EILEEN SALZrv'lAi'j
TEACHING JEWISH HISTORY
THROUGH ART EDUCATION
NOVEMBE:t 10- 14, 1986
NCI\TH GALLERY
F:I\:E ART5 BUILDING
CALIFORNIA STATe UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
18111 NORDHOFF STREET
NORTHRIDGE, CA 91330
EILEEN SALZMAN
TEACHING JEWISH HISTORY
THROUGH ART EDU-CATION
NOVEMBER 10- 14, 1986
NORTH GALLERY
FINE ARTS BUILDING
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
18111 NORDHOFF STREET
NORTHRIDGE, CA 91330
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
2. Creation
3. The Curtain (Parocheth) for the Ark (The Aron-hakodesh)
4. The Wedding Canopy ( Chuppah)
5. Wimpel (Torah Binder)
6. Passover Pillow and Cover
7. The Seder Table
Guests at the table:
Adam, Eve, Noah,
Abraham, Sarah, lsaaac, Ishmael,
Eliezer, Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel,
Leah, Joseph, Moses,
Esther, Judah Maccabee, Golda Meir,
Benjamin, Miriam, Aaron, Joshua,
Deborah, Gideon, Samson, King Saul,
King David, Solomon "The King", Elijah, Jonah,
Maimonides, Leo Baeck, Albert Einstein,
Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hillel,
Johanan Ben Zakkai, Akiba, Judah Hanasi,
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Ba'al Shem Tov, Haym Solomon,Emma Lazarus,Eliezer Ben Yehudah,
Louis Brandeis, Hannah Senesh, Chaim Weizmann, Anne Frank,
David Ben Gurion, Anatoly Scharansky, Ida Nude!, I.B.Singer.
8. Reference List (Jewi~h History)
9. Reference List (Art Education and Philosophy)
Teaching Jewish History Through Art Education
The students, whose work is in this exhibit are from Leo Baeck Temple and
Valley Torah High School.
They researched custqms,traditions, values and origins of
different historic events and people in Jewish history and religion.
Art was one of the
methods used to .enhance and reinforce the learning and understanding of these studies.
The creation of these works of art by the students demonstrates the evolution of
their understanding of concepts of religious customs, traditions and values into visual
symbols.
The life cycle is the main focus of Jewish life.
The student art work displayed in
the exhibition deal with this by re.;.creating objects used in Jewish life that relate to
various events and rituals:
The Wimpel (Torah Binder) was traditionally the cloth used during the
circumcision ceremony, which was later sewn together and embroidered
with the child's name, birth date. and traditional Jew ish saying,
"Torah,Chupah and Charity". These three words are a form of a
blessing:Torah, relating to· the worship of G-d and the Scrolls which
contain the Five Books of Moses;Chupah meaning the wedding canopy,
relating to the importance of marriage; and Charity, the importance of
doing good deeds and caring for your fellow man/woman. The Torah
binder was kept for special events in the the male childs life: his first
birthday, his Bar Mitzvahor the transition to manhood ceremony , and on
the Sabbath before his wedding day.
The Seder Tablehere exhibited deals with different events in Jewish
history and with the contributions of noted Jewish individuals who the
students in their imagination had been invited to partake in a Passover
ceremony.
The Wedding Canopy, which is used during the wedding ceremony, under
which the bride and groom stand and begin their lives together in
wedlock.
The Curtain which covers the Ark, the most holy place in the Jewish
house of prayer, the place where the Torah Scrolls are housed.
These articles were originated for religious ritual and have their roots in
ancient times.
The student works displayed in this exhibition use this ancient base to
adapt their art to contempory life by using symbols that relate to their individual lives
and beliefs.
Creation
The first grade students of Leo Baeck Temple Sunday School learned about the
Seven days of Creation from the First Book of the Five Books of Moses.
discussed the
The students
events that occured during the Seven days. They transformed what they
learned into symbols through painting and collage.
