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More than 40 Jewish ceremonial objects - including sculptures, paintings and works on paper by internationally acclaimed New York artist Tobi Kahn – illustrate the two distinct yet related meanings of the Hebrew word "Avodah": work and worship.
Most of the world’s major religions rely heavily on symbolism in rituals.
Judaism is no exception.
Symbolic evocation is found throughout Jewish practice. Hanukah lights, for example, represents the Maccabees’ miraculous oil, while a seder-plate is a litany of suffrage and liberation symbols.
The objects – part of a traveling exhibition curated by Laura Kruger from the Museum at Hebrew Union College in New York – offers viewers new insights into Jewish customs.
The title reflects the artist’s interpretation in the active participation of spiritual expression.
Nearly 20 years ago, Kahn concluded that the normal artifacts of Jewish culture held little personal significance for him when used in traditional rituals.
Kahn – a first generation Orthodox Jew whose grandparents escaped Nazi Germany – felt he could use his artistic skills to create a fusion of modern art and traditional ritual object that could then be used by family and friends.
“Although Judaism has emphasized text and commentary, I have found the visual elements of the tradition equally illuminating,” said Kahn. “For me, the life of the spirit is integrally bound to the beauty of the world. Like language, what we see can be a benediction.”
He made the chuppah (canopy) he and his wife were married under and the ceremonial chairs for his daughter's Shalom Bat (baby naming) ceremonies. He followed those items with tzedakah (charity) boxes, hanukiya (Hanukah lamps more commonly referred to as menorahs) and Aron Kodesh (holy arks specifically for houses in mourning).
Through his work, Kahn continues to seek out unique metaphors to push the boundaries of normative Judaic images. His creations reveal the timelessness of an ancient, eternal presence, yet they remain strikingly contemporary in their refusal to allude to familiar and domestic conventions of Judaica.
Kahn is the founder of the visual arts program at Manhattan Hebrew High School and is a former artist-in-residence at the Kaufman Cultural Center. He currently teaches painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
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