humanities, and Tanakh teacher, Rabbi Shmuel Afek began a dialogue. They discussed how they could bring their students closer to the Tanakh through a creative, religiously-spiritual, personal experience. The goal was to develop biblical themes through art, music, theater, creative movement and
Tanakh and Art: An Interdisciplinary Program The Pelech School, Jerusalem Read More »
Q: I was first introduced to your work with your pieces like Hartford Wash: Washing / Tracks / Maintenance when you washed the steps of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum, and Sidewalk Washing outside A.I.R. Gallery in SoHo, These pieces both stemmed from your Manifesto for Maintenance Art 1969!, and brought values of caring from inside
Art as Transformation An Interview with Multi-Media Artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles Read More »
In the mid-nineteen seventies, a few years after the Yeshiva University Museum opened, Hebrew calligraphy was on the way to becoming a serious art-form, ceramic artists and metalworkers were designing and creating modern ceremonial Judaica objects, and a small handful of fiber artists had begun to fashion Judaic textiles such as Ark curtains and Torah
Women Artists Inspired by Torah Read More »
Q: Your volume of Shir Hashirim, “The Song of Songs: The Honeybee in the Garden”, was published in a popular edition by the Jewish Publication Society last year. A traveling exhibit of the original artwork is presently touring museums in North America. When did you start your work with Judaic illumination and calligraphy? A: I’ve
Manuscript Illumination: Bringing Light to the Page An Interview with Debra Band Read More »
This issue of the JOFA Journal is devoted to an examination of Orthodox women and the arts. It is a fascinating compilation of articles by women pursuing careers in the visual and literary arts. Each voice is different and each exciting. Why has it taken Jews so long to participate fully in the world of
The Second Commandment: A Graven Image Read More »
At a recent Jewish educators’ conference, I was sitting with two other women and two men waiting for a session to begin. An older man peered into the room. “Is this the session on teaching Gemara?” he asked, looking confused. We told him it was. “Then why are there so many women here?” A few
Teaching Gemara: Choices and Challenges Read More »
Talmud Torah has undergone a profound change in the last twenty years. As new batei midrash (study-halls) fill with women of all ages, the next step in harbatzat Torah, the spread of learning, has occurred. It is indeed a moment of great joy as hundreds more bear witness,מה אהבתי תורתך כל היום היא שיחתי״”, How
Reflections of a Rosh Beit Midrash Read More »