The "Creation" project was done by the students on one long strip of white
butcher paper set up on long tables. Students used watercolor paint, markers, crayons,
scissors, construction paper, glue, glitter, fabric, string, yarn and other bits of found
materials. When the project was complete, numbers were affixed to each of the Seven
Days of Creation.
Temple.
mounted.
The long strip was than laminated and displayed at Leo Baeck
For the exhibition, the strip was cut into individual sections and vacu-
The Curtain(Parocheth) for the Ark(The Aron-hakodesh)
The Torah Curtain(Parocheth) for the Ark is used to cover the opening of the
Aron-hakodesh (The Ark).
This was created by the girls of Valley Torah High School.
The students used canvas, fabric paint, acrylics, permanent markers
to create a contemporary version of a Torah Curtain.
and other media
This curtain was entirely
designed, executed and researched by the students.
Traditionally curtains covering the Holiest place in the Temple were created from
blue wool, purple wool, red wool and rolled or spun linen (Exodus). These were
considered royal colors.
In more contemporary times curtains were created from silk,
velvet and gold thread.
The Aron-hakodesh (the Ark of the Holiness) is placed at the eastern wall either
as a nich built into the wall or as a chest fastened onto or protuding from it.
It has
always been customary for the Synagogue(Temple) to be so constructed that the
worshippers, when turning toward the Ark, face the direction of Jerusalem (in Europe
and America, the front wall of the synagogue will be on the east).
The Ark is set on
an elevatad platform against the eastern wall, and is approachead by steps.
Torah (Five Books of Moses) are kept in the Aron-hakodesh(The Ark).
The
The Ark is
usually lined with silk or velvet. There are specially formed stands in it to support the
scrolls.
The designing and ornamenting of the Ark has developed into a fine art
expression.
Despite the prohibition of figures, pictures or paintings in the Synagogue,
exception has always been made in· the case of the Ark.
The symbols of two
lions(symbolic of strength) , the Ten Commandments, and a crown can be found in most
Arks.
In some synagogues, deers(symbolic of swiftness) are added, symbolizing the
saying of the sages:
"Be fleet as a hart and strong as a lion to do the will of thy
Father who is in heaven." (Aboth V:23) Before the open face of the Ark, is suspended a
silk or velvet curtain called Parocheth.
Temple.
This is a reminder of the Tabernacle and the
The Parocheth was the Temple curtain separating the holy space from the
Holy of Holies (Ex. 26:31-34, Babli Kethuboth 106a).
The curtains are usually
donations to the Temple by women, who frequently embroider them with such designs as
the Ten Commandments, Hebrew letters, two lions holding a crown, and with their own
names in Hebrew characters.
The Ark is considered the holiest part of the Synagogue.
(The Ceremonies of Judaism.
Abraham
z.
ldelsohn, Pp. 83,84)
The Curtain in. the exhibition was created by the girls of Valley Torah High
School and will be donated to Alsh Hatorah, a synagogue in North Hollywood,
California, for their Sanctuary.
This will be celebrated. by a party given by the
community in North Hollywood in honor of the donation and the girls who created the
Curtain.
The Wedding Canopy ( Chuppah)
"1 unto my beloved and my beloved unto me."
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The exhibition of the Wedding Canopies were created by first grade students at
Leo Baeck Sunday school.
Each students received a square of fabric and translated
what they had learned about "the life cycle"
into visual symbols on to their piece of
cloth. The cloths were then sewn together by one of the parents from the class. As a
culmination of the study of this portion of the "life cycle", a mock ceremony was
performed for the class by the parents, under the Canopy that was created by the
students.
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The Wedding Canopy is a reminder of the ancient tent-life of Israel.
Bedouin
tribes to the present day erect a special tent for the young couple, in which the bridal
bed is set. In the course of cultural development, when the Jewish people came to live
in substantial buildings, the Chuppah was still retained, and a mystic significance read
into it.
It was believed to srmbolize the canopy made of the skin of the Leviathan (a
mythical fish) in which the people expected to live in Paradise.
