… began in December of 2015 when our soon-to-be graduating group of classmates received our final daunting task, to produce our thesis, our final painting.

During this hard and exhausting time, I made a significant decision. I began to explore my Jewish heritage.

It was a choice that I will never regret.

During the next seven months, I was delighted to compose the beautiful central piece of my diploma project called ‘The Wedding’, centered between two related paintings.

I simply couldn’t stop the ideas that flowed almost effortlessly from my true inner self. It gave birth to the triptych for my diploma thesis.

Soon thereafter, I decided to try and live according to the wisdom of the Torah.

I started slowly. The process of ‘returning home’ is not so quick.

My first few steps started with keeping Shabbat Blessings for Friday night with lighting candles, making challahs, our traditional Shabbat bread, and adding a colorful head covering.

And so, it came, with the finding of a lovely, kind, and patient mentor for my soul, my first teacher of Jewish wisdom and traditions, Rebetzin Rivka Glazman.

In addition to encouraging weekly reading and studying of the Torah, Rivka introduced me to ‘Netilat Yadayim’, the traditional prayer during the washing of our hands. It has been a delight to also discover the multitude of beautiful spoken blessings over food and for the daily moments of life.

I will be forever grateful.

The practice of Torah and living my faith strengthened my art and showed to me some different possibilities with future compositions, creativity, and imagination.

… began in December of 2015 when our soon-to-be graduating group of classmates received our final daunting task, to produce our thesis, our final painting.

During this hard and exhausting time, I made a significant decision. I began to explore my Jewish heritage.

It was a choice that I will never regret.

During the next seven months, I was delighted to compose the beautiful central piece of my diploma project called ‘The Wedding’, centered between two related paintings.

I simply couldn’t stop the ideas that flowed almost effortlessly from my true inner self. It gave birth to the triptych for my diploma thesis.

Soon thereafter, I decided to try and live according to the wisdom of the Torah.

I started slowly. The process of ‘returning home’ is not so quick.

My first few steps started with keeping Shabbat Blessings for Friday night with lighting candles, making challahs, our traditional Shabbat bread, and adding a colorful head covering.

And so, it came, with the finding of a lovely, kind, and patient mentor for my soul, my first teacher of Jewish wisdom and traditions, Rebetzin Rivka Glazman.

In addition to encouraging weekly reading and studying of the Torah, Rivka introduced me to ‘Netilat Yadayim’, the traditional prayer during the washing of our hands. It has been a delight to also discover the multitude of beautiful spoken blessings over food and for the daily moments of life.

I will be forever grateful.

The practice of Torah and living my faith strengthened my art and showed to me some different possibilities with future compositions, creativity, and imagination.

The message I would like to pass on is that though each piece of work includes some struggle and frustration, there will be moments of joy and a sense of peace that goes beyond understanding when we are doing what we are made to do and sharing it with others.