Simcha, Celebration of Life

This gallery features paintings whose meaning is relevant to everyday life or to celebrations of momentus thresholds that emerge throughout the life-cycle. The Shechechyanu is a prayer that gives thanks for any ‘firsts’ ranging from a birth or a commemorated birthday to an anniversary, Bat or Bar Mitzvot, or wedding.  The Leaping Lamb is great just as a gift for a child’s bedroom or could be perfect for a birth announcement.  The Dancing Bat Mitzvot conveys that even as a young Bat Mitzvah, a woman does not become an Eshet Chayil (Woman of Valor) alone.  She will always rely on other women for support, connection, and celebration.  The Tree of Life wrapped in the tallit is a daily reminder that the Tree of Life, as Torah, is an unending path of mitzvot.  This painting could make a wonderful gift for a Bat or Bar Mitzvah as it is often on this day that a young woman or man receives their first tallit.

The painting of Simchat Torah is a celebration of the magnificence and beauty of the Torah that calls to be honored ‘Anytime, Everywhere’.  A great visual prayer for any home and a wonderful gift for a Bat or Bar Mitzva.  The painting which reads, “I am my beloved and my beloved is mine, draws from the Song of Songs, often inscribed on a Ketutba (wedding contract), connoting the couple as beshert or soul-mate.  The Song of Songs is distinctive as it is the sole moment in the Torah that celebrates sexual yearning, joy, and intimacy. The painting, ‘Flown Away’ is my little ode to the painter Marc Chagal who was captivated by notion that love is so uplifting, it literally defies gravity, swirling two beloveds straight up into the air.  The Tree of Life that depicts two limbs entwined signifies not just two souls tied together in marriage (a lovely wedding gift, card, or invitation), but also the coming together of any two elements, be they the personal and political, love and compassion, or masculinity and femininity. The final two paintings in this gallery once again, celebrate the notion of Birkat Habyait, the home as refuge of safety, peace, and joy.

Glossary of Hebrew/Yiddish Terms