(The Ceremonies of
Judaism, Abraham Z. ldelsohn, Pp. 127, 128.)
The Chuppah (the wedding canopy), was usually erected in the open air in the
court of the Synagogue. This was done because the Synagogue might not accomodate
the numerous guests.
S.M. Lehrman (pg.l62) in his book Jewish Customs and Folklore,
believes that another reason for having the wedding ceremony outside was the medieval
love of symbolism which preferred the presence of the stars---symbolic of the offspring
of marriage, numerous as the stars of heaven.
Wimpel (Torah Binder)
The Wimpel or Torah Binder is a tradition that originated among German Jews in
the sixteenth century and spreading to parts of France, Austria and Italy.
The
swaddling cloth used at a baby boy's circumcision (brit) was cut into four sections
which were stitched together to form a long band.
The wimpel was then embroidered
or, in later examples, painted with the child's name, date of birth, zodiac sign, biblical
quotations and symb()ls referring to the childs name.
to the cultural vacinity where they were created
"Torah, Chupah (marriage), and Good Deeds."
These decorations were inherent
and included wishes for a future of
The wimpel is used to wrap the Torah
scroll, which goes once around the Torah and clasps in front, or which is wound around
the Torah and is self-tied, keeping the heavy parchment of the Torah scroll (Five Books
of Moses written on a parchment scroll)from unwinding and possibly breaking.
The personalized wimpel ( wimpel is German for banner) would be used to wrap
the Torah on the first day the child was brought to the synagogue, usuually a year
after his birth.
record.
The wimpels were stored in the synagogue and became a form of birth
It was then used again on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah (thirteenth birthday
and day of his transition into manhood} when he read from the Torah and used again on
the Sabbath before his wedding.
This linked each life-cycle passage as it symbolically
linked the individual to the Torah. (A History of Jerwish Art, Franz
Landsberger.Pp.73,74., The Jewish Party Book, Pp. 15, 16., and NFTS Art Calendar, The
Wimpel. National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods.
Hebrew Union College Skirball
Museum}
As part of the study of the Life Cycle, the first grade students at Leo Baeck
Sunday School created their own individual wimpels with some of the traditional
designs. They also added their own creative ideas:
pets, choice of
c~lors,
hobbies, names of family members,
hobbies and/ or special sayings.
As a culmination to their
project, parents were invited to participate, working with their child to add to their
childs creation.
As the wimpel . project proved successful for the Reform religious environment of
Leo Baeck Temple, I felt that the Valley Torah High School , which is an Orthodox,
more traditional junior high and high school,
might also enjoy this project. In this
environment and age group, fifteen to sixteen, the result would be closer to the wimpels
that were created in Europe, with the traditional Hebrew writing and symbols.
Although, the wimpel was traditionally created for the male child, today the wimpel is
a tradition that has been adapted for both boys and girls.
It is used as the ceremonial
cover for a daughter's naming ceremony or a son's circumcision ceremony.
tradition has been rediscovered
as another means to· enrich
This
Jewish identity and
strengthen family bonds.
The wimpels in the exhibition were created using canvas fabric, cut into two
strips approximately forty-five inches long and eight inches wide and sewn together for
a ninty inch wimpel.
fabric pastels, etc.
Students used fabric paint, acrylic paint, permanent markers,
Passover Pillow and Cover
The Passover pillow covers on exhibition were created by the fourth through sixth
grade students of Leo Baeck Sunday School during a weekeend retreat which focused on
the Ethiopian Jews and the fulfillment of their 2000-year-old dream of returning to
Zion.
The intent of this retreat, "Operation Moses", was to help students understand
this modern,. miraculous exodus and to allow them to participate in the mitzvah (good
deed) of pidyon shevuim, redeeming captives.
Art was used to help reinforce some of the learning experiences during this
special weekend.
The pillow cover project was created to help students transform
what they had learned into visual symbols relating to the meaning of the Passover_ and
the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt in the time of Moses and of the present
day Jews from Ethopia. Pillow covers were created using traditional and contempory
symbols that related to what the student learned and to their own lives.
