Dor V' Dor: Kaddish For My Father 2004-2007
Oil on Canvas 47-1/2" h x 62" w
The catalyst for this painting was the sudden death of my father during a Shabbat
Morning Service. It occurred moments after he had recited the Shema (Hear, Oh!
Israel The Lord is Our God, The Lord is One), the ancient and central prayer of
worship, traditionally said upon rising and upon lying down to sleep, and before
the moment of passing.
The painting deals with several Jewish traditions including the concept of Dor V’
Dor - the compliance with tradition to sustain Judaism from generation to
generation, symbolized by the inclusion of myself (far left) and my paternal
grandfather (center).
Having grown up in an orthodox environment, my father was actively involved in
synagogues and Cherva Kaddisha (Burial Societies) all his life. He made his living as
a tailor , symbolized in the painting by the pair of tailor’s shears cutting a corner
fringe off the burial tallit in observance of the Jewish tradition of Tachrichim,
which includes this action so that the tallit is no longer fit for ritual use.
Oil on Canvas 47-1/2" h x 62" w
The catalyst for this painting was the sudden death of my father during a Shabbat
Morning Service. It occurred moments after he had recited the Shema (Hear, Oh!
Israel The Lord is Our God, The Lord is One), the ancient and central prayer of
worship, traditionally said upon rising and upon lying down to sleep, and before
the moment of passing.
The painting deals with several Jewish traditions including the concept of Dor V’
Dor - the compliance with tradition to sustain Judaism from generation to
generation, symbolized by the inclusion of myself (far left) and my paternal
grandfather (center).
Having grown up in an orthodox environment, my father was actively involved in
synagogues and Cherva Kaddisha (Burial Societies) all his life. He made his living as
a tailor , symbolized in the painting by the pair of tailor’s shears cutting a corner
fringe off the burial tallit in observance of the Jewish tradition of Tachrichim,
which includes this action so that the tallit is no longer fit for ritual use.
