Stephan Becharas . and The Staff Of

been the same," he said. "I've seen
being an artist as something of a spiri-
tual guide between the divine and the
mundane."
It has not always been so easy find-
ing a niche for his work.
While the symbols of other faiths
often make their way into fine arts
pieces, Berkowitz said, "there's a big
resistance to people looking at any-
thing with Jewish calligraphy or Jewish
symbolism as being anything other
than Judaica. And the Judaica audi-
ence is very traditional and resists any-
4
thing that looks too different."
However, he said, that is starting to
change.
Alyssa Dee Krauss, 38, of Leeds,
Mass., who created the Kiddush cup
with the silver netting, welcomed the
HUC exhibit for its "contemporary
and more updated questioning of tra-
ditional practices."
"There's a little pushing of that
edge, of accepted standard ways of
doing things," Krauss said. "Whenever
I see that, I'm always excited."
Both HUC and Spertus distributed
reference materials on Judaism and rit-
uals in order to help guide the artists
— who range from those working pri-
marily in Jewish themes to those who
have little Jewish education to those
who are not even Jewish — in re-
imagining the objects.
The Jewish Museum, which is
approaching some Jewish and non-
Jewish artists, is developing a guide
that will explain Jewish ritual objects
to artists, craftspeople and industrial
designers not familiar with the
requirements of the rituals.
"The artists become very educated
in the topic, trying to find new ways
of expressing the ritual," said Weiss,
the Spertus Museum curator. "They
don't take it at face value. Instead, they
say, 'Let's look further into the mean-
ing of the symbolism.' Then they
come up with different symbols, dif-
ferent ideas."
While ritual objects available in
most shops are generally mass-pro-
duced and more traditional than these
new works, the new artworks will like-
ly influence the mass-produced designs
in the coming decade.
The new HUC pieces range in price
from S75 to $75,000 — and many are
being purchased by synagogues and
individuals.
"Apparently there's a demand for
something that's a little different,'
Weiss said.

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Year

Jewish News College Intern Jamie
Rosen contributed to this report.

9/14
2001

R57