For this project students used fabric paint, permanent markers and fabric
crayons on white ready-made pillow cases.
The use of the pillow at the Passover Seder table comes from the tradition that
the host of the Seder is to be comfortable and in a reclining position, symbolizing
freedom, while leading the Seder.
At the exhibition a sample is displayed in a traditional Seder setting.
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The Seder Table
Each year at the seder table Jews retell the story of the Exodus as if each had
experienced personally the bondage and liberation of their People.
If it is possible for the Jewish imagination to carry us backward in time, so also
it should be possible to bring our ancestors forward into our own day.
On Pasach (Passover) we traditionally' invite Elijah into our homes and welcome
him with a cup set aside especially for him. The 4th, 5th and 6th graders of Leo Baeck
Temple Sunday school have expanded upon that pracatice and have invited many of the
major figures of Jewish history to their seder table.
Each has been honored with a
placesetting designed to reflect the guest's life story and achievements.
The materials used to create these placesettings are paper plates, gesso, black
markers, acrylic paint, laquer,and poster board that has been laminated.
"It is because of what G-d did. for me when I went forth from Egypt."
4 ABRAHAM - Andrew Hurwitz
My plate is about Abraham, who
believed in one God as represented
by the number 11 one.- 11 The tent on
the plate symbolizes the place
where Abraham settled after traveling
from Ur to Canaan. My placemat also
has 11 one 11 on it because Abraham was
the first Jew.
5 SARAH - Jessica Weinstock
This plate is for Sarah. The sword
and sad face are symbols of her
sadness when she heard that Abraham
was going to kill Isaac, her son.
She is the first Jewish woman, and
that's why I put a Jewish star.
Sarah wanted children a lot. On
the placemat, Sarah is giving food
to the three strangers who came to
tell her that she would have a baby.
Sarah is laughing. She was the
first mother of Israel so I made her
with a lot of children.
6 ISAAC - David Weil
My plate.and placement are about Isaac.
They show Isaac going with Abraham on
their 3-day journey to Mt. Moriah. There
is a picture of Isaac helping Abraham
because when Isaac got older, he helped
Abraham care for the sheep and goats. On
the top righthand corner of the plate,
it shows the angel that appeared when
Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac.
7 ISHMAEL -Zachary Franklin
My plate and placemat tell the basics
about Ishmael. The large Jewish star
at the top stands for Abraham, his
father, the first Jew. The. two lines
from Abraham lead to a small Jewish
star (for Isaac) and a crescent (for
young Ishmael). The 10 Commandments
represent Isaac's Judaism and the
Mosque, Ishmael's Islamic belief. To
show that Ishmael is the ancestor of
the Islamic people,there is a line from
a small to a large Ishmael.
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8 ELIEZER - Jesse Stern
Eliezer was Abraham's servant. He
was smart, kind, and could think of
good ways to get something done. So
Abraham sent him to Ur to find a good
wife for his son, Isaac. He went to a
well and said that the women would
soon come to get water. Eliezer said
to God, "A woman will come by and I
will ask her for water, and she will
give me water and say, ~I will also
bring water for your camels.• That
will be the sign that she is the wife
for Isaac." Sure enough, a woman
named Rebekah came by and said
Eliezer's words, and she became
Isaac's wife. Because of this story,
I have put a picture on my plate of
Rebekah giving water to Eliezer at
the well. On my placemat, you can see
Eliezer leading his camel to the well.
9 REBEKAH - Joanne Glucksman
This plate is for Rebekah. Arbraham
sent his servant, Eliezer, to find
a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac.
Eliezer decided that if a young
woman offered ·to give him and his
camels water, she would be the right
one to be Isaac's wife .. Rebekah was
the one. She gave Eliezer and his
camels water from the well. On the
plate you can see Rebekah and her
twins, Jacob and Esau. In the center
and on the placemat is the well
where Eliezer found her.
