'Eye' on Israel in Old City
May 08, 2008 - Rita Rosen Poley, Jewish Exponent Feature |
| A selection from the "Migdal Series" of Debra Kapnek is on display at ORYTAH in Old City. |
There are a number of ways one can experience Israel vicariously: Books, films, food, lectures and music all play a part in recreating an atmosphere of being in Israel. However, for me, nothing quite matches the opportunity to see art that deeply reflects its creator's love of the land and the people of Israel.
Such an opportunity is now available in Old City at the ORYTAH Judaic Arts and Culture Center, where "Celebrating Independence with Art" is on view into July.
The gallery display presents the work of a mix of local and Israeli artists. Featured artists include gallery owner Sharon Niv, along with Baruch Schwartz, Eliyahu Alpern, Avi Biran, Debra Kapnek, Shimon Suissa, Rosmary Solan, Michael Cohen and Shifra Levyathan. Work from the estate of Arthur Szyk is also being shown.
Media run the gamut from photography, jewelry, works in wood, metal, fabric, glass and clay, painting to the graphic arts. All the works, in some way, commemorate Israel's economic, social and cultural progress after 60 years of independence.
I recently spoke with two of the ORYTAH artists by phone from Israel. Michael Cohen had just returned from an assignment as the official photographer of Israel's Artur Rubenstein International Piano Competition. Impressive especially is a series of photographs he has taken of Israel's Orthodox community. These images offer an atypical look at the lives of the ultra-religious in Israel.
The images are unexpectedly evocative and beautiful; one after another they present a reality that is quite different from the usual stereotype of the life of the ultra-Orthodox.
"About seven years ago, I made the decision to photograph the very Orthodox Jewish community as they live in Israel," said Cohen. "I wanted to show their different viewpoint towards life. I, myself, do not believe in God, but I respect those who find a way to believe in God. From that beginning, the project expanded. I see this body of work as a way to try and relieve the tension that, unfortunately, exists between the secular and ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel."
In Shifra Levyathan's photographs, the Israel one sees is joyful. It is easy to sense an artist freely experimenting with light, color and form, and unburdened by any social message or political statement.
"In Israel, war is a constant. You have to love being here very much. My parents immigrated to Israel from New York when Israel was almost a cultural wilderness," she recalled.
"My mother was a pianist, and my father was a civil engineer. They gave up a lot to come here. I often asked them, why did you bring us here from New York? The answer is that my mother fell in love with the light, the people, the place. For her, coming to Israel was almost a pilgrimage.
"My brother died in the War of Liberation, and my father would say that you have to pay your dues in blood. Now I have two sons of my own -- and I am scared."
Revisiting the Joy
It became clear as I continued my conversation with the artist that, for her, photography is a way to reflect her mother's long-ago joy at discovering a new life in Israel.
Said Levyathan: "I cannot be a newspaper photographer. They don't see the bright side. I don't want to picture wars, pain or blood. I believe very deeply that one has to have an optimistic outlook."
The artist refers to her "third eye," which she sees as a combination of her inner eye and the "eye" of the camera
For more information on the show at ORYTAH, call 215-592-4445.
