ots@ohrtorahstone.org.il

ART AND SOUL AT "BEIT MIDRASH STUDIO"

The entire Midreshet Lindenbaum student body got a glimpse of the studio's creations at the first exhibition, displayed in the main lobby of the Neveh Penina building.

Created by OTS's Ann Belsky Moranis School of Art two years ago, the Beit Midrash Studio is a special course that enables talented young women to react to Jewish texts through the creation of visual art. "The course helps students find their own language for expressing Jewish concepts," says program director Rabbi Shmuel Klitsner, who team-teaches the course with art instructor Chana Cromer. "While most Jewish study programs focus on helping students develop cognitive, analytical skills, we encourage them to use the left side of their brain."

Taught in a studio fully equipped with supplies for drawing, painting, sculpting and other applications, the Beit Midrash Studio uses an eclectic mix of biblical texts, philosophy, midrash and poetry to present themes to participants. After a discussion session, the young women get to work in the medium of their choice. "Our goal is not necessarily to produce great works of art," Klitsner stresses, "but to provoke thoughts, interpretations and reactions to what has been studied." The program also includes visits to museums and local artist's studios.

"How Do You Portray Faith?"
While exploring the concept of darkness vs. light, says Mindy Schiller, "We learned about a spiritual light, one that was hidden from the days of creation. I was struck by how the Torah relates to a person's faith as light in the darkness. But how do you portray faith?" The acrylic and pastel landscape she fashioned featured a dark cliff with a fine crack only subtly highlighted.

"The creative art process results in an intimate, personal connection to a text when you find what is yours," explains Rabbi Klitsner. "That's when a bit of your soul goes into the equation, producing a connection to the text that is invaluable in making this Jewishness your own."

When the program's students studied the concept of vessels, and the relationship between the internal and external, Meira Levinson of New Rochelle, NY sculpted two figures arched over and holding back a third emerging figure. "I was inspired by a passage from Exodus which says, 'You shall make them houses.' Rabbi Klitsner explained how, in different contexts, 'houses' could mean both prisons and safe dwellings. I applied this dialectic to my work: the two figures were parents trying to protect their child as he attempted to break free. I also tried to depict how the Torah sets down codes of ethics, yet man's tendency is to break out."

A Written Record
After each student's work is completed, the entire group shares its critique. "The interaction between the students is very intellectually stimulating," says Chana Cromer. "We encourage them to record their own thoughts and feelings as well as the reactions of others, thus forming a written record that accompanies each project and can be applied to future works."

The entire Midreshet Lindenbaum student body got a glimpse of the Studio's creations at the first exhibition, displayed in the main lobby of the Neveh Penina building.

"It is very exciting to have the freedom to work in so many different media," enthuses Mindy, who will study art history at Northwestern University next year. "But the best aspect of the program is being in an environment where I receive such outstanding advice and guidance." Meira Levinson agrees. "I came to Midreshet Lindenbaum to learn and get the most out of being in Israel. But the Beit Midrash Studio gives me even more: a chance to solidify my experience -- to make something tangible from what I'm seeing and experiencing and then share it with others."

Back to Newsletter Spring 2002

Return to Ohr Torah Stone