10 JACOB -Julie Levin
My plate shows Jacob with the fur on his
arm to trick his father into giving him
the blessing. Jacob had twelve kids,
but I've only shown five of them. It
also shows Jacob's dream about the
ladder. My placemat shows Jacob and
Rachel getting married.
11 RACHEL - Lindsey Frederick
My plate shows Rachel and Jacob
. getting married. My placernat shows
the broken glass. My plate also
shows their two wedding rings. Jacob
worked 14 years to marry Rachel.
12 LEAH - Annie Faerstein
The plate is for Leah~ Jacob's
first wifP.. There was something
in Leah's eyes, the Torah says,
that were so pretty. And that's
why they are so big on the plate.
On the placemat, there are Jewish
stars with Leah's eyes inside and
Shabbat candlesticks because Leah
loved being Jewish.
13JOSEPH - Alana Thal
This plate is about Joseph, the
dreamer. In the center of the plate
is a coat, the famous coat of many
colors that Jacob gave Joseph, his
favorite son. Joseph was Jacob's
favorite child because he was the
first child of Rachel, Joseph's
favorite wife. In the center of the
coat, the stars, sun, moon, and
wheat bushels represent Joseph's
dreams about his 11 brothers bowing
down to him. On the left, I put
Mt. Sinai and the people of Israel
because, if Joseph hadn't ended up
in Egypt, the Jews wouldn't have
become slaves for Pharoah and theywouldn't have received the Torah.
The two cabinets on the right and left
represent the-dreams the good Pharoah
had about 7 years of plenty and then
7 years of famine. The bags of gold
show how powerful Joseph was in Egypt.
My placemat shows the 12 Tribes of
Israel. Jacob blessed all his sons
and gave them each a special blessing
and tAe 12 Tribes came from them.
14 MOSES - Michael Kenny
Moses was a Jewish baby boy who was
not killed. He was put in a basket
and he was found by a girl who was
Pharoah's daughter. The man and
the red object symbolize the 10
Commandments. The basket next to
the 10 Commandments is the basket
Moses floated down the river in.
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14 ESTHER - Rachel Saunders
This plate is for Esther. Esther
is a Jewish Queen. That•s why I
put lots of crowns around the
edge. There was a man named Haman
who did not like the Jewish People.
He tried to kill all of them. But
Esther stopped him. On the plate
and the placemat are many symbols
of being Jewish, especially
symbols of Purim, the holiday
that celebrates Esther saving the
Jews. There•s a gregger, a megillah,
hamentashen around a picture of
Queen Esther. There is also an
Israeli flag and Jewish stars.
15
JUDAH MACCABEE - Adam Barenfeld
My plate is about Judah Maccabee,
who led the Jews against the
Syrians and beat them. The sword
on my plate represents the war
that they won. Since the name
Maccabee means 11 hammer, 11 there is
a hammer on the plate. The Jewish
star is symbolic of the Jews who~
after the battle, were free to
practice their religion.
16 GOLDA MEI R - Rachae l Neste 1
My plate and placemat are about
Golda Meir. She was the Prime
Minister of Israel. On my plate,
Golda Meir is holding the Isaeli
flag and people are following
her. There is the menorah on
the plate which stands in front
of the Knesset. The Jewish
stars represent the Jewish
people.
ll BENJAMIN - Micah Auerbach
On my plate, Benjamin's brothers
are begging for Benjamin to go
back to Egypt with them to get
more grain from Joseph. Joseph
said they could only come back
for more grain if they brought
their youngest brother, Benjamin.
lB MIRIAM_- Katie Gehring
Miriam's plate shows many things
that most people don't know about
her, along with the few that
everyone knows. The Nile River
is where Miriam watched over baby
Moses in the basket. I show,
separately, baby Moses and the
basket because a lot of people
think of the basket as symbolizing
this incident. Miriam was a very
strong supporter for women's-lib,
so I show a group of women. She
led the wonien in songs praising
God after they crossed the Red Sea.
So I used musical notes to show this.
And, most important, Miriam stands
surrounded by her cares and feelings.
11
19
11
AARON - Brett Weitz
Aaron was Moses' brother. On
my plate I show Aaron's lips to
show that Aaron spoke for Moses
because Moses stuttered. I show
Aaron speaking.to the people
about the golden calf and Moses
dropping The Ten Commandments.
zaJOSHUA - David Benoff
The crumbling city represents
Jericho, which Joshua destroyed.
The arm represents Joshua's great
strength. The gavel shows that.
Joshua was a judge, and the flags
show he was a Jew.
21
DEBORAH - Caroline Temmins
Deborah was believed to judge under
a palm tree. The picture of Israel
in a crib is supposed to signify
that Deborah was the mother of
Israel. The gavel and scale
represent that Deborah was a judge.
On the placemat, the flower$ and
the gavels represent a woman judge.
The Jewish stars represent Israel.
22
GIDEON - Steven Marks
On the plate, the arm and sword
mean strength. The man putting
the wool on the ground was testing
God,to see if the ground would be
wet and the wool dry, because he
needed proof that he could trust
God to help the Hebrews save
themselves from the Midianites.
The gavel means that Gideon was a
judge. On the placemat, the people
drinking the water·show what happened
when Gideon had to choose men for
an army. The men who drank like
dogs didn't get to be in the army.
23
SAMSON - Matt Soares
Samson was a Nazerite and because
of that he couldn't cut his hair,
go into a cemetery, or drink alcohol.
Because of his long hair~ he was very
strong. He was a judge. My plate is
showing that he pushed down the
pillars in the Temple of Dagon.
My placemat has Jewish stars.
24
KING SAUL - Lora Aguilar
King Saul was the first king in
Israel. I showed that on the
plate by putting a one. I put
a crown on a star to show that
he is a King of Israel.
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KING DAVID - Matt Adler
This plate represents King David's
many occupations. The palace
represents David being King. The
harp represents his playing the
harp for King Saul. The shield and spear represent David in the
wild running from King Saul. The
large crown on the placemat also
represents that he was King.
26
SOLOMON "THE KING"-Jessica Newmark
Both the plate and the placemat
represent Solomon because the
temple with the "1" on it
represents the first temple which
Solomon built. The question marks
remind us that kings have to make
many decisions and Solomon had
to answer many hard questions.
The crown shows that he is a king;
the Torah states that kings have
to follow the laws, too.
27
ELIJAH- Eli Rykoff
On the plate, I have a cup for
Passover, somebody sweatingsymbolizing the years of no rain,
a flaming chariot for Elijah to
go up to heaven. On the placemat,
there is a cup for Passover, two
candles for the Sabbath, and two
stars with peace on them for the
coming of the Messiah.
28
JONAH - Cathy Tamkin
plate deals with Jonah. It
shows the fish that ate him, the
boat that he jumped from, and
the City of Ninevah, which Jonah
ran away from. My placemat shows
his name, and the fish that ate him.
My
29 MAIMONIDES - Lisa Borinstein
The ladder on my plate reminds us
of Moses Maimonides and his 8-rung
ladder of tzedakah. The highest
step on the ladder is helping
someone become self sufficient.
The second one is for giving when
the giver and recipient do not
know each other. The third one
is when the giver knows the
·receiver but the receiver doesn't
know the giver. The fourth is
when the giver doesn't know the
receiver but the recipient knows
the giver. The fifth is giving
directly before being asked. The
sixth is giving directly after being
asked. The seventh is giving a
small donation, but cheerfully.
The last rung is giving grudgingly.
30
LEO BAECK - Lori Levine
Rabbi Leo Baeck was a great man.
Our temple was named after him.
On the plate, the colored area
represents the synagogue's stained
.glass windows. On his arm there
is tatooed his real concentration
camp number. The bird is representing a dove of peace. On the
placemat, the black lines represent
the concentration camp gates and the
letters "LB" stand for Leo Baeck in
the concentration camp.
