The Michigan Classic Ballet

Presents

Conversations With
Women Of The Torah

FRANK PROVENZANO SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

The Natcrack,er

with the

1314- mingham Moomfiztxt Symphony Orchestra,

Saturday Dec. 3 at 3:00 p.m
Sunday Dec. 4 at 3:00 p.m.
Reserved Seating • Adults $15, Children & Seniors $12
Abridged Benefit Performance 12/3 at 11:30 a.m. All tickets $8.00

West Bloomfield High School Auditorium

For Ticket Information or to charge by phone

Call (810) 661-4349

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Young-Hoon
Ko

RECENT PAINTINGS

Dec. 1 - 31, 1994

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Birmingham MI 48009
Telephone 810.433.3700
Fax 810.433.3702

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from
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arah Hartman has had
some extraordinary con-
versations with the mater-
ial most people refer to
simply as clay. For Ms. Hartman,
a lump of clay is hardly inani-
mate. Rather, she thinks of
sculpting as guiding the clay as
it unfolds along a migratory path.
She's discovered some fasci-
nating subjects along the
way.
Ms. Hartman's recent
"sculpture discoveries"
artethe women of the
Torah, who for many, are
known only by their words.
But knowing their words
is just a starting point for
Ms. Hartman.
Based on her "Women in
the Bible: Images in Clay"
exhibit at Temple Beth El,
it might seem as if Ms.
Hartman has stood face-to-
face with the likes of Eve,
Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel,
Leah, Miriam, Devorah,
Bathsheba and Esther.
There was a time, though,
when Ms. Hartman was on
a path outside of Judaism,
and the relevancy of the
stories of the Torah were
yet unknown to her
Until she was 30, Ms.
Hartman said she had lit-
tle interest in religion. That
changed after the Wayne
State Fine Arts graduate
spent years living away
from home, in Seattle and
New Haven, Conn. After
what she terms an "emo-
tionally difficult year," she
turned inward and redis-
covered the redemptive
power of coming to terms
with her heritage. Initial-
ly, her vision was redirect-
ed to Judaism through her

S

reading of Children of the Holo-
caust, and The Joy of Yiddish.
"I was inspired by the strength
of the Jewish people to continue
despite the Holocaust and cen-
turies of persecution," said Ms.
Hartman, who balances her
sculpture career with a 9-to-5 job
at Wayne State Library. "I start-
ed to question what exactly was

it about Judaism that has in-
spired our people to survive?"
Soon thereafter, she was back
in metro Detroit and attending
services at Temple Beth El. Then
she began to compose drawings
of the Holocaust and create ce-
ramic Judaica — menorahs,
Shabbat candlesticks. Combin-
ing her interest in Genesis and

.

Above:
Ms. Hartman's
"Dinah."

Left: Sarah
Hartman with two
of her sculptures.