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Bais Chabad of West Bloomfield hosts an art exhibition and sale.

T

SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to The Jewish News

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he works of three
Judaica artists —
a glass designer,
0 ,
painter and callig-
rapher — will be featured in
a fund-raiser for
Congregation Bais Chabad
of West Bloomfield.
Dani Katsir of West
Bloomfield, Michoel Muchnik
of New York and Luba Bar
Menachem of Jerusalem will
be on hand for the exhibit and
sale running 6-10 p.m.
Wednesday, March 10, at the
synagogue. Nat-a- fie Lipnik,
exhibit coordinator, has
planned a dessert reception in
honor of the three exhibitors.
"The soul has a need to
express beauty, and these
Clockwise from top left:
works ler us use beauty for
Luba Bar Menachems work captures
religious purposes," says Rabbi
her
love for the Hebrew alphabet and
Elimeilech Silberberg, who
includes
illuminated scriptural verses.
selected the artists. "They can
give an added feeling of spiri-
Dani Katsir'sglass seder plate displays
tuality to a religious home."
a preference for architectural designs.
Rabbi Silberberg, who trea-
Michoel Muchnik's lithograph pictures
sures a drawing of the Galilee
an ornamental ring with ;home on top,
that was a gift and hangs in
symbolizing the eternal home in Israel.
his dining room, thinks that
religious art provides a posi-
tive way to celebrate God. He
hopes that this exhibition will
be the first of many and will
He models his pieces from photos
use the proceeds for youth activities.
either taken by him or shown in books.
Katsir, who was born in Hungary
"Glass is magical," Katsir says. "A
and moved to Israel at age 11, will be
work of glass is really many different
showing seder plates, mezuzot,
works. Glass reflects, refracts, diffuses
tzedakah boxes and challah boards.
and suffuses light, which makes glass
"I try to do a lot of architectural
glow like molten jewels. Every hour of
designs," says Katsir, who served in the
the day, in every type of light and
Israeli military and made jewelry before
shade, from every angle, a glass object
moving to the United States. He became
is constantly transforming."
interested in stained glass while visiting
There's more of a story in the
the home of a Chicago friend and
works of Muchnik, whose artistry
taught himself the techniques through
often depicts parables from Chasidic
books and an occasional workshop.
teachings. A former student of the
The glass devotee creates replicas of
Rhode Island School of Design, he
Israeli synagogue doors and windows,
became inspired to change from black
sometimes using the form for mezuzot.
and white studies to color after he

found Orthodoxy
"I will be showing original paint-
ings, mixed media, collages and litho-
graphs," Muchnik says about his first
Michigan exhibition in a career that
spans 25 years. "They all revolve
around joy. I take ideas I've studied
and portray them in paintings."
Muchnik's work has adorned
UNICEF greeting cards. His most
popular lithograph, The Ring and the
Rose, inspired by the Song of Songs, pic-
tures an ornamental ring with a home
on top, symbolizing the eternal home
in Israel. The theme of the Third
Temple is found in many pieces,
including The Tzadiks Clock, based on

midrash presenting views of the
clock's ticking.
Menachem's work captures her
love for the Hebrew alphabet.
"Everything that I do is con-
nected to the Bible and Judaic tra-
dition," says Menachem, who
gives her personal touch to
ketubot, megillot and illuminated
scriptural verses.
She works with papercuts, first
drawing the original design on
paper or parchment, cutting it out
with a surgical knife, painting the
design with gouache, watercolor
and/or gold paint and finishing
with calligraphy.
Born and raised in Siberia,
Menachem studied construction engi-
neering at the Technical University
there before emigrating to Israel in
1971 and marrying an Israeli in 1972.
A course in Hebrew calligraphy and
graphic design launched her artistry.
After a start with some very simple
forms, Menachem's work grew more
and more elaborate. She was commis-
sioned to prepare a parchment cut for
Chaim Herzog honoring his service as
president of Israel; an illuminated
papercut of the biblical text "they shall
beat their swords into plowshares" for
the Israel Pavilion in the Dominican
Republic; and 25 papercuts for awards
given by Israel Bonds in New York.
One piece from her "Woman of
Valor" series, which includes religious
passages extolling women, was a gift to
Barbara Bush in 1990, when their
paths crossed at a reception in Omaha.
"I work with Judaica because I lead
this kind of life," says the calligrapher, the
only Judaic artist represented in the 1997
book The Art of Color Calligraphy. fl

The Bais Chabad Art Exhibit
and Sale will run 6-10 p.m.
Wednesday, March 10, at the syn-
agogue, followed by a dessert
reception. There is no admission
charge. 5595 W. Maple Road,
West Bloomfield. (248) 932-3311.

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3/5
1999

Detroit Jewish News

77