Jl ALBERT EINSTEIN - Robert Reinis
Albert Einstein was known as one of
the smartest people in the world. He
made the formula that led to the atom
bomb although he believed in peace.
My plate has the dove for peace and
the flag of Israel because he is
Jewish. He also is in his lab on .
my plate. He's got his atom with
him, too. On my placemat, I've
got the same designs plus his name
and his initials.
32
AMOS - Shana Levin
Amos was a shepherd who became a
prophet. In my scene, he is
tending his sheep on the hillside
and everything around him made him
think of God. It made him think
this way because of the high
mountains, the winds and the sun
and storms that dar.kened the sky.
33 ISAIAH - Tamy Polland
Isaiah was a prophet. The Jewish
star on the plate shows that Isaiah
was Jewish. The Torah shows that
he was also very holy. Isaiah had
a so,n who was very important to
him. He named him Shaar-Yeshub,
which means 11 A remnant shall return ...
Isaiah said God told him to give his
son this name as a reminder of hope.
He told the story of a vineyard to
teach people a lesson.
34 JEREMIAH - Betsy Rosenfeld
Jeremiah was a prophet. The moon on the
plate represents the moon-shaped cakes
that people made as offerings to the
moon goddess. J_eremi ah tried to teach
the people to worship the one true God.
The pot is because Jeremiah saw a pot
boiling over with trouble for Jerusalem.
I put a line through freedom because
Jeremiah was not free to be a prophet.
He was put in prison and thrown in a
pit because people didn 1 t like his message.
35 HILLEL - Susan Falk
Hillel was a great rabbi. On my
plate is a temple with eyes above it,
a woman halfway behind a curtain,
someone standing on one leg, and a
heart between Greek columns. Hillel
was first allowed to study with the
rabbis when it was realized how much
he cared (looking into the temple
from above). Women at that time were
figuratively behind a curtain, but
Hillel tried to bring his wife out.
There is a story about a man asking
Hillel to teach him the Torah while
on one foot.
36
JOHANAN BEN ZAKKAI - Tony Romain
The walls symbolize the walls of
Jerusalem which were being destroyed.
The coffin is the coffin in which
Johanan Ben Zakkai escaped from
Jerusalem. The school is the one
that he started in Yavneh which saved
the Jewish people. All the people on
the plate and placemat represent those
who turned to the school after the
Temple was destroyed.
37
AKIBA - Joyce Davidson
Akiba was a poor shepherd. He asked
if he could marry his master•s daughter,
Rachel. They were married without her
father•s blessings, but Akiba promised
Rachel he would study and become
a scholar. Soon, Akiba became discouraged and gave up studying. One day,
he saw water making an indentation on
a rock. He thought, "If something as
soft as water can make indentations on
hard rock, maybe the Torah can make an
indentation on my dull mind." After
that, Akiba studied to become a scholar,
but he was too poor to go to school.
So, one day, Rachel sold her hair for
money for him to go to school. Akiba
finally became a rabbi, and a respected
1eader.
38
JUDAH HANAS! - Karen Davis
The reason I drew a setting and r1s1ng
sun is because Judah Hanasi was born
on the day that Rabbi Akiba died, so
they said, "A sun sets and a sun
rises." I put the mountain on the
plate because Rabbi Judah built his
famous school in the town of Bet
She•arim on Mount Carmel and also
because he died in the town at
Tzippori which was on the top of a
mountain. I put the Mishnah because
it was his idea to write down all
the oral laws in one place and make
the Mishnah.
39 BA 1 AL SHEM TOV - Liana Soll
The Ba'al Shem Tov was.a rabbi.
The stars symbolize that he was
. Jewish. The Torah symbolizes that
the Ba'al Shem Tov studied the
Jewish religion. The heart symbolizes
that he loved the Torah. The candle
represents the light of God~ and
the sunset and tree his love for
nature. The road represents the
Ba'al Shem Tov•s long journey through
Europe; the eyes~ God inspiring the
Ba •al Shem Tov.
40
HAYM SOLOMON - Josh Lansky
Haym, Solomon lived in Philadelphia
and he supported the United States
in the Revoluntionary War. He was
arrested by the British for spying.
He gave help and money to the young
American nation. For his heroic
efforts~ he was called "The Good
Jew" and "Our Little Friend in
Front Street." He helped build a
beautiful new- synagogue in Philadelphia.
41
EMMA LAZARUS -Allison Gault
Emma Lazarus was a special woman who
raised money for the symbol of America,
The Statue of Liberty. She wanted
people from Europe who came to America
to know that they were now free. Emma
also gave money to the European Jews~
and she wrote famous poems~.including
the one on the Statue of Liberty.
42 ELIEZER BEN YEHUDAH - Jonathan Steier
Eliezer Ben Yehuda wanted people to
speak Hebrew for everyday purposes,
not just prayers and study. He began
with his family on their arrival in
Palestine. His son was the first Hebrew
speaking child since Bible times. On
Ben Yehudah's plate there's a Hebrew
dictionary and his family saying
11
Shalom" surrounded by words in other
1anguages. It also shows the Wall
because they lived in Israel.
43
LOUIS BRANDEIS - Jennifer Schuman
Louis Brandeis was a man who fought
for what he thought was right. The
glasses on the plate stand for his
poor eyesight. The women's sign
stood for how he fought for women's
rights. The laws are there to
show he was a lawyer and a Supreme
Court Justice.
44
HANNAH SENESH - Paul Olshan
Hannah Senesh was born in Hungary.
After she got out, Hannah parachuted
into Hungary to help free Jews. She
was captured and put in jail. She
wrote many poems. Hannah Senesh
was executed. The pcrachute signifies
her parachuting into Hungary. The
pencil signifies her writing and
the flag her Jewish heritage; the
suns and broken chains, her freedom.
45 CHAIM WEIZMANN - Erica Miller
Chaim Weizmann was a man who loved
Israel. He always dreamed of going
there. One day his dream came true.
He came to Israel. He thoughtisrael
was as sweet as apples and honey.
The symbol of the Torah on the plate
shows that Chaim Weizmann cherished
the Torah.
46 ANNE FRANK - Jenny Fritz
On my plate I've put a swastika to
symbolize that, all her life, Anne
Frank was surrounded by antisemetism. I show the apartment building and the two rooms that two
families lived in during these times
of horror. I put in a Torah to show
her feelings about Judaism. I drew
a diary because she kept one. The
armband was drawn because, during the
war, the Jews had to wear th.ese to
show that they were Jewish. Anne grew
up in Amsterdam and she died in a
concentration camp.
0
47 DAVID BEN GURION - Daniel Weinrot
David Ben Gurian worked hard in
Europe, in America, and in Palestine,
to help create the Jewish State. He
was chosen to be the first Prime
Minister of Israel. The flags on
my plate show Israel getting closer
and closer to becoming a full country
with its own land (the black in the
middle) and with a completed flag
with a Mogen David.
48
ANATOLY SCHARANSKY -Joshua Messinger
Anatoly Scharansky is a refusenik
in the Soviet Union. He is in jail.
His wife is-going around--t-he-world
talking about him. She is trying to
get her husband out. He wants to go
to Israel. He is in jail because he
wants to go to Israel. The placemat
has the Star of David and grape
leaves symbolizing Israel.
49 IDA NUDEL - Maurice Pitesky
This is a little about my plate and
placemat. Ida Nudel is a refusnik
from the Soviet Union. Right now she
is being treated brutily with bad living
conditions. Right now hundreds of
thousands of people are trying to convince the Soviet Union to let her go including Jane Fonda
SO ISAAC BASHIVA SINGER -Noah Kirshbaum
Isaac Bashiva Singer is a writer.
He sometimes writes about devils and
imps. He was born in Poland and
moved to America. He is very serious
about religion. He wrote about
de vi 1s so I put on the de vi 1. I put
a Jewish star because he is very
Jewish, and I put a pencil because
he writes